Brumbies 2012

[Slim 293]

I hope this signing pays off...

I know he has a rugby background, but I'm always skeptical of mungo signings, particularly when they're struggling to hold down a spot in the NRL...

New Brumby could be the centre of attention

BY LEE GASKIN, RUGBY UNION
27 Jun, 2011 08:21 AM

National Rugby League convert Joseph Tomane will begin his ACT Brumbies career on the wing but will ultimately be groomed as a damaging outside-centre.

The Brumbies will today announce they have secured the services of the 21-year-old Gold Coast Titans outside-back for the next two Super Rugby seasons.

At 190cm and 106kg, Tomane possesses a combination of speed and size the rebuilding Brumbies hope will add significant strike power to their backline.

''He's a wing with the potential to graduate to No13 as he familiarises himself back to the game,'' Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan said.

''He's very strong, very explosive and with significant size.

''He's a guy that'll play at 100kg-plus and through all his football he's been known for his aggression.''


It's a signing four years in the making.

Tomane a product of rugby the union nursery Nudgee College turned heads as an Australian Schoolboys rugby union representative in 2007, alongside the likes of Wallabies star James O'Connor and Brumbies utility back Matt To'omua.


However, he resisted overtures from the Brumbies to join the Melbourne Storm. That was followed by a move to the Titans last year.

He has struggled to nail down a spot in the NRL club's first-grade squad this season.

''We've followed Joe since he dominated at the schoolboys carnivals a few years ago and subsequently the Australian schoolboys,'' Fagan said.

''He's a player who had plenty of interest from rugby at the time and we've tracked his progress since. When we knew he was off-contract we enquired if he was open to coming back to rugby, and he was.''

Tomane said that his initial switch to rugby league was driven by a desire to challenge himself in a new environment. And it is a similar motivation behind his move to a new-look Brumbies.

The twice Super Rugby champions will undergo a major overhaul next season in both their playing and coaching ranks.

Established stars Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Rocky Elsom have now moved on, paving the way for the new breed to take their place.

They will be led by South Africa's 2007 World Cup-winning coach Jake White, while Wallabies and Brumbies greats Stephen Larkham and George Gregan are also on the coaching staff.

''I'm excited about the change the Brumbies are going through,'' Tomane said.

''I was a big Larkham fan, he pretty much revolutionised the game.

''To learn off him, to learn off Gregan and to learn off Jake White, I have the best chance of developing as a player in Canberra.''


Tomane will join his new teammates in October for the club's pre-season training.

The Brumbies are confident of more player signings in the coming months. Australian Sevens outside back Kimami Sitauti, Queensland scrumhalf Ian Prior and Western Force hooker Siliva Siliva are all in the Brumbies' sights

I also hope the Brumbies' haven't forgotten about the potential of Ed Stubbs... would love to see him get plenty of game time next year, and can play both 12 and 13...

 

[mudskipper]

nice add to the squad big fast and very keen... welcome Tomane

 

[Richard D. James]

so how are Brumbies fans feeling about next year? I'm actually quite positive about it all. Not because I think we'll do well, but because at least we are going to try and build a new team. I would rather watch us lose but see improvements from a young team than watch an old team lose in the same was as the year before. And that's what it's felt like these last few years.


Lots to discuss, maybe a bit early for some of it but who cares.

So, we'll need a new Captain yes? Can't believe it will be Hoiles again. For mine there is only one option. Squeaky Moore. Has all the requirements, one of the first picked if fit, lots of experience, can deal with Refs rather well after being the front-row spokesmen for so long and seems to have leadership qualities.

Has also shown great loyalty to the Brumbies since coming down from Queensland and didn't seem to be publicly involved in the 'troubles' this year.

Thoughts?

 

[Slim 293]

I think it will/should be Moore...

I don't see Jake picking anyone else...

Hoiles will be lucky to make the starting XV with Vaea's rising form...

Hoiles would make an excellent bench player though... but there is going to be some serious competition for bench backrow spots with Fainga'a, Hooper, Salvi, and Fotu...

