Brumbies 2009
- Thread starter Lee Grant
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Spook
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8) Any big coporations recently move to Canberra or is there a wealthy backer?
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
I still don't know why Jerry Yanuyanutawa didn't play for Oz A this year and neither did any of the Uni fans I asked at Uni Oval when the Rats were playing there in the TNC.
Jerry has played for the Fiji U21 team and the Fiji coach Illie Tabua was having a look at him last year; so it was good that the ARU showed some interest in him this year - but why didn't he play?
Also I don't know whether he has committed to Oz as part of his signing up with the Brumbies Academy - or even if he has to at this stage. And, because he is just in the Academy, I doubt if the Brumbies had to put him in the category of ?developing? foreign player who has yet to represent his native country at Test, Sevens or A-team level.
Note that the ARU switch on the foreign player policy came before Jerry was signed up by the Brumbies.
I don't know Jerry's background - he was born in Fiji but whether he is a recent arrival or came over at a young age like Lote I don't know. I think he would be a recent arrival as I don't remember him at schoolboy level and I think I would have if he was young enough to go to school here.
If he came here recently we shouldn't be too fussed about Fiji getting him. However if he was a THP instead of a LHP I wouldn't be so noble in my comments.
Jerry has played for the Fiji U21 team and the Fiji coach Illie Tabua was having a look at him last year; so it was good that the ARU showed some interest in him this year - but why didn't he play?
Also I don't know whether he has committed to Oz as part of his signing up with the Brumbies Academy - or even if he has to at this stage. And, because he is just in the Academy, I doubt if the Brumbies had to put him in the category of ?developing? foreign player who has yet to represent his native country at Test, Sevens or A-team level.
Note that the ARU switch on the foreign player policy came before Jerry was signed up by the Brumbies.
I don't know Jerry's background - he was born in Fiji but whether he is a recent arrival or came over at a young age like Lote I don't know. I think he would be a recent arrival as I don't remember him at schoolboy level and I think I would have if he was young enough to go to school here.
If he came here recently we shouldn't be too fussed about Fiji getting him. However if he was a THP instead of a LHP I wouldn't be so noble in my comments.
S
Spook
Guest
Rathbone stil has pace. He clocked the fastest 40m time in training this week. Quicker than Holmes and Mafi who were the quickest in NSW from memory. Now if he can develop a step, pass and kick :thumb
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
He's off to the bobsled team, haven't you heard? 
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/news/downhill-for-rathbone/2008/11/05/1225560909459.html
Perfect for him, should be be in the rear two: only requires strength, never has to sidestep, just gets to run straight at stuff.
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/news/downhill-for-rathbone/2008/11/05/1225560909459.html
Perfect for him, should be be in the rear two: only requires strength, never has to sidestep, just gets to run straight at stuff.
S
Spook
Guest
Bad news for Yabby. He is a brave and solid player and this injury sounds bloody risky to be honest. :'(
H
Henners
Guest
Spook said:
Its George snow and a few Property developers by all accounts.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Fairbanks had tough luck; so let's all hope that he can come good.
Talking of the Brumbies: they are hot for Kotoni Ale, the star backrower for Oz Schools this year.
The Brumbies Academy coach Darren Coleman said, "Kotoni's been on our radar for a while. He's got a lot of potential. I knew George Smith as a schoolboy and there's many similarities with Kotoni; he's very skillful and he works hard for the team. He's got all the right character traits. What he becomes is totally up to him. Hopefully we can entice him to come here."
But Chris Hickey from the Tahs is interested in the NSW Schools Player of the Year too and reckoned he was well in the race to get Ale's signature.
"We're hopeful that being a Sydney boy, he sees the Waratahs as a good option," said Hickey. "He looks very much like a top player of the future. From the meetings we've had he's an impressive young man on and off the field and I think he would fit perfectly into our system."
As I said before he is an impressive player at the schools level and seems to have all the ticker he is going to need as a senior, though one can never be sure. He played in all 3 backrow positions in 2 years for NSW Schools. It will be difficult to know what his best position is going to be as a senior player without knowing how much he is going to grow.
Hickey is cocky about getting him but I'm not so sure. Ale would see Waugh and Beau Robinson ahead of him at the Tahs and Ben Coridas, who he resembles in a lot of ways, has just accepted a second year as a professional Academy player.
At the Brumbies he would have to wait for Smith to hang up his boots and even when he's still around, Hoiles will be there plus Salvi, who I thought had his best season ever this year.
As for the Force: it's a long way to go to wait behind Pocock and Brown, and he may not be tall enough to be a lineout 6.
I reckon the Reds should get his phone number.
He could take a longer view and hang around the Sydney club comp for a bit of seasoning for a year or two, getting the NSW Academy content whilst staying at home and eating Mum's cooking. The Oz rugby landscape will change a bit in that time and it could be best to make a career decision later. And despite the hype, he may not be good as Coleman, Hickey and yours truly think he will be as a senior player.
