rugbysmartarse
Alan Cameron (40)
for this season, before Giteau has to go to France
Brumbies 2011
- Thread starter Lee Grant
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Brumby Jack
Steve Williams (59)
From what has been said and indicated behind the scenes, it could very well be a Giteau/AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) centres combination. The only problem seems to be where to fit everyone in
Brumbies Guy
John Solomon (38)
This is all assuming To'omua starts at 10. Friend's first option last season was Giteau at 10 until injury to Lealiifano pushed To'omua into the starting lineup and Giteau to 12 to accommodate. Prior to injury Lealiifano was possibly the form 12 in the comp, if he is confident in pushing hard for the 12 spot and has regained last seasons form I can't see why it's out of the question that he cannot push Giteau back to 10, albeit less likely[FONT="]. [/FONT]
Eyes and Ears
Bob Davidson (42)
It doesn't work this way anyway. There is still a 15 team table with 3 semi spots up for grabs outisde of the winners on each pool. It's likely that the 3 pool winners will be in Top 6 anyway, so the Top 6 teams will most likely make the semis. I am predicting the Brumbies to finish 7th to 10th as they still look an average side on paper and particularly weaknesses in the locks and in their back 3 (assuming AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) plays 13). In fact, I would be happy to trade their locks and back 3 with almost any team in the competition.
Ash
Michael Lynagh (62)
Regarding To'omua - the Brumbies hardly spotted him before the Reds. The kid chose to join the Brumbies before the Reds after leaving school. To'omua was a schoolboy star for years in Brisbane, and I believe part of Reds wide schoolboy training squads. (Someone correct me if I made a mistake please.) The choice of Brumbies was a logical one for To'omua for me, as the Brumbies offered greater opportunities than the Reds, who had the young Berrick Barnes and Quade Cooper fighting for 10 at the time.
What the Brumbies have done really well with in the past was taking fringe S14 players from Queensland and NSW and making them look like stars. Part of it was the magic of Gregan and Larkham, who could make any outside back look good, and having a solid pack. You won't really see this tactic working any more, as with the Force and now Rebels coming in, the competition for talent will be stronger and those fringe players will likely not be as capable, or picked up after leaving school, or will be sought after by the Force or Rebels or other Aussie Super team.
Up until the creation of the Force, the Brumbies rarely took 1st team established players from the other squads, outside of disenfranchised players from the Reds.
All this talk coming out of the Brumbies camp feels weird to me, like Lilo at inside centre. I am not happy with what Friend has done with his players at the Brumbies. His positional selections have been disappointing in my book. BTW, I think Friend's talking up of Lilo for the EOYT was just what you expect from a coach talking up his players. Lilo didn't deserve to go ahead of the players selected ahead of him.
I am another that thinks Lilo should be spending more time at fullback. It makes sense when you have young To'omua at 10, Giteau at 12 also covering 10, and then T. Smith who is more of a strong 12 than 13, and a young developing Coleman who is an out and out 12.
I'd probably have 10. To'omua, 12. Giteau, 13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), 15. Lilo, with McCabe on one wing and who knows on the other. On the bench would be T. Smith and another winger. Coleman would get his opportunity as injuries allow, but the kid has plenty of time to develop and there's no need to rush me.
I'm more concerned about the pack for the Brumbies this year. Second row is not strong (actually I think it's the worst of the Aussie teams), Elsom is injured, and I don't really rate Hoiles. I like Salvi, but to play him you must have a balanced back row, and Salvi isn't an out and out fetcher or linkman, but offers elements of both and is a busy player. They will have to adjust to life without G. Smith, which they struggled to do at times in the second half of last year. It was unfair, I felt, to ask the (very talented) kids Hooper and C. Fainga'a to fill the huge shoes of Smith. Their scrum was also one of the most collapsed and penalised last year,. The only game I recall the Brumbies scrum dominating last year was vs the Reds, who had Weeks out and had lost both locks in the first 30 minutes of the game. As a scrummaging unit, I think the Brumbies need to improve. Nothing wrong with Moore though - love him as a player, and Alexander is very strong around the park.
The Brumbies strength could be their midfield this year - getting the ball to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 13 (if they play him there), and letting To'omua play his natural game and allowing him to control the game by kicking to the corners.
What the Brumbies have done really well with in the past was taking fringe S14 players from Queensland and NSW and making them look like stars. Part of it was the magic of Gregan and Larkham, who could make any outside back look good, and having a solid pack. You won't really see this tactic working any more, as with the Force and now Rebels coming in, the competition for talent will be stronger and those fringe players will likely not be as capable, or picked up after leaving school, or will be sought after by the Force or Rebels or other Aussie Super team.
