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I think we underestimate how critical Eddie is to his players face-to-face - plenty of stories of him being devastatingly personal in his critiques within team rooms. These blokes may well have endured worse from him.

Ange Postecoglou? He is setting the world on fire in the UK...

I'd like to see RA appoint someone who has experience in a centralised system, to soothe fevered brows through the transition to that type of system here. Perhaps as a Director of Rugby, allowing the Wallabies coach to be a separate role and potentially someone with a little less experience -...

I wonder if these signings were all awaiting the new arrangements with RA, or if they've been in place for a while and just waiting for a bit of clear air for publication? Either way, all good to see. Just starting to stoke the hype train, will be departing the station soon and should be up to...

Will the 2027 RWC include some Shute Shield sides? Because the competition is fukd if it doesn't include my favourite club side. Don't think it can claim to be the highest level of rugby.

Stan needs to hold onto its existing subscribers as well as pick up new ones. I was planning to drop it after the RWC, and restart for the 6 nations and Super Rugby - but I might well hold onto it for the 7s.

Yes, it's the young teenage group where we really struggle to compete with league - they can afford to throw a bit of money at a lot of teenagers, and keep them in their systems for years. Rugby can't afford to try to pick winners at that stage, especially for props.

Who's made the announcement for the presser - RA or Eddie? if it's RA, I reckon he's staying. Coogee Oval sounds like a bit of a sentimental location though, maybe for a farewell.

Gilmore has a lot of potential as a coach, but let's not follow the traditional route of throwing a young coach into a head coaching role, grinding them down over a couple of years, and then deciding they're hopeless.

Let's not fixate on one head coach, it's clear the best national programs have more than one good brain. I agree Bernie needs more experience, but if he was supported by an experienced person either as a senior assistant or DoR, he'd be fine. He's been a national assistant, head coach in...

That highlights part of the problem with centralisation for the Brumbies: two of the Ten Commandments for Brumbies are - hate NSW, and and hate Nucifora. NSW is fully on board with centralisation, and you can't talk centralisation without mentioning Nuci. Ergo, centralisation must be resisted.

Yeah, hopefully the Fijians can put some points on early, force the English to play some rugby.

It’s the beauty of our federated system. NSW Rugby and Q Rugby are actually responsible for the vast majority of junior rugby, community rugby, and development, but when the Wallabies’ performance fails, it’s RA that cops all the blame.

I'm happy to say Donaldson changed my mind. In Super, I thought he didn't offer much of an attacking threat, and he rarely seemed to win a kicking duel. His kicking in general play was way better on the weekend, I'd love to see some stats on his kicking length last weekend versus Super.

That is, the developer at Millner may allow them to continue there for 2024, correct? Nothing's happened yet at the site at Castle Hill, so they'd be lucky if that was ready for the start of the 2025 season.

Reg, haven't they been talking about centralisation for 15 years or more? Has there actually been more detailed planning going on for 2 years?

It's light on detail because RA can't mandate this, they need to bring the states along with them. So Phil, or his representative, is going to have to sit through endless meetings where each of the states comes up with a different vision, and they all go round in circles for a few months...

Well, I can only read the first three lines before the paywall, but "fighting to keep the Brumbies in Canberra"? That is indeed quite a different spin on things. I suppose it's inflammatory than saying "we don't want to have to align our S&C approach with RA".

The timing is a little unusual. There's nothing in the usual media sources about this, except the internal RA organ rugby.com.au. Most rugby journos are probably either taking some leave pre-RWC, or heading to France now. Given the usual way news releases work from RA, with selected journos...

As Dan Herbert pointed out on the Rugby Wrap podcast interview, it's critical that Super Rugby coaches and administrations have the support necessary to make strategic recruitment decisions. An Super Rugby coach has to be confident that he won't lose his job if he chooses the young, untested local 10, instead of...