He goes to school at Augies just down the road from where I live; so I hope he does the right thing and signs up for the Rats, and if he hasn't got a car yet there's a bus stop just opposite Rat Park.
I'd even give him a lift.
Talking of the Brumbies: they are hot for Kotoni Ale, the star backrower for Oz Schools this year.
The Brumbies Academy coach Darren Coleman said, "Kotoni's been on our radar for a while. He's got a lot of potential. I knew George Smith as a schoolboy and there's many similarities with Kotoni; he's very skillful and he works hard for the team. He's got all the right character traits. What he becomes is totally up to him. Hopefully we can entice him to come here."
But Chris Hickey from the Tahs is interested in the NSW Schools Player of the Year too and reckoned he was well in the race to get Ale's signature.
"We're hopeful that being a Sydney boy, he sees the Waratahs as a good option," said Hickey. "He looks very much like a top player of the future. From the meetings we've had he's an impressive young man on and off the field and I think he would fit perfectly into our system."
As I said before he is an impressive player at the schools level and seems to have all the ticker he is going to need as a senior, though one can never be sure. He played in all 3 backrow positions in 2 years for NSW Schools. It will be difficult to know what his best position is going to be as a senior player without knowing how much he is going to grow.
Hickey is cocky about getting him but I'm not so sure. Ale would see Waugh and Beau Robinson ahead of him at the Tahs and Ben Coridas, who he resembles in a lot of ways, has just accepted a second year as a professional Academy player.
At the Brumbies he would have to wait for Smith to hang up his boots and even when he's still around, Hoiles will be there plus Salvi, who I thought had his best season ever this year.
As for the Force: it's a long way to go to wait behind Pocock and Brown, and he may not be tall enough to be a lineout 6.
I reckon the Reds should get his phone number.
He could take a longer view and hang around the Sydney club comp for a bit of seasoning for a year or two, getting the NSW Academy content whilst staying at home and eating Mum's cooking. The Oz rugby landscape will change a bit in that time and it could be best to make a career decision later. And despite the hype, he may not be good as Coleman, Hickey and yours truly think he will be as a senior player.
He goes to school at Augies just down the road from where I live; so I hope he does the right thing and signs up for the Rats, and if he hasn't got a car yet there's a bus stop just opposite Rat Park.
I'd even give him a lift.
spectator
Bob Davidson (42)
there has been a bit said about future 10's on a few threads but I think it's appropriate to this thread to remind people of Matt To'omua. James O'Connor, Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale are special talents, but this kid is the real deal in terms of 5/8th's. I hope he has some good game time with the Brumbies in 2009.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
As you know speckie, you don't have to convince me about young Matt.
He got a few runs for the Brumbies from the bench this year after leaving school in 2007 and did the right thing by playing in the Sydney club comp after the S14. He had some good games for Eastern Suburbs too and scarcely a below average one.
He is not a ball player of the calibre of Beale and Cooper at the same age though is no dud in that regard; but he is a better tactical player than the other two were. He is progressing well, though he has to run a bit more and get a bit more oomph into his line kicks.
He is a better player than Lealiifano was at the same age and I'd warrant that he will get more and more time with the Brumbies as the 2009 S14 season progresses. IMO he will eventually be the starting Brumbies flyhalf but I can't estimate when that will be.
He got a few runs for the Brumbies from the bench this year after leaving school in 2007 and did the right thing by playing in the Sydney club comp after the S14. He had some good games for Eastern Suburbs too and scarcely a below average one.
He is not a ball player of the calibre of Beale and Cooper at the same age though is no dud in that regard; but he is a better tactical player than the other two were. He is progressing well, though he has to run a bit more and get a bit more oomph into his line kicks.
He is a better player than Lealiifano was at the same age and I'd warrant that he will get more and more time with the Brumbies as the 2009 S14 season progresses. IMO he will eventually be the starting Brumbies flyhalf but I can't estimate when that will be.
S
Spook
Guest
Is he quick Nod?
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Hmm - I notice that the ACT have done another Queensland poach - flyhalf James Ambrosini who made Oz A Schools this year and went to St. Laurence's College. He knows how to slice through a gap and can kick a long ball too.
Robbie Coleman is a local lad and also a flyhalf. He made the Oz Schools ones but was probably swapped with Ambrosini on tour, as is the custom. Robbie finished the Oz Schools Open tournament well and although he's not an outstanding schoolboy prospect he has an all round game for senior rugby that some other schoolboy flyhalves don't.
Watch out for fullback Tyler Stephens when he comes through the ranks. The pocket rocket can shift and knows what broken field running is all about. Mick O'Connor knows him from the Schools tournament and would have him pencilled in for the future for Sevens.
*******************
It was interesting to read Bill Young's comments about the Brumbies scrum. He is their scrum doctor now and he said that statistically the Brumbies had the worst scrum of the S14. I thought that they didn't have a very good scrum but had no stats to back it up.
I used to go to a site 2 years ago that had stats like that for the S14 but somehow lost track of it when I reinstalled my hard drive. Does anybody know of the site?
