• Welcome to the forums of Green & Gold Rugby.
    We have recently made some changes to the amount of discussions boards on the forum.
    Over the coming months we will continue to make more changes to make the forum more user friendly for all to use.
    Thanks, Admin.

Aussie Player Exodus

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
I think Izzy would have a really valuable perspective on the work/rest ratio in Rugby Union considering he's got the benefit of having played at the top level in Australia for two other sports.

For example, AFL would have flogged him with cardio but no international games (no real ones) and limited travel would support that there is less need for sabbaticals than RU.

Similarly, NRL is physically demanding but there is a substantial off-season, limited international touring and only moderate travel demands.

So yeah, I think Izzy's response to a question, being an in-principle approval of sabbaticals is entirely appropriate.


Agree.

Just the other night I got a text from a mate (AFL fan) asking about the travel schedule for Super Rugby, particularly the South African leg. After explaining the two-game tour aspect, I pointed out that the Force probably have the worst of it, having no other team within their time zone. Particularly the three weeks = three countries nightmare they recently ran into.

He thought this over and his final comment was "Fuck - puts to shame all these AFL teams complaining about a trip to Perth!"
 

mst

Peter Johnson (47)
So uncle Bill has 'zero appetite' for sabbaticals. The line in the sand has been drawn. I like the sentiment of his view, but I think he should also look trying to balance the tension between game growth and a good product that puts the bums on seats.

http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-unio...er-says-no-to-sabbaticals-20140619-zsevg.html

I wonder if his thinking lays with his broadcast deal plan - keep the marketable stars on home soils until the deal is sealed so the networks can see the value here not disappearing. Post broadcast deal I bet it will be back on the agenda.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I like this approach. Being definitive is the right way to go about it. Players know exactly where they stand.

Of course the issue should be regularly discussed and monitored. At some point the conclusion will change.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk
 

Melbourne Terrace

Darby Loudon (17)
Well that's going to do a lot of good for the green and gold cash cow when players keep leaving and the national team just loses even more depth. Let them go ffs, the ARU is broke enough without having to pay these wages.
 
T

Train Without a Station

Guest
Fuck that's a short sighted view. They will be even more broke when nobody wants to watch super rugby.

Then what happens when these stars are injured during sabbaticals? Makes keeping those particular players quite redundant anyway.
 
T

Train Without a Station

Guest
T

Train Without a Station

Guest
These players are really no real loss for the Wallabies. They are a huge loss for Super Rugby though. By allowing more to go it just undermines Super Rugby.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
These players are really no real loss for the Wallabies. They are a huge loss for Super Rugby though. By allowing more to go it just undermines Super Rugby.


Yes and no, it opens opportunities for youngsters with promise to get more game time.

Sometimes the older squad player can be a hindrance as well, safe? sure, but never special
 
T

Train Without a Station

Guest
I had that exact thought in my mind at the time of writing it. Overall I think the loss is greater than the gain though. The loss of Smith has seen the rise of Hooper for example, but I think the players leaving a hole, outweighs the ones leaving only for a better young player to pop up.
 
T

Train Without a Station

Guest
Throw in To'omua and Lilo after Giteau's departure as a couple of good one coming through too.
 

Dave Beat

Paul McLean (56)
Yes and no, it opens opportunities for youngsters with promise to get more game time.

Sometimes the older squad player can be a hindrance as well, safe? sure, but never special


Maybe, and maybe not - the locks that have walked, I'd be interest to see the Super Lock next year and the year after - Australians V Non Australians.
Yes I'd like to see youngsters stepping up, but if they continue to flow overseas we sooner or later wont have enough players to step up.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
Maybe, and maybe not - the locks that have walked, I'd be interest to see the Super Lock next year and the year after - Australians V Non Australians.
Yes I'd like to see youngsters stepping up, but if they continue to flow overseas we sooner or later wont have enough players to step up.


We will see more of Staniforth at the Brumbies, Coleman at the Force, Cummins at the Rebels.

