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I'd front my $100m for that model - the NSW and Qld Barbarians sides effectively being the 7th & 8th teams, but with more creative names.

Put it this way, if I had Twiggy's money, as a fairly passionate supporter I'd throw up $100m to get a professional domestic comp up and running. 8 clubs x $10m and $20m into the pot for the promotion, administration of the comp, etc. It would come with Ts & Cs of course which would no doubt...

It's very hard to read what Eddie is thinking. E.g. Philip hasn't been sighted in the Bledisloe and it's pretty unanimous on here that Arnold has offered fuck all yet he's starting. Is that because he knows what Philip offers and is giving Arnold one last chance to show what he can offer, or...

I think it's they get 2 votes and the other unions get 1. Or something like that. Given the participation numbers that part is probably fair enough. It's what goes on outside the boardroom that causes all the problems.

I’m not sure who Samu and Neville would displace - he seems to have settled on his 4 second rowers, similar with the back row, and one of the existing ones there could be cut. Wright or Hodge could come in for a less versatile option like Vunivalu though. When is the squad announced, I know NZ...

He might not even get picked in the RWC squad but people are saying they can see the logic in having him there. All things being equal yeah you'd play him on the wing. But say Rob Leota comes off the bench v Wales and cops a stinger that is going to keep him out of the Portugal game which he...

he played 5/8, centres, flanker & #8 at school, and some halfback in 7s. I'm not sure if he played any of those positions at club level but I'm guessing eddie sees him as someone who provides a lot of injury cover for the Portugal game when he will want to rest the top line players ahead of the QF

Kind of. They are looking for a headline - 'why did you retain Blake Schoup instead of Matt Gibbon on the bench' doesn't really cut it. I dont think we see all the questions that are asked either, only the ones that the MSM want us to see.

I think I have it worked out - Eddie plans to rest as many of the 1st XV starting side in the game against Portugal as possible before the QF, therefore similar to Cheika is initially taking 2 full XVs and 3 subs. Eg: 1sts 1. Bell 2. Porecki 3. Tupou 4. Frost 5. Skelton 6. Holloway 7. M...

Yes, i wasn’t necessarily thinking the strategy would be around front rowers, I was just using that as an example. I mentioned earlier that 5 props were the norm, but I forgot about the squad size increase. All things being equal you would think most would use one of those spots for a front...

You definitely have your core players in the squad, what you don’t want is a player that’s surplus to requirements taking up a spot for the tournament and not playing a minute. Remember in 2015 we had a congested schedule but the middle game was against a minnow so Cheika concocted a strategy...

I think 2 props will go as we only need one on standby (provided Slipper is there to cover both sides). I think Lonergan is expendable too, noting that Donaldson is listed as 'utility', so I reckon he will get a bench role at least against Georgia and Portugal and cover halfback as well as 10/15.

All this 'what if' stuff about Rennie is pure hyperbole. He had no assistant coaches for a start. I agree that Foley would probably be starting this weekend. Tom Hooper would probably be back home cheering on the Bathurst Bulldogs with his family. We really have no idea how those first 3...

Stumbled on an interview with Neil Hatley yesterday where he said there are still around 10 spots for the 33 man RWC squad they are looking to bed down. It's hard to see it being too different to that but they would normally only take 5 props - one of Schoupp and Nonggorr probably won't go...

Yeah, I thought the same thing, its a bit of a stretch to point the finger at big Willy. Our scrum hasn't been terrible, it would help if we could bed down a front row contingent.

Oh OK, that explains that then. For some reason I thought he played in the Aus A game v Tonga, I obviously had the wrong Tom.

Potentially - makes sense.

Same back line and the expected tinkering in the back row. Leaving Slipper at LHP is a sure sign that Tupou will be OK by the RWC. Same locks but different pecking order. Re THP, thinking about it I'm a bit bemused that Tom Roberston wasn't added to the squad instead of Lambert as he can play...

Yes, well that is the alternative, that he just says fuck it I'll stick with that. I don't think it would be an Eddie teamsheet without at least one head scratcher though.

I agree with that approach in principle leading into a world cup, but you are working on the assumption that Eddie thinks he has is selections right. We will have a clearer picture of his thinking soon, he will roll out a team that he thinks is better than last week's, barring the THP issue.