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Sorry my bad. I saw an article that his contract ran out this year, but didn't see that he extended it for another year.

Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of big Ben, but I don't think he is the kind of guy who will reliably get you over the gain line off static ball. He isn't bad, but he isn't like Palu in that way. The statistics of metres gained doesn't tell you how valuable those metres were. 6 metres made...

Lots of players off contract: Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Scott Fardy, Jesse Mogg, David Pocock. Don't have time to look into anyone else, but would wager a handful of others.

I don't think it will be a flash year for us. 2016 will be our big year (I hope). But to be honest, I think 2015 will be the last year that the Reds, Brumbies and Waratahs perform strongly. A lot of their decent players will piss off overseas after the World Cup.

I don't think Mafi would be well suited to 7s. I rate him. I think he is the kind of guy our backrow needs. For versatility. Our current backrowers are high on workrate and high on tackle completion but aren't renown for bone crunching tackles or ball carrying. I reckon he will be run off...

I agree. I don't think he is head coach material. Might make a decent assistant coach. He copped a lot of flak from a few of the England players following the 2011 RWC. Pretty rich coming from the players given their performance. Less heart than the Tin Man.

WA U20 squad (to be reduced to 25 by next Monday): * Denotes 2014 U20 squad member # Denotes 2014 Southern States squad member ADAM MARSHALL AUEGA SEUMANUTAFA CARL FITZPATRICK CHAD RAMSAMY CODY COE-BAKER* CONALL BOOMER CONOR SPENCE DANIEL REDMOND GERARD DE KLERK GUS TAYLOR# HAYDEN ANDERSON...

I'd switch it around and say parochialism is the root of the like for KB (Kurtley Beale). Everybody else would rather see him gone.

Its a shame that the plan to bring Kimlin back didn't pan out. We could really use him about now.

I thought someone from the Brumbies said he was now that Ben Mowen has gone. I see your point though.

So should we move the conversation to who should be the reserve lock? I'd like to see Skelton out. From my biased view, I'd like to see Adam Coleman in there. Dave McDuling seemed to do a great job in the scrums in the NRC. I'm a Luke Jones fan but I wonder if he will be considered more of a...

The last time the Wallabies scrum had a hot streak was back in 2009. We beat the Poms, were crushing the Irish in the scrums and should have won except for average refereeing by Kaplan (What's new?) and pulverised Wales. It wasn't a big change up in the forwards either: Front row of Robinson...

Nothing wrong with debating who will be the reserve props. I just think its a bit pointless weighing up their merits against other teams. The Smith twins are seemingly condemned for one bad scrummaging performance and Faagase and Paraka on a pedestal for one excellent performance. Yet there...

WA ran out Jermaine Ainsley for the U20s last year. He is a tighthead prop who has played Premier Grade in Perth. From what I can gather he was 19 then and would still be eligible. Good pedigree and he was always going to struggle for a spot in the Southern States team behind Alan. Not sure if...

Three of the Victorian U20s were in the Southern States team last year (Sa'aga, Hosea and Toeta). Only one from the ACT (Conal McInerney). The WA squad hasn't been named yet but I'd anticipate 3 returnees from WA.

January sucks. There is no rugby news so we end up arguing over really pointless things like which team might have the best bench or the best props. There are soooo many factors in this issue that we really don't know anyone is going to go.

Reckon Van Wyk will be the reserve LHP and Hoskins the reserve THP. Not much depth there. But that is true across Aussie rugby. Adam Coleman at TH Lock. Also reckon horses for courses between Mafi and Cottrell. Mafi would most likely be on the bench as a lock when not starting once he is fit. I...

He was on the bench against the Rays in the NRC. He was also good enough to make the combined Southern States team as a 19 year old. I reckon he'd definitely be an option.

I'm pretty sure Oscar Backhouse will still be eligible from WA. He's a second rower who played a little bit in the NRC (off the bench). He's also ginger. Nothing beats a ginger lock. Their skin is hardened by a world with little sympathy for red hair. Call him a smokey.

See Slipper and Simmons I agree with because the step down to the next best in their position is fairly significant. Hooper I don't because we have a lot of openside flankers. The step down from Hooper to Hodgson or Gill or a fit Pocock is fairly small. The step down from Kepu is a crevasse. We...