Brumbies 2011

[en_force_er]

He just said Jack Lam has been playing good rugby for Waikato, which are pretty good credentials.

I for one agree, he has been playing well. When you have such a good player who is indeed a local I think you owe it to your grass routes to give him at least a professional academy contract.

It would be great if he could come home, play a good year with Randwick with his brother and then maybe go further in 2012.

 

[Slim 293]

He just said Jack Lam has been playing good rugby for Waikato, which are pretty good credentials.

I for one agree, he has been playing well. When you have such a good player who is indeed a local I think you owe it to your grass routes to give him at least a professional academy contract.

It would be great if he could come home, play a good year with Randwick with his brother and then maybe go further in 2012.

That's fair enough, but signing him up for a starting berth against 3 other fresh fully contractded openside flankers?

He was suggesting that he was better than both Fainga'a and Hooper... which is debatable...

 

[Brumbies Guy]

The answer to the debate about who should play 7 for the Brumbies with no George Smith around is playing for Waikato in the ITM Cup. Jack Lam is in tremendous form and is in his 3rd Year now playing in one of the toughest domestic competitions in the world. Why would you not look at him to return home, schooled at St Edmunds, played club for the Queanbeyan Whites, Aust Schoolboys, U19s. His brother also playing for Randwick, why wouldnt the Brumbies look at the both Jack and Seilala Lam to join the Brumbies ranks...why look elsewhere...is Hooper really better than the Lam Brothers, or Faigaa for that matter....

Jack is a great player as I mentioned in a previous post, but I have a feeling he is content pursuing a Super 15 gig in NZ. If he comes back I'd be over the moon, especially if he comes back to Brumby Land as he will be a star in a few years. I just don't think it will be in Aust. Seilala would make a great signing for any club also.

 

[en_force_er]

That's fair enough, but signing him up for a starting berth against 3 other fresh fully contractded openside flankers?

He was suggesting that he was better than both Fainga'a and Hooper... which is debatable...

Yeah it's outlandish to say the least.

But to be deadly honest, if I was the Brums I'd much rather have a local boy who has been playing ITM footy over two young fellows who due to their age and physical development really have no place outside the academy set-up.

He wouldn't get much time but you'd know you could turn to him.

Jack is a great player as I mentioned in a previous post, but I have a feeling he is content pursuing a Super 15 gig in NZ. If he comes back I'd be over the moon, especially if he comes back to Brumby Land as he will be a star in a few years. I just don't think it will be in Aust. Seilala would make a great signing for any club also.

He'd come back if he was offered a contract I'm sure. How did this fellow slip away?

You'd think he'd be at least in an academy and running around in the shute shield.

 

[Lee Grant]

how many 7s should they sign? They have 3 at least now.

Yeah, unfortunately it's not to the point because it's too late. Even after the Brumbies hired Colby as the 3rd no. 7 the Rebels may have picked one of them (and IIRR I had Jack listed in the original Rebels thread last October as a likely recruit).

But BrumbiesPolynesian has a point about the quality of the Lam brothers. Jack was on fire in the ITM semi and has had a good season - and those of us who have watched Seilala for Randwick or the Oz U20 team would know about the human battering ram.

PS Happy 5,000th Rugby Reg

PPS Welcome aboard BrumbiesPolynesian

 

[Slim 293]

What's the contract status of the current Brumbies' 7's?

One of them is surely not going to hang around for too long due to lack of opportunities... and then hopefully there'll be room for the Lam brothers...

Fainga'a being a local boy would want to stay around I would assume...

 

[RugbyReg]

Michael Hooper (2012), Julian Salvi (2012), Colby Fainga'a (2011)

I believe.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

But to be deadly honest, if I was the Brums I'd much rather have a local boy who has been playing ITM footy over two young fellows who due to their age and physical development really have no place outside the academy set-up.

Brumbies are blessed with local 7 talent, both Lams, Fainga'a and Salvi

 

[Lee Grant]

Those contract details are correct RR.

I don't know why they didn't sign local boy Colby for two years either, or before Hooper, if they thought they were on par as players. Local players will stay longer especially in a smaller city like Canberra where there is a fiercer allegiance than in the big smoke.

Maybe they realised Colby was better than they thought at the beginning of the season, but if I could see they weren't too much different when I saw them play for the Runners before the S14, they would have known the same.

I was looking forward to these lads battling it out - or better still: sometimes being on the park at the same time as they were for the Runners in Huxley's comeback game at Knox. They were great together.

Had Salvi known that Smith was going to get injured and would leave Oz, he wouldn't have gone overseas; but life is not so easy as that is it? Things will work out in the end for young Colby and Michael; they are too good in the position for it to be otherwise.

We'll have to watch this space on the two lads and young Gill north of the Tweed too. Who knows - maybe some Super outfit will finally have a look at the Lams one day too before they both piss off to Europe. The Oz depth futures at 7 are good I've being saying - good, I tells ya.

