Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
I enjoyed Dwyer's gig on the Rugby Club. I like fellows like Mark Ella and him on the show because they are not company men as some of the others are. I'd like to see Campo on there to and maybe Gary Ella and it's a pity that Dan Crowley works for another channel. Maybe a Kiwi toe cutter would be good value too.
Dwyer's criticism of the players is not far off the mark though he's a bit harsh on Saia Fainga'a who has proved that he is a good 3rd string hooker for Oz (but why he has started in front of Moore is still puzzling). He has a lot of ticker and we have seen him play through pain (with Moore resting on the bench mind you.)
I've talked about A. Finger's errors in Christchurch at length. He will come good one day but there's no evidence to say Dwyer is wrong about his not being ready to start in the RWC, which was Dwyer's point - and he made it originally before Christchurch IIRR.
As for his other comments about Brown, JOC (James O'Connor), Ma'afu, Mumm (as a starting lock, I suppose), and there may be some others I have forgotten about, we have all spoken about the shortcomings of these players ourselves.
We have to realise that we don't have the same quality pool of players that we had in 1999 or 1991. We are more like Oz in 1995 when we had so many injured players at the start of the RWC that John Eales said that one time the dressing room looked like it was in a war zone - and that was before the game. At least we have a lot injuries a year before the RWC, not in the same year.
We didn't have the depth to cover for injuries then and we don't have it now and for me that has been a huge disappointment of the professional era for Wallaby rugby.
Looking at the players that Dwyer criticised, and also at who is not available now, but should be healthy for the RWC 1st XV: Ioane will replace JOC (James O'Connor) (and if KB (Kurtley Beale) keeps going OK, Rabbit won't displace him at fullback.)
A. Finger will be replaced by Gits in the next test match, since Cooper will be available. [Let's not go through a Gits diatribe again please.]
Brown will be replaced by Palu, Horwill will be in for Mumm, Alexander will play THP instead of Ma'afu. Moore or TPN will be the starting hooker and not S. Finger.
It all looks rosy, but our bench won't be as good as other top nations and the other thing to consider is that we could even have more injuries next year than we do now. The only position where we have good depth is at hooker - if the 3 guys are healthy.
PS - I don't mind J.Paul's sniggering - sometimes you need a jester. There's a bit of him in all of us.
Dwyer's criticism of the players is not far off the mark though he's a bit harsh on Saia Fainga'a who has proved that he is a good 3rd string hooker for Oz (but why he has started in front of Moore is still puzzling). He has a lot of ticker and we have seen him play through pain (with Moore resting on the bench mind you.)
I've talked about A. Finger's errors in Christchurch at length. He will come good one day but there's no evidence to say Dwyer is wrong about his not being ready to start in the RWC, which was Dwyer's point - and he made it originally before Christchurch IIRR.
As for his other comments about Brown, JOC (James O'Connor), Ma'afu, Mumm (as a starting lock, I suppose), and there may be some others I have forgotten about, we have all spoken about the shortcomings of these players ourselves.
We have to realise that we don't have the same quality pool of players that we had in 1999 or 1991. We are more like Oz in 1995 when we had so many injured players at the start of the RWC that John Eales said that one time the dressing room looked like it was in a war zone - and that was before the game. At least we have a lot injuries a year before the RWC, not in the same year.
We didn't have the depth to cover for injuries then and we don't have it now and for me that has been a huge disappointment of the professional era for Wallaby rugby.
Looking at the players that Dwyer criticised, and also at who is not available now, but should be healthy for the RWC 1st XV: Ioane will replace JOC (James O'Connor) (and if KB (Kurtley Beale) keeps going OK, Rabbit won't displace him at fullback.)
A. Finger will be replaced by Gits in the next test match, since Cooper will be available. [Let's not go through a Gits diatribe again please.]
Brown will be replaced by Palu, Horwill will be in for Mumm, Alexander will play THP instead of Ma'afu. Moore or TPN will be the starting hooker and not S. Finger.
It all looks rosy, but our bench won't be as good as other top nations and the other thing to consider is that we could even have more injuries next year than we do now. The only position where we have good depth is at hooker - if the 3 guys are healthy.
PS - I don't mind J.Paul's sniggering - sometimes you need a jester. There's a bit of him in all of us.