Up until the creation of the Force, the Brumbies rarely took 1st team established players from the other squads, outside of disenfranchised players from the Reds.
All this talk coming out of the Brumbies camp feels weird to me, like Lilo at inside centre. I am not happy with what Friend has done with his players at the Brumbies. His positional selections have been disappointing in my book. BTW, I think Friend's talking up of Lilo for the EOYT was just what you expect from a coach talking up his players. Lilo didn't deserve to go ahead of the players selected ahead of him.
I am another that thinks Lilo should be spending more time at fullback. It makes sense when you have young To'omua at 10, Giteau at 12 also covering 10, and then T. Smith who is more of a strong 12 than 13, and a young developing Coleman who is an out and out 12.
I'd probably have 10. To'omua, 12. Giteau, 13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), 15. Lilo, with McCabe on one wing and who knows on the other. On the bench would be T. Smith and another winger. Coleman would get his opportunity as injuries allow, but the kid has plenty of time to develop and there's no need to rush me.
I'm more concerned about the pack for the Brumbies this year. Second row is not strong (actually I think it's the worst of the Aussie teams), Elsom is injured, and I don't really rate Hoiles. I like Salvi, but to play him you must have a balanced back row, and Salvi isn't an out and out fetcher or linkman, but offers elements of both and is a busy player. They will have to adjust to life without G. Smith, which they struggled to do at times in the second half of last year. It was unfair, I felt, to ask the (very talented) kids Hooper and C. Fainga'a to fill the huge shoes of Smith. Their scrum was also one of the most collapsed and penalised last year,. The only game I recall the Brumbies scrum dominating last year was vs the Reds, who had Weeks out and had lost both locks in the first 30 minutes of the game. As a scrummaging unit, I think the Brumbies need to improve. Nothing wrong with Moore though - love him as a player, and Alexander is very strong around the park.
The Brumbies strength could be their midfield this year - getting the ball to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 13 (if they play him there), and letting To'omua play his natural game and allowing him to control the game by kicking to the corners.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
The fact that the backline improved with To'omua at flyhalf Last year and giteau's only hope to push for a wallaby position is at inside centre means it has to be a guarantee... Otherwise friend is the dumbest coach on the planet...
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Ash, the Brumbies scrum dominated most of the saffa teams and absolutely destroyed the blues...
They gave away their share of penalties but still retained one of the better scrums of the competition...
As for their locks they're far better than the rebels reject lot and are better than the force who only have one quality lock in Sharpe...
They gave away their share of penalties but still retained one of the better scrums of the competition...
As for their locks they're far better than the rebels reject lot and are better than the force who only have one quality lock in Sharpe...
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Alright, I was misinformed about the finals system...
They'll finish top 6.. No worries...
T
TOCC
Guest
yes they will
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Nah, two of those teams are bottom dwellers and the reds downhill slide will begin earlier with the longer season...
Quad Cooper won't make a single tackle and higginbotham will play more in the backs than ioane...
Plus there'll be a serious leadership conflict between horwill and genia which will divide the team...
T
TOCC
Guest
this
lol, the Reds backs are practically the Harlem Globetrotters in comparison to that rag-tag bunch
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Ash - an excellent post.
I saw the Brumbies mafia talking to To'omua during the 2007 Oz Schools tournament and the talk amongst the Qld parents who I usually sat with during the week was that the Brumbies were nabbing him. But the following day I saw him in a parka and overcoat on a bitterly cold day (no, not playing at the time) and still shivering; so I thought the Ponies had no chance of getting him - but they did.
He's had the luck to be brought on a bit slower than Cooper and Beale but he's 21 now and not in Kansas any more. This is the year he should be making his move just as Cooper and Beale did at that age, more or less.
When I saw him in a trial match at Viking Park against the Tahs, almost a year ago now, he took the ball to the line better than I had ever seen him do so before. I was looking to see that in last year's Super14 when he got his chance but he underplayed his hand. He was better in that regard in the 2010 Shute Shield and we have to see more of the same when he gets a chance in Super Rugby as it keeps defenders honest.
Agree with your comments on the backs. They seem to have too many folks who can play 12 but not enough specialist wingers or fullbacks. At least AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) should be safe now at 13; his days of being the general dogsbody should be over. If Friend moves him back to fullback to make room for another player at 13 they should call in the guys who wear the white coats.
Agree also on the forwards though I must say that Salvi had a brilliant year as a specialist 7 for Bath and they were sorry to see him go. I see him as a specialist 7 based on that, but if he is, then the Brumbes have too many of them.
