Australian Rugby / RA

[Braveheart81]

TK's form at the end of last year was at his best and world class, His form in the trial match against the Rebels was first class again. He is our only world class No 13 and omitting him from the squad was probably just one more issue between Cheika and Larkham.

When was Kuridrani omitted from a squad?

 

[Quick Hands]

And accountable QH. If that accountability had been evident over the past 3 - 4 years, we would never be in the abysmal situation that has been the Wallabies in that time.

That's my point. In what sort of operation does the boss not accept accountability for his decisions and for the results on his watch? (To answer my own question, Australian Rugby - and it's not just head coaches)

Incidentally, I don't think that Cheika is the sort of guy who really wants assistant coaches. He strikes as a my way or the highway sort of character, which is fine as long he accepts responsibility for "his way".

 

[Quick Hands]

The way that the game has been ridden into the ground throughout Australia in the period of time since I visited in 2013 is nothing short of spectacular, in the worst way.

And I suspect that we still haven't hit the bottom either.

 

[KOB1987]

From memory Cheika preferenced Kerevi over TK for the Ireland series in the 13 jersey but he wasn't 'omitted' from a squad until he got injured before the RC. I think he may have technically been fit by the EOYT but it would have been stupid to risk a player with his experience returning from injury at that stage less than 12 months out from the RWC.

 

[gel]

IF Larkham's main trait is the "structured attack" type crap, then there is no way in hell people can attribute any of his failing to Cheika. If there's one thing that's clearly evident (other than Nathan Grey's shambolic defensive system) it's the repeated attempt at overly elaborate and obviously scripted and rehearsed attack plays.........

It's clear as day that the attack is run exactly the way whoever came up with that ridiculously outdated philosophy and the only real issue with it is that almost all the plays are ridiculously easy to read by the opposition defense. A simple rush defence is enough to wipe out half the wallaby playbook ffs.

IF that's larkham's ideas as attack coach, then he can fuck off with to another country and fail at it over there.

If it's his idea.........

 

[KOB1987]

I think I gave my reasoning for thinking Larkham would not necessarily have stuck with Beale because he doesn't fit the structured play that Larkham is/was known for. Is he not known for the structured play more because of the composed playmakers he had at his disposal - To'omua and Lealiifano? What if Beale was at the Brumbies, do you think he would have left him out all together?

I agree that Powell is a 50/50 call, but he had very strong support from Larkham when he was first brought into the Wallabies squad. If I remember correctly, Larkham then labelled him as a future starting Wallaby No 9. It is not far fetched to believe that Cheika's continued treatment of not playing Powell off the bench would have been a point of contention between the two. That's possibly true but it's just your speculation.

You might think that Banks didn't cut it at high intensity training, but where's the evidence? I've never seen a mention of that anywhere outside speculation in your post. Nevertheless, his form should have dictated his inclusion in a training squad early this year. Agreed that it's my speculation because Cheika has never been averse to giving a debutante time IF he thinks he's up to it, regardless of which Super Rugby team they play for. Which he doesn't seem to, so it's just my reasoning with Banks. Possibly he doesn't think he's ready yet.

How many other players have been or were brought back into Cheika's squad after serious injury without much game time to show they were ready. In recent times, I can think of Hooper and Dempsey, but they have an obvious advantage in the colour of their Super Rugby jersey of course. LOL TK's form at the end of last year was at his best and world class, His form in the trial match against the Rebels was first class again. He is our only world class No 13 and omitting him from the squad was probably just one more issue between Cheika and Larkham. Addressed above

 

[Slim 293]

Hypothetically, if Cheika didn't think Banks was ready yet while persisting with Maddocks, well...........

 

[KOB1987]

Hypothetically, if Cheika didn't think Banks was ready yet while persisting with Maddocks, well.....

I don't disagree with that in regards to his on-field performance but I'm suggesting that he cut the mustard at training, it's well known that it's one of Cheika's main selection tools. As I said I'm not backing it, just trying to get my head around the reasoning.