Anyway - if the Brumbies had a bad scrum you can see why Shepherdson and Henderson have been ignored by Deans and it makes one wonder all the more why Alexander didn't get a start in the S14.
Bill's comments are here:
http://www.super14.com/news/viewarticle.asp?id=16799
PS It's good to see Rattlebones back. I saw him a bit for Easts this year. He hardly set the house on fire but he was coming back to work OK - I even saw him pass the ball a few times. He didn't seem to be as fast as he was before but that could be an illusion.
Rattles is one of those players like Elsom, Cooper, Beale and Tuqiri that posters are a bit too hard on IMO; so I'll be watching him for reasons to give him a bit of praise just to be perverse.
Robbie Coleman is a local lad and also a flyhalf. He made the Oz Schools ones but was probably swapped with Ambrosini on tour, as is the custom. Robbie finished the Oz Schools Open tournament well and although he's not an outstanding schoolboy prospect he has an all round game for senior rugby that some other schoolboy flyhalves don't.
Watch out for fullback Tyler Stephens when he comes through the ranks. The pocket rocket can shift and knows what broken field running is all about. Mick O'Connor knows him from the Schools tournament and would have him pencilled in for the future for Sevens.
*******************
It was interesting to read Bill Young's comments about the Brumbies scrum. He is their scrum doctor now and he said that statistically the Brumbies had the worst scrum of the S14. I thought that they didn't have a very good scrum but had no stats to back it up.
I used to go to a site 2 years ago that had stats like that for the S14 but somehow lost track of it when I reinstalled my hard drive. Does anybody know of the site?
Anyway - if the Brumbies had a bad scrum you can see why Shepherdson and Henderson have been ignored by Deans and it makes one wonder all the more why Alexander didn't get a start in the S14.
Bill's comments are here:
http://www.super14.com/news/viewarticle.asp?id=16799
PS It's good to see Rattlebones back. I saw him a bit for Easts this year. He hardly set the house on fire but he was coming back to work OK - I even saw him pass the ball a few times. He didn't seem to be as fast as he was before but that could be an illusion.
Rattles is one of those players like Elsom, Cooper, Beale and Tuqiri that posters are a bit too hard on IMO; so I'll be watching him for reasons to give him a bit of praise just to be perverse.
S
Spook
Guest
The lineout and scrum for the Brumbies was terrible this year. Has a prop ever regressed as fast as Sheperdson? I blame Gandalf. They had a good game against NSW scrum-wise. Mind you, that was Kepu and Dunning from memory. :nta:
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I haven't bothered reading most of this, but I did see the following on rugbyheaven:
http://news.rugbyheaven.com.au/sport/montpellier-sign-aussie-lock-campbell-20081130-6nhp.html
I didn't realise T14 was so short of large players with no ticker :nta:
http://news.rugbyheaven.com.au/sport/montpellier-sign-aussie-lock-campbell-20081130-6nhp.html
I didn't realise T14 was so short of large players with no ticker :nta:
S
Spook
Guest
I'm surprised he didn't follow Gandalf. : Obviously Andy Friend thought he wasn't worth keeping.
Obviously Andy Friend thought he wasn't worth keeping.
Cutter
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
I posted this on TSF re starting lineups for next year so thought I would copy it over here. * means Wallaby. Brumbies will have an all Wallaby front row.
Brumbies
15. Gerrard*
14. Rattlebones*
13. Mortlock*
12. Tyrone Smith
11. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) *
10. Lealifano/Toumua
9. Holmes/Phibbs/Stannard
8. Hoiles*/Salvi
7. George Smith*
6. Chapman
5. Chisolm*
4. Kimlin
3. Shephardson*
2. Stephen Moore*
1. Ben Alexander*
16. Huia Edmonds/John Ulugia
17. Jerry Yanuyanutawa/Nick Henderson/Salesi Maafu
18. Sitaleki Timani/Ben Hand
19. Hoiles*/Salvi
20. Holmes/Phibbs/Stannard
21. Lealifano/Toumua
22. Alfi Mafi
Should have a decent starting XV again, but depth might be a problem. There will be some interesting talent developing in this years' S14.
Brumbies
15. Gerrard*
14. Rattlebones*
13. Mortlock*
12. Tyrone Smith
11. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) *
10. Lealifano/Toumua
9. Holmes/Phibbs/Stannard
8. Hoiles*/Salvi
7. George Smith*
6. Chapman
5. Chisolm*
4. Kimlin
3. Shephardson*
2. Stephen Moore*
1. Ben Alexander*
16. Huia Edmonds/John Ulugia
17. Jerry Yanuyanutawa/Nick Henderson/Salesi Maafu
18. Sitaleki Timani/Ben Hand
19. Hoiles*/Salvi
20. Holmes/Phibbs/Stannard
21. Lealifano/Toumua
22. Alfi Mafi
Should have a decent starting XV again, but depth might be a problem. There will be some interesting talent developing in this years' S14.
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