As with the backs there are too many whose best position is in one spot and there are not enough in others. One can't blame the Brumbies for the injuries to Kimlin, Elsom, Jerry Y and Hoiles but it looks like that their Super Rugby/Pro Academy roster, considered in aggregate, has too many holes.
And that is just guessing who is in their pro academy. Their web site work is poor. For example: they have Zipper listed for 2011 but he is contracted to the Rebels.
As you indicated Ash: the days that when a lot of players left other states to play with the likes of Roff, Larkham and Gregan are over. Even the Tahs seem to be able to keep more of the players to want to than in the past. IMO Friend has to recruit more scientifically than he has done and keep a balance of core experienced players and up and comers who will be the core in 3-4 years time.
Friend and Fisher before him have not done a great job with recruitment strategy to produce a better 2011 squad than what they have at the moment. If they do well this year, and I hope they do, it will not because of good medium and long term recruitment in the past, but in spite of it not being so.
I saw the Brumbies mafia talking to To'omua during the 2007 Oz Schools tournament and the talk amongst the Qld parents who I usually sat with during the week was that the Brumbies were nabbing him. But the following day I saw him in a parka and overcoat on a bitterly cold day (no, not playing at the time) and still shivering; so I thought the Ponies had no chance of getting him - but they did.
He's had the luck to be brought on a bit slower than Cooper and Beale but he's 21 now and not in Kansas any more. This is the year he should be making his move just as Cooper and Beale did at that age, more or less.
When I saw him in a trial match at Viking Park against the Tahs, almost a year ago now, he took the ball to the line better than I had ever seen him do so before. I was looking to see that in last year's Super14 when he got his chance but he underplayed his hand. He was better in that regard in the 2010 Shute Shield and we have to see more of the same when he gets a chance in Super Rugby as it keeps defenders honest.
Agree with your comments on the backs. They seem to have too many folks who can play 12 but not enough specialist wingers or fullbacks. At least AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) should be safe now at 13; his days of being the general dogsbody should be over. If Friend moves him back to fullback to make room for another player at 13 they should call in the guys who wear the white coats.
Agree also on the forwards though I must say that Salvi had a brilliant year as a specialist 7 for Bath and they were sorry to see him go. I see him as a specialist 7 based on that, but if he is, then the Brumbes have too many of them.
As with the backs there are too many whose best position is in one spot and there are not enough in others. One can't blame the Brumbies for the injuries to Kimlin, Elsom, Jerry Y and Hoiles but it looks like that their Super Rugby/Pro Academy roster, considered in aggregate, has too many holes.
And that is just guessing who is in their pro academy. Their web site work is poor. For example: they have Zipper listed for 2011 but he is contracted to the Rebels.
As you indicated Ash: the days that when a lot of players left other states to play with the likes of Roff, Larkham and Gregan are over. Even the Tahs seem to be able to keep more of the players to want to than in the past. IMO Friend has to recruit more scientifically than he has done and keep a balance of core experienced players and up and comers who will be the core in 3-4 years time.
Friend and Fisher before him have not done a great job with recruitment strategy to produce a better 2011 squad than what they have at the moment. If they do well this year, and I hope they do, it will not because of good medium and long term recruitment in the past, but in spite of it not being so.
:nta:
Sharpe, Hockings, Battye & Weekes is a quality lock set....................... two quality locks, a good big kid and a mobile 5/6 bench unit
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
I'm not sure if that's as good as chis, kimlin, hand and chapman...
Sharpe is obviously the best of the lot... I still won't be surprised to see Battye return home after one year to achieve his dream...
Reddy!
Bob Davidson (42)
I think you are forgetting this is Super Rugby.
Higginbotham is allowed to smash it up through the backs occasionally, and he will do it extraordinarily well.
Quade Cooper is a proven test star and will be playing inside of the hardest defender in the game.
I think the Brumbies will go alright, however, I don't think they know who is going to be in their starting 15 yet, and which of their younger players are going to be future long term stars. If the Brumbies do one thing right this season it will be playing Alexander at tighthead and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at outside centre.
BrumbiesPolynesian
Fred Wood (13)
Battye wont return to Brumbies after been screwed by Academy, only being offered Tier 2 contract for 2011 Season....I think the Academy coaching set up needs an overhaul...
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Who was offered a tier 1 contract lock wise?
He night reconsider if offered a full time contract next year...
This is friend's last year yeah?
The Brumbies really need to work in either re-signing Moore or getting in somebody good for 2012 otherwise they'll be screwed...
He night reconsider if offered a full time contract next year...
This is friend's last year yeah?
The Brumbies really need to work in either re-signing Moore or getting in somebody good for 2012 otherwise they'll be screwed...
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