 

[Gnostic]

My thoughts on this latest comedy from RA.​

​

1) Larkham is getting lambasted and scapegoated because he was promoted too early and has no lower tier results or even significant experience to make his appointment to a top job remotely deserved.​

2) The deep cynic in me actually has a sneaking suspicion that this is manufactured to ensure the next Wallaby coach is not tainted with what I expect will be a record breaking year for the Wallabies. The Wallabies were beyond poor last year and after watching Wales V France in the heavy rain and then Ireland V England I can only suggest in all seriousness the Wallabies would concede at least 50 points and be lucky to score against any of the four we saw last weekend.​

3) Cheika as I have said before is a three year (at best) coach. Look at his results at every club he has coached and you will see the same pattern of massive uptick in performance and then results in the first two years, then a slight slide followed by a collapse the following years. I also have to say he is not an innovator of the game or even one who keeps pace with the changes, in fact it appears to me the Wallabies are 3 to 4 years behind.​

4) The players - the forgotten factor. Regardless of coaching show me a player who has improved their skills since they have been a pro player in this country. It is hard to hold coaches accountable when the players have demonstrated under successive coaches that they may well be uncoachable. Part of this in in the contracting system I believe, players like Folau are paid so much the coaches have no choice but to play them because they cannot pay another player. How can you say to the bloke, you are not a fullback's A*&%$hole go and learn to kick properly before you get selected again, so that the opposition has to take into account they may just have to field a return kick from you not run up with a 15 man defensive line. No we pick seriously underskilled players and they remain so for the entirety of their career with little to no change. (Front row to a large degree is excluded from this little point because the technique there has improved out of sight to what it was years ago.​

 

[The Honey Badger]

Welcome back Gnostic, trust you had a nice break.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

My thoughts on this latest comedy from RA.​

​

1) Larkham is getting lambasted and scapegoated because he was promoted too early and has no lower tier results or even significant experience to make his appointment to a top job remotely deserved.​

2) The deep cynic in me actually has a sneaking suspicion that this is manufactured to ensure the next Wallaby coach is not tainted with what I expect will be a record breaking year for the Wallabies. The Wallabies were beyond poor last year and after watching Wales V France in the heavy rain and then Ireland V England I can only suggest in all seriousness the Wallabies would concede at least 50 points and be lucky to score against any of the four we saw last weekend.​

3) Cheika as I have said before is a three year (at best) coach. Look at his results at every club he has coached and you will see the same pattern of massive uptick in performance and then results in the first two years, then a slight slide followed by a collapse the following years. I also have to say he is not an innovator of the game or even one who keeps pace with the changes, in fact it appears to me the Wallabies are 3 to 4 years behind.​

4) The players - the forgotten factor. Regardless of coaching show me a player who has improved their skills since they have been a pro player in this country. It is hard to hold coaches accountable when the players have demonstrated under successive coaches that they may well be uncoachable. Part of this in in the contracting system I believe, players like Folau are paid so much the coaches have no choice but to play them because they cannot pay another player. How can you say to the bloke, you are not a fullback's A*&%$hole go and learn to kick properly before you get selected again, so that the opposition has to take into account they may just have to field a return kick from you not run up with a 15 man defensive line. No we pick seriously underskilled players and they remain so for the entirety of their career with little to no change. (Front row to a large degree is excluded from this little point because the technique there has improved out of sight to what it was years ago.​

We will just forget that he won the Heineken Cup in his forth season and lost the final the following year before leaving to go to Paris.

 

[Kenny Powers]

So, he's going to be a "national high performance coach advisor" instead.

When was Kevin Rudd put in charge of RA's staffing appointments?

I thought fellow ex Brumbie and Canberra Rugby Mafia member Rod Kafer already has this gig.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...at-again-in-new-aru-role-20170718-gxdrfu.html

Have they been taking lessons from another ex Brumbie, in Pat Howard on how to get on the gravy train with one of these BS roles!

Or maybe Stuart McGill put it best when he said you are 'stealing a living' from the sport.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...k=86aa0869a5c1b83f4743435130598cd1-1549454630

 

[Tomikin]

My thoughts on this latest comedy from RA.​

​

1) Larkham is getting lambasted and scapegoated because he was promoted too early and has no lower tier results or even significant experience to make his appointment to a top job remotely deserved.​

2) The deep cynic in me actually has a sneaking suspicion that this is manufactured to ensure the next Wallaby coach is not tainted with what I expect will be a record breaking year for the Wallabies. The Wallabies were beyond poor last year and after watching Wales V France in the heavy rain and then Ireland V England I can only suggest in all seriousness the Wallabies would concede at least 50 points and be lucky to score against any of the four we saw last weekend.​

