If anyones confused as to why the Aussie side is smaller than other nations, don't blame it on steroids or accuse other teams of doping, just look no further than the u20s team the NRL is able to field:
1 Jackson Hastings (Roosters), 2 Brenko Lee (Raiders), 3 Robert Jennings (Panthers), 4 Jordan Drew (Broncos), 5 Valentine Holmes (Sharks), 6 Drew Hutchison (Dragons), 7 Ashley Taylor (Broncos), 8 Joe Ofahengaue (Broncos), 9 Jayden Berrell (Broncos), 10 Matthew Lodge (Tigers), 11 Coen Hess (Cowboys), 12 Tepai Moeroa (Eels), 13 Tevita Pangai Junior (Raiders)
Interchange
14 Tyrell Fuimaono (Eels), 15 Salesi Funaki (Tigers), 16 Jayden Nikorima (Broncos), 17 Alex Twal (Eels), 18 Jai Arrow (Broncos)
As it has been well noted, talent absolutely pours out of the cracks of rugby union's junior pathways. It's not something we can prevent in the games current form, but it does explain a significant amount of our recent performance across all levels (particularly within the forwards).
If you leave high school and you're a big unit, with decent ball skills, good aggression and ambition, where do you go? League. Thats why in Union we have characters like Rob Simmons, who's angriest when his mum won't let him watch TV until he's taken out the bins, playing at elite levels.
What Australian rugby needs is size and aggression within its forwards, and with the way the game is currently set up, we simply don't get it. Even if we do (e.g. Will Skelton), a huge amount of us throw our arms in the air and flood the internet with remarks about how such dirty play doesn't have a place in the code.
The amount of times I've seen people asset that the Tah's 'play dirty' over the last 18 months is ridiculous. They are simply the first Aussie team in a long while to play with any sort of physical commitment and passion. I hope Cheika can enforce the same culture within the Wallabies.
I digress... I honestly believe that if Adrian Thompson had both our current u20s squad, the NRL u20s squad, a few others (Angus Crichton comes to mind) and enough time to show the league boys the ins and outs of the game, not only would we be amazed by the amount of league boys that make the run on 15, but also with how much better the team performs.
I would kill for Eben Etzebeth in the Wobs. Or Retallick. Or O'Connell. Hopefully one day we breed our own.
Edit: I also think the reliance upon the private schools system plays a serious role within the pacifying of our forwards. Having gone through one myself, too often is passionate or aggressive play looked down upon or reprimanded. The focus within such schools (especially the one I went to) was on playing fair to the point of playing passive. I think this needs to change.