Hah! Your brain. Like you can injure that!
Australia Vs Argentina, September 13, Gold Coast
- Thread starter ChargerWA
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KOB1987
John Eales (66)
yeah I wasn't entirely happy with my choice of words there! Point being that he can train at 100% though so won't lose any fitness..
I don't think it matters that he missed a large part of 2013, he has been pretty much injury free this year..I get your point though, he's hard to select around if you have him first choice so maybe he will be a benchie by RWC, wouldn't be such a bad thing..
I don't think it matters that he missed a large part of 2013, he has been pretty much injury free this year..I get your point though, he's hard to select around if you have him first choice so maybe he will be a benchie by RWC, wouldn't be such a bad thing..
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
I think you've just shown how injury prone Palu (unfortunately) is. He will miss a minimum of 4 tests out of the first 10. In addition he missed at least 2 games through injury (I'm aware some were for personal issues). That is a good year for Palu, but most players would consider a year when they miss 6 or more games from injury to be injury affected.
That's part of our problem in terms of the 8 jersey though. Despite many injury layoffs in his career, Palu keeps making himself the obvious choice at number 8 whenever he is healthy for a while.
Higginbotham, McCalman, and Mowen have all had reasonable cracks at the position but none of them have pushed themselves ahead of the frequently injured Palu.
T
Train Without a Station
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In my view at least, I don't think we can any longer consider Palu as our first choice 8 when deciding our back row balance and ultimately what our best options at 6 and 7 are. He may be our best option, but we cannot base our selections in other positions on him being there, because there's close to a 50% chance he won't.
If we were making changes based on balance then I might agree but currently our 6 and 7 are pretty locked in, particularly Hooper.
Unless there was a willingness to select a different 6 depending on who was at 8, it probably isn't really worth considering that the pecking order might change due to Palu being unavailable at times.
Now Link may decide it's going to take more than just being healthy for Palu to push his way back into the starting side but that is uncertain at this stage.
Unless there was a willingness to select a different 6 depending on who was at 8, it probably isn't really worth considering that the pecking order might change due to Palu being unavailable at times.
Now Link may decide it's going to take more than just being healthy for Palu to push his way back into the starting side but that is uncertain at this stage.
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
Could be worse. he could be Will Skelton. He's not selected for 2 games and people are already calling for Caydern Neville to be the 4th lock in the squad.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
I have no problem with that prospect..
Brumby Runner
Jason Little (69)
If he's gone for the better part of the remainder of the year and then if he is questionable at the RWC next year (as in he suffers more injuries next year in the run up to the RWC) where do we go for a No 8 who can bring some toughness to the game? Ben McCalman played very well against the Argies, but while they have a massive scrum, they are not the ABs, Saffas or Poms in open play. I have concerns if he is our best option against those teams. Higgers brings an element of toughness in his running game but as many too often lament he tends to go missing in close.
ATM the form No 8 seems to be Hoiles and in the short term he could be our best option at test level. Luke Jones could also be tried but think he is probably better at 6. Any chance of either Lopeti Timani or Cottrill being up to standard by the RWC? They seem to be the most aggressive of the newer players coming through. Would Holloway be considered? Tala Grey is showing some good form at the NRC and in SS. Could he be in the mix next year?
Unfortunately, not many like-for-like replacements for Palu if required.
Mr Doug
Dick Tooth (41)
Not trying to promote a relative, but Sam Carter was the only player to walk to the edge of the field on the eastern side, straight after the match and stayed there, signing merchandise, and posing with adults and kids, and trying on one of the 'gold top-hats', until going to the northern end, climbing the fence, signing more items and posing for more "selfies", plus having time to chat to Mr and Mrs Doug, before getting back to the presentation, just as it started!
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
BR can't agree on Hoiles. Hardly played 8 in Super Rugby and copped a fair bit of criticism for only having a single run or something similar in the brumbies semi
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
if you are going on Super form McCalman comes up tops anyway, ahead of Palu even..did Hoiles even play 8 at all? Maybe off the bench but he took over DD at 6 once he got injured, and in any case I think he would be quite low down the pecking order as far as Wallabies selection goes..
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
I'm not against playing a guy who is currently playing 6 at 8. Hoiles is very experienced there, but whilst he had his moments, as noted by kob, he's surely down the pecking order. I'd probably have him ahead of Schatz though.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
I'm only basing that on the fact that he was in the train-on squad last week and that was presumably in case Cliff couldn't tour..but I would agree with TWAS that in this instance, as a #3 back-up for the tour Hoiles would be a better option..
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