I think I agree. That does look to be the weakest of the squads. Decent starting forward pack but no depth, and not enough maturity in the backs. That being said, the Reds looked fairly ordinary a couple of seasons back, and look what happened.
1. Alexander- arguably Australia's best prop throughout 2011, with a knack for ball running and improving his workrate around the park
2. Moore (c)- Australia's most consistent forward (after Pocock) all year, with accurate throwing, valuable ball running and great leadership skills
3. Palmer- most on the forum seem to agree that Palmer's the best scrummaging prop in the country, so there's a big positive
4. Kimlin- former Wallaby who's had a horror-injury run. Good around the park and a stable jumper, won't let the team down
5. Hand- consistent veteran of 50+ caps, excellent in the line-out as well
6. Mowen- replacing Rocky will be hard, but Mowen's a great player. Just read the Waratahs forum, the fans are kicking themselves that he got away
7. Hooper- will face competition from Colby Fainga'a, but that's a good thing. With some Super Rugby and U20RWC experience, should step up this year
8. Vaea- being talked up by some as the solution to the Wallabies' #8 crisis. Great ball running option but he needs to perform
9. White- may not look like much, but he's already being talked up as a possible replacement for Burgess. We'll see how he goes next year
10. To'omua- wasn't his usual self in 2011, but we know he's got ability and he was a Wallaby tourist not too long ago. Big shoes to fill but he will hopefully step up
11. Sitauti- an outside playing wing, but he's got speed to burn. A bit of a mixed bag
12. Coleman- made a brilliant debut this year but didn't suit Giteau's playing style. Can break the line easily and hits holes with pace.
13. McCabe- we all saw how tough McCabe is this year, and his determination coupled with his physicality and speed makes him a good partner to Coleman
14. Speight- Don't know enough about him to make an informed comment, but he was a consistent starter this year so can't be completely hopeless
15. Leali'ifano- awesome skills and kick-return, but he needs to remain consistent as he has been prone to brain farts.
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16. Silvia
17. Owen
18. Power
19. Fainga'a
20. Hoiles/Auelua
21. Prior
22. Smith
Not as bad as the Lions. The forwards look good and there's a few really talented backs. The wingers aren't so flash, but they're not plodders. The bench is a good mix of experience and youth. One or two injuries could prove a real problem, but at the moment it's not all as ghastly as it might seem. There's 3 starting Wallabies in that XV, plus another few Wallaby tourists, former players and U20 stars in the squad. Jake White is no fool either, he'll get the best out of them.
