England v Wallabies, Twickenham, Sun 10th Nov 2:10AEDT / 1:10AEST

[stillmissit]

haha fuck yeah that's absolutely bananas. Jesus Christ the pressure on this 21 year old kid. Talk about throwing him to the wolves.

NOT SO! he ain't a fucking kid he's a pro footballer with a history of success. Can we stop this shit about 21 year old children!!!

He's 6' 5" bigger than many backrowers and weighs 100kgs Do we put him in AUS A for a year and see how he goes? Crap, the guys paid $$$$ to play not to sit with his play station hoping to improve.

 

[Rugby Head]

I'd prefer bring JAS straight into a starting wing position. We could run Kellaway off the bench and he could come on if shit hits the fan. Starting in 12/13 at Twickenham is a baptism of fire.

 

[stillmissit]

I'd prefer bring JAS straight into a starting wing position. We could run Kellaway off the bench and he could come on if shit hits the fan. Starting in 12/13 at Twickenham is a baptism of fire.

The Conservative approach at this stage is death next year v Lions. Schmidt is going to get the boys to play. Suppose these predictions come true then about 500,000 more eyeballs on the game. I may get up in the middle of the night - I'm excited.

 

[Yoda]

The Conservative approach at this stage is death next year v Lions. Schmidt is going to get the boys to play. Suppose these predictions come true then about 500,000 more eyeballs on the game. I may get up in the middle of the night - I'm excited.

It definitely will get a few more late night rugby tragics getting up to watch game live I suspect if Sua'ali'i is starting.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

NOT SO! he ain't a fucking kid he's a pro footballer with a history of success. Can we stop this shit about 21 year old children!!!

He's 6' 5" bigger than many backrowers and weighs 100kgs Do we put him in AUS A for a year and see how he goes? Crap, the guys paid $$$$ to play not to sit with his play station hoping to improve.

Have to admit it is a factor though. Especially for a bloke who hasn't played a game of Rugby for 4 years.

He may seem more put together than most at his age but remember Skelton at 21 when he appeared v the Lions. Not even close to the player he became.

I think he should play and get the minutes into him but I also think it should be done effectively to ensure the team has the ability to keep developing.

 

[stillmissit]

Have to admit it is a factor though. Especially for a bloke who hasn't played a game of Rugby for 4 years.

He may seem more put together than most at his age but remember Skelton at 21 when he appeared v the Lions. Not even close to the player he became.

I think he should play and get the minutes into him but I also think it should be done effectively to ensure the team has the ability to keep developing.

Not with you Ghost. A massive islander player (Skelton) at 21 over weight and under prepared, just doesn't compare to a back who has played pro sport for 4 years. Also, he has had - was it- 6 weeks to prep. He will be good to go, it would be a tragedy if he sits on the pine and gets 10 mins in the centre or 20 mins on the wing - after the game is lost...

 

[stillmissit]

It's time to throw the dice guys and see what we have got. If you are only a half smart player you can learn a lot about a rugby game in 6 weeks.

 

[Dctarget]

SMI you're way too optimistic. Look at Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, a way more accomplished player than Joseph: multiple Dally M winner, winner of the Golden Boot and could barely crack the Blues with two years of training.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

They stitched him up IMO putting him in the Centres. Always an outside back or Fullback in League with no Rugby experience.

Could have been a bigger version of Milner-Skudder if they managed him well and put him on the Wing.

 

[stillmissit]

SMI you're way too optimistic. Look at Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, a way more accomplished player than Joseph: multiple Dally M winner, winner of the Golden Boot and could barely crack the Blues with two years of training.

DC, don't know much about him did he play union? I remember watching him a couple of times Just looked him up and he played one game for AB's and several games for Blues but stats didn't look that smart.

 

[Derpus]

NOT SO! he ain't a fucking kid he's a pro footballer with a history of success. Can we stop this shit about 21 year old children!!!

He's 6' 5" bigger than many backrowers and weighs 100kgs Do we put him in AUS A for a year and see how he goes? Crap, the guys paid $$$$ to play not to sit with his play station hoping to improve.