3) Cheika as I have said before is a three year (at best) coach. Look at his results at every club he has coached and you will see the same pattern of massive uptick in performance and then results in the first two years, then a slight slide followed by a collapse the following years. I also have to say he is not an innovator of the game or even one who keeps pace with the changes, in fact it appears to me the Wallabies are 3 to 4 years behind.​

4) The players - the forgotten factor. Regardless of coaching show me a player who has improved their skills since they have been a pro player in this country. It is hard to hold coaches accountable when the players have demonstrated under successive coaches that they may well be uncoachable. Part of this in in the contracting system I believe, players like Folau are paid so much the coaches have no choice but to play them because they cannot pay another player. How can you say to the bloke, you are not a fullback's A*&%$hole go and learn to kick properly before you get selected again, so that the opposition has to take into account they may just have to field a return kick from you not run up with a 15 man defensive line. No we pick seriously underskilled players and they remain so for the entirety of their career with little to no change. (Front row to a large degree is excluded from this little point because the technique there has improved out of sight to what it was years ago.​

I still think Folau is in our best 15, as a winger, with 2 fullbacks with him, DHP and Banks or AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) or Maddox or Banks.. I think as a strike weapon Folau is our attacking winger, it's not his fault the coach doesn;t want to play him there (although has started too)..

One thing I will say, is Larkham and Grey where pulled into a shit storm for assistants coaches with how 2015 World Cup was going, Larkham was the best performing super coach outside of Cheika.. he got the attack grey got the defence, they did really well for the world cup..

From there who knows how it goes 2018 was shit in attack but 2017 we scored heaps of tires just sucked in defense 2018 wasnt Larkham so we have been told.

He got pulled to early , did well early, gone to shit after.. He should go overseas I think he'd do well maybe fail some places get some experience come back 2023 or 2027 his got time..

 

[Brumby Runner]

When was Kuridrani omitted from a squad?

My comments about Kuridrani have been in relation to the Wallaby training squad or love-in that occurred in January. According to the Brumbies' website, the only Brumbies involved were Sio, Fainga'a, Ala'alatoa and Pocock.

I have on a couple of occasions asked if anyone here knows who the backs were who were included, but to no avail. I know you keep a pretty close eye on matters, BH, so I'll ask you if you know.

 

[Rugrat]

Castles comments re keeping Larkham in the Aussie system in a role until he secures a head coaching role is telling. So is that a head coaching role in Australia? Who is going to get the chop to make way for him in Super rugby or is he plan B after world cup for the Wallabies? How much longer did Larkham have on his contract? Probably just better off paying him monthly than paying him out. Its called active gardening leave in corporate land isn't it.
I think the style of Cheika as a coach is not defined by Larkham sacking but who he decided to keep.

 

[Mudslider]

You're saying this like Bernie was some sort of coaching savant that got drug down by Cheika.

If anything, Cheika took him far further than he had any right to go at this stage in his career.

Larkham was employed as an assistant coach... he offered more than qualified to fill that position...

 

[wamberal]

Meanwhile the newly appointed CEO of Twiggy's flagship the Minderoo Foundation is a former NAB executive who was castigated at the Royal Commission. Andrew Haggar, former Head of Consumer Banking and Wealth.


Mmmm. Another banker, eh?

 

[Braveheart81]

My comments about Kuridrani have been in relation to the Wallaby training squad or love-in that occurred in January. According to the Brumbies' website, the only Brumbies involved were Sio, Fainga'a, Ala'alatoa and Pocock.

I have on a couple of occasions asked if anyone here knows who the backs were who were included, but to no avail. I know you keep a pretty close eye on matters, BH, so I'll ask you if you know.

It doesn't seem there was ever a full release of who was invited to the January camp.

I also can't see where on the Brumbies site it talks about those players being at Wallabies camp. There is an article saying you could go and meet some of the Brumbies Wallabies (Pocock, Arnold, Fainga'a, Ala'alatoa and Sio) at South Point, Tuggeranong during January. That has zero to do with Wallabies camp though.

 

[Derpus]

There is no one anywhere that thinks TK should not be in the Wallabies. He is by far the best 13 we have. Even if you thought Kerevi was better, TK would still be in the squad.

 

[LearningCurve]

There is no one anywhere that thinks TK should not be in the Wallabies. He is by far the best 13 we have. Even if you thought Kerevi was better, TK would still be in the squad.

For much of last Super Rugby season he looked well off his game though, but admittedly did improve towards the end - possibly after he was left out of the Wallabies? Maybe that was the incentive?