 

[Richard D. James]

yeah how do see 7 working?

I think it has to be a Hooper/Fainga'a tag team effort, similar to how the Force roll. Knowing what we know about White I would think he will go for more size in the backrow. This also helps us with the whole rotation that is required in the longer season.

 

[Richard D. James]

My young, looking to the future backline:

09. White
10. To'omua
11. Smith (or another big strong winger)
12. Coleman
13. McCabe
14. Speight
15.Lealiifano

Very inexperienced and lacking leadership, but I get the feeling McCabe will be able to step up into a leadership role.

This gives us the hard straight running of McCabe and Smith. The Speed of Speight and the line breaking and playmaking abilities of Coleman and Lealiifano. I like the sound of Lealiifano coming into the backline out wide similar to what Beale does at the 'tahs and Smith (or another big, strong winger) running of To'omua's inside/outside shoulder like Digby and Quade.

As far as tactics go, I would be happy with a very structured attack, which has always been a hallmark of Brumbies Rugby, especially with a young flyhalf like To'omua. Having some playmakers outside him like Lilo will also shoulder some of the burden.

 

[aussie1st]

Was gutted when he joined the NRL instead of Rugby back in the day, he had huge raps on him back then. He's been okay in the NRL, was good at the Storm but never really kicked on at the Titans. Also he's found it hard to stand out with the amount of the stars in the NRL. Going back to Union might be just what he needs to live up to his potential.

 

[yourmatesam]

My young, looking to the future backline:

09. White
10. To'omua
11. Smith (or another big strong winger)
12. Coleman
13. McCabe
14. Speight
15.Lealiifano

That's a pretty flash backline. I'd be happy having them running around if i was Jake White.

Maybe Coleman is questionable at 12, that's a pretty demanding position for such a young bloke to handle. Not too many options though really.

 

[Happy]

11. Smith (or another big strong winger)
.

Cam Crawford?

I saw him for the first time in Shute Shield on the ABC on Saturday and he looked the goods to me. He seemed faster than Smith, but still big and strong.

I think the squad is really shaping up well, probably even better than we might have hoped in the circumstances. I am also feeling quite positive for next year. I don't expect top 4, but can see a very strong team in a couple of years.

Now all we need is management to realize there are paying supporters on the eastern side of the ground as well, and it would be nice if just sometimes they shifted the focus off the Mal Meninga stand over to the Gregan Larkham.

 

[Slim 293]

Cam Crawford?

I saw him for the first time in Shute Shield on the ABC on Saturday and he looked the goods to me. He seemed faster than Smith, but still big and strong.

I think the squad is really shaping up well, probably even better than we might have hoped in the circumstances. I am also feeling quite positive for next year. I don't expect top 4, but can see a very strong team in a couple of years.

Now all we need is management to realize there are paying supporters on the eastern side of the ground as well, and it would be nice if just sometimes they shifted the focus off the Mal Meninga stand over to the Gregan Larkham.

How so?

 

[Happy]

Just a whinge. We have had our seats on the eastern side of the ground for several years and all the entertainment, competitions etc (like this year's "hold up your coke") are nearly always conducted over on the western side of the field. If we are lucky they will come over our side once a season.

Up until Andy Friend took over the players would only come a few yards towards our side at the end of the game and give us a wave, then go off back to the west, but now they at least come up to the fence to talk to the punters.

We can tend to feel like the poor relations next to the privileged on the western side. As I said, just a whinge.

 

[Empire]

Don't feel too left out. They only ever bother people in the first couple of rows anyway. Quite a few of us could go with a new announcer, and seeing the men's choir every match.

I'd also much rather see better facilities at Bruce, Brumbies squad players committing to local clubs and local club membership increase from minuscule to noticeable. The disconnect is pretty bad.

Has anyone heard what the outcome of the clubs meeting with the Brumbies was?

 

[Lee Grant]

Was gutted when [Tomane] joined the NRL instead of Rugby back in the day, he had huge raps on him back then.