 

[mudskipper]

Henry Speight has had good form in the ITM cup. Good size, strength and a real speedster... He is definitely worth signing and giving him a chance. At Waikato he has been competing behind some big names to get a start such as Mils Muliaina and Sitiveni Sivivatu.

The Brumbies haven’t nailed down their wing spots for a few seasons now.

Henry Speight
Position: Wing
Physical: 1.86m, 97kg
Age: 24 March 1988, Fiji
ITM Cup games: 22
ITM Cup Points: 20 (4t)
ITM Cup Debut: 2008 v Manawatu, Palmerston North

 

[en_force_er]

Brumbies are blessed with local 7 talent, both Lams, Fainga'a and Salvi

Read past just the "local boy" bit onto where I said "who have been playing ITM footy". Good ITM footy I might add, and over a couple of years too.

This is compared to boys who could have been playing Colts club this year, in fact I think Hooper can next year. In the openside position they need to physically develop, last year they looked like they were getting smashed all around the park in Super rugby.

 

[Lee Grant]

Henry Speight has had good form in the ITM cup. Good size, strength and a real speedster... He is definitely worth signing and giving him a chance.

He looked good in the semi didn't he? Nice try.

enforcer

The trouble with young guns is that there is so little depth in Oz rugby that Super teams nab the best and warehouse them for the future. Fair enough to get local Colby in the Academy but with Smith's injury both youngsters were on the park.

Now they have one youngster surplus to their requirements - injuries aside.

Might you the Rebels probably wouldn't have picked up the youngster who missed out. They're going the other way - they want hardened players for Game 1 of Yr. 1

 

[Brumbies Guy]

I don't know why they didn't sign local boy Colby for two years either, or before Hooper, if they thought they were on par as players. Local players will stay longer especially in a smaller city like Canberra where there is a fiercer allegiance than in the big smoke.

Lee, I beleive Colby was in negotations with the Reds for quite a while before signing on with Brumbies for 2011. Maybe he wanted another apprenticeship type year under Salvi (with no senior 7 at Reds 2011) before going at it alone and joining the rest of the Fingers up in QLD. Though I think the emergence of Gill may dint that plan.

Read past just the "local boy" bit onto where I said "who have been playing ITM footy". Good ITM footy I might add, and over a couple of years too.

Yes I read and understood your full post, I was just making note that 4 of the 5 7's being discussed were locals

 

[BrumbiesPolynesian]

I would say Jack Lam is better than both Fainga'a and Hooper. His first season with Tasman he was included into the Crusaders s14 Wider Training Team, past two seasons has been with Waikato Chiefs. He has played 3 full seasons of NPC which is a lot better than playing Club Rugby with Manly or Tuggeranong...his stats are in the top five for Turn Overs in the ITM cup...His percentage for Tackling is at 94% which puts him 3rd behind Daniel Braid and Matt Todd. And Ball in hand he has been in devastating form, just watch the Semi Final against Auckland and it will prove my point. Bring back a local, home grown player. And in terms of credentials....Jack Lam was Aussie Schoolboys for two years...his 1st Year as a centre, and his 2nd year as a No8. He was in the World Championship Aust U19 side also.

 

[Lee Grant]

Great figures those BP.

To your knowledge did Jack ever get approached by an Oz Super outfit?

 

[Slim 293]

I would say Jack Lam is better than both Fainga'a and Hooper. His first season with Tasman he was included into the Crusaders s14 Wider Training Team, past two seasons has been with Waikato Chiefs. He has played 3 full seasons of NPC which is a lot better than playing Club Rugby with Manly or Tuggeranong...his stats are in the top five for Turn Overs in the ITM cup...His percentage for Tackling is at 94% which puts him 3rd behind Daniel Braid and Matt Todd. And Ball in hand he has been in devastating form, just watch the Semi Final against Auckland and it will prove my point. Bring back a local, home grown player. And in terms of credentials....Jack Lam was Aussie Schoolboys for two years...his 1st Year as a centre, and his 2nd year as a No8. He was in the World Championship Aust U19 side also.

Yes, but playing in the Super 14 is also better than playing in the NPC...

Lam might be a good player but I don't know if he's better than Fainga'a and Hooper... or Salvi...

I'd love to have more home grown players in the Brumbies but they already have 3 opensides... two of which are already home grown players... who already have Super experience...

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Yes, but playing in the Super 14 is also better than playing in the NPC...

Lam might be a good player but I don't know if he's better than Fainga'a and Hooper... or Salvi...

I'd love to have more home grown players in the Brumbies but they already have 3 opensides... two of which are already home grown players... who already have Super experience...

6. Salvi
7. Fainga'a
8. J.Lam/ S.Lam

Home grown backrow... no chance i know, but would be nice

 

[Slim 293]

6. Salvi
7. Fainga'a
8. J.Lam/ S.Lam

Home grown backrow... no chance i know, but would be nice

And let's not forget Jesse Parahi...

 

[Brumbies Guy]

And let's not forget Jesse Parahi...

Not a Canberra boy.. from the coast around Gosford way I thought.

 

[DPK]

Is Hoiles homegrown?