All three are good young locks

Add to that Hollaway at the Tahs, McDulling at the Reds as players to watch
 

Tangawizi

Peter Fenwicke (45)
How many pages do I have to go back through to find a Fantasy 1st XV of Aussies Overseas? Of those who will be overseas by the end of the year? Just started thinking about this again last night after Pulver said he had zero appetite for sabbaticals.

Could the overseas team beat the current Wallabies team?

1.
2.
3.
4. Douglas
5. Timani
6. Mowen
7. Smith
8. Houston
9.
10. Barnes
11. Ioane
12. Giteau
13.
14. Mitchell
15. OConnor
 

Dave Beat

Paul McLean (56)
We will see more of Staniforth at the Brumbies, Coleman at the Force, Cummins at the Rebels.

All three are good young locks

Add to that Hollaway at the Tahs, McDulling at the Reds as players to watch


As i said, i look forward to the young guys stepping up.
Coleman locking partner is from South Africa.
Skelton possibly locking partner from South Africa being Jackpot.

All I'm saying is I hope we have the young guys step up instead of pulling more players from Over Seas.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
As i said, i look forward to the young guys stepping up.
Coleman locking partner is from South Africa.
Skelton possibly locking partner from South Africa being Jackpot.

All I'm saying is I hope we have the young guys step up instead of pulling more players from Over Seas.

If Steenkamp settles in Australia and ends up playing for the Wallabies, it would be excellent.

Australia is generally a pretty attractive place to live and that is one advantage we have in many sports. People emigrate here more than Australians leaving to live elsewhere permanently.
 

Tangawizi

Peter Fenwicke (45)
On an entirely different note.

I took the opportunity to dick around and assemble an Australian expats XV, to look at the depth of potential lost overseas. The leagues I've covered are the English Premiership, French Top 14 and D2, all the Celtic League teams (Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy), and the Japanese Top League.

Behold your mighties and despair:

1 Dan Palmer - Grenoble
2 Huia Edmonds - Gloucester
3 Salesi Ma’afu - Northampton
4 Sitaleki Timani - Montpellier
5 Mark Chisholm - Bayonne
6 Peter Kimlin - Grenoble
7 George Smith - Suntory Sungoliath
8 David Lyons - Stade Francais
9 Josh Valentine - Narbonne
10 Berrick Barnes - Panasonic Wild Knights
11 Digby Ioane - Stade Francais
12 Matt Giteau - Toulon
13 Tyrone Smith - Narbonne
14 Drew Mitchell - Toulon
15 James O’Connor - London Irish
16 James Hilterbrand - Edinburgh
17 John Ulugia - Bourg-en-Bresse
18 Anthony Hegarty - Grenoble
19 Dean Mumm - Exeter
20 Leroy Houston - Bath
21 Richard Kingi - Stade Francais
22 Brock James - Clermont Auvergne
23 Alfi Mafi - Brive

Honourable mentions go to Ben Hand (Grenoble), Dan Heenan (Panasonic Wild Knights), Mitch Chapman (NTT Docomo), Julian Salvi (Leicester), Jono Jenkins (Narbonne), Josh Holmes (Bourgoin), Matt Henjak (Dax), Afusipa Taumoepeau (Pau), Junior Pelesasa (Agen), Chris Siale (Tarbes), Craig Wing (Kintetsu?), Brackin Karauria-Henry (NTT Shining Arcs) Ben Jacobs (London Wasps), Peter Hewat (Suntory Sungoliath).

There are a fair bunch of players who didn't make the cut above - mostly ex-mungoes, journeymen, bright young things, or names which I'd never bloody heard before.

While you can draw any number of conclusions from the above, it's notable that almost all of the first XV named are ex-Wallabies. The long-time argument that Australia doesn't have the playing depth to support five Super Rugby teams does seem to fly in the face of the above. The real issue isn't depth (apart from perhaps our front-row stocks), but in our ability to retain talent.

So it was 16 pages back. Good work though that team will be stronger again by the end of the year.
 
Top