Me too - as I wrote before: he was the player of the Oz Schools tournament in 2007 and heaps better than Luke Morahan on the other wing for Queensland (he didn't have a great week.)

Everybody knew at the tournament that he was going to league though, and it's good to get him back. Maybe his non-stellar league form doesn't mean that his union form won't be better. We'll have to watch this space.

Cam Crawford?

I saw him for the first time in Shute Shield on the ABC on Saturday and he looked the goods to me. He seemed faster than Smith, but still big and strong.

He'd have a few steps on Andrew Smith but is not that quick off the mark. I'm not sure if he will be a good enough footie player yet to be fullback at the Super level, but time will tell. There is a whiff of Roff about him.

 

[TOCC]

Im not to concerned about Tomanes form in league, IMO the skill set that NRL clubs look for in wingers these days is quite a bit different to unions..

Primarily there skills under the high ball, NRL clubs put a big focus on players with a big leap and good hands similar to a AFL mark, not something union clubs really look for. This is also where tomane failed, he could barely jump 20cm off the ground.

I also think union wingers are given more room to work with, most NRL wingers look up and see defence 10m in front max, union wingers stand deeper in attack and have more room in kick returns. I think the by-product is that we relish speed more then the NRL who prefer big and powerful.

I umderstand that Tomane played center a fair bit as well, same story really, a centre is just a better defender, probably there once again because he didnt have a very good leap.

 

[dobduff11]

I thought that was one of his strengths TOCC, I may be wrong but he seemed to be challenging for the high ball more than capably against the Dragons.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Article about Huia Edmonds and his contract issues from The Canberra Times

 

[Lee Grant]

This is the first I have read that Siliva is definitely going to be recruited by the Brumbies as opposed to being mentioned in the forum - or, more likely I forgot.

He is an excellent acquisition and has the potential to be another Stephen Moore. He lacks the hard nosed approach of Moore and even the other hooker in the Oz U/20 side, Hugh Roach, and is more noticeable for performing the half break and other non-tight stuff, but I am confident that Jake will sort him out. He is certainly big enough.

The Force have two fine Sydney based young hookers already; so they will be well-served, and it is well that Siliva is moving to get a spot more likely to see him on the park in Super Rugby. Sometimes the theory of players wanting to leave town and go somewhere else to get closer to the action actually works.

I have said a few times that Oz rugby will soon have hooker depth that is unexampled in our history. Not all bets, which should include this years U/20 hookers, will pay off, but expect to see that rich vein available for the Wallabies for the 2015 RWC - just to put a date on it.

 

[mudskipper]

An exciting year coming for the Brumbies with such a young squad with plenty of talent... I'm looking forward to it already... Brumbies still need to sign a few more, second row, scrum half and an outside back (I think). However I thought Clinton Sills would get a rookie contract... To'omua playing in a lot of Shute Shield matches will rebuild and refresh his game, He'll be all the better for it next year.

 

[BrumbiesPolynesian]

Any Club players coming through the John I Dent cup ranks?
Im impressed with the Royals Back Row who seem to be dominating all in front of them at the moment, The No8 and Soks Tai in particular. Their Halfback also seems to be the good after being out with a Shoulder injury. The Holland Brothers from Queanbeyan maybe although Lewis Holland might need to add some weight. Gungahlin flanker Rudi (Tongan boy) as well as mitch Connolly and Matt Hawke seem to be in dominant form too but at a consistant level.

Thoughts?

 

[Brumby Jack]

There's a bit of talk around that Julian Salvi may head back to the UK, despite having a year to run on his contract. I guess with 3 opensides in Salvi, Colby Fainga'a and Michael Hooper, that position is well covered and I think it's safe to say that Salvi hasn't lived up to expectations after coming back from the UK, which is a little disappointing.

The other chat is that Ben Mowen could be coming down the highway and playing in Canberra next year. He will be a good replacement for Mitchell Chapman as a lineout caller and also that other number 6...