Nah.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Not sure you’ll like the latest.

Christy Doran now saying Sua’ali’i might be starting at 13. Not clear on other positions but speculating that Ikiatau will be at 12.

Yeah TSR, I really don't like that. Thirteen is reputably the hardest position in the backline to play. It is also one of the few spots where we have an internationally recognised player in good form. JS would be better served playing 12 where the backrowers are closer to cover for any errors and Len Ikitau is in his ear about where to be and who to take in defence.

I think putting him at 13 would be as foolish as playing him on a wing. A lot of people here think the wing spot is most like its league counterpart, but that is a misunderstanding. In defence, there seems to be a totally different approach for wingers in league as for the rugby winger. One stays out on his opposite number (rugby) while the other (league) comes off their wing probably more than not.

 

[stillmissit]

Nah.

Surprise! SurpriseI The shock nearly caused me to fall off my perch...

 

[Steve_Grey]

Yeah TSR, I really don't like that. Thirteen is reputably the hardest position in the backline to play. It is also one of the few spots where we have an internationally recognised player in good form. JS would be better served playing 12 where the backrowers are closer to cover for any errors and Len Ikitau is in his ear about where to be and who to take in defence.

I think putting him at 13 would be as foolish as playing him on a wing. A lot of people here think the wing spot is most like its league counterpart, but that is a misunderstanding. In defence, there seems to be a totally different approach for wingers in league as for the rugby winger. One stays out on his opposite number (rugby) while the other (league) comes off their wing probably more than not.

"One stays out on his opposite number (rugby) while the other (league) comes off their wing probably more than not."

Yes - a big difference plus the defensive kicking required in Rugby. Schoolboys in Rugby often get the defensive structure wrong as they step in - not trusting their centre to make the tackle.

 

[Mr Pilfer]

Probably means Kerevi is still not up to scratch if they are looking at moving Ikitau to 12. Conservative option would have been to shift Stewart over from the A team when Paisami got injured.

But I am also of the opinion of f*ck it, we are 9th in the world, let's throw a hail mary and see what happens

 

[stillmissit]

e are 9th in the world, let's throw a hail mary and see what happens

Absolutely.. Let her rip!

 

[Dctarget]

Genuinely if Joseph can start this weekend it can gives genuine gravitas to the previously silly idea of league players turning out for the RWC on sabbaticals. As Union becomes more and more niche in Aus, it could really happen in the same way Kerevi/Dupont went to 7s for the Olympics.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

If we're going to play Joseph in the starting XV this weekend I would rather it be at 12. As others have pointed out, outside centre is very difficult defensively, even for an experienced hand like Len. It would also be reducing a strength to cover a weakness.

 

[LeCheese]

NOT SO! he ain't a fucking kid he's a pro footballer with a history of success. Can we stop this shit about 21 year old children!!!

He's 6' 5" bigger than many backrowers and weighs 100kgs Do we put him in AUS A for a year and see how he goes? Crap, the guys paid $$$$ to play not to sit with his play station hoping to improve.

Reflect on your own self at 21 in terms of maturity and mentality, what you thought you knew vs actually knew, and then think about how you would've gone being promoted to the tippy top of your profession mere weeks after a not insignificant shift in careers.

No one's suggesting he "sit with his play station" (yikes), but there is somewhere in between - even if that middle ground is exposure from the bench.

 

[stillmissit]

Reflect on your own self at 21 in terms of maturity and mentality, what you thought you knew vs actually knew, and then think about how you would've gone being promoted to the tippy top of your profession mere weeks after a not insignificant shift in careers.

No one's suggesting he "sit with his play station" (yikes), but there is somewhere in between - even if that middle ground is exposure from the bench.

At 21 I had played 2 years of 1st grade club football. I left my job and pissed off to Spain for 6 months then came back to play the next season. Played for the county at 22 and left the year after that to go play in South Africa. So don't lecture me about what a child I was, that is revisionist history that you know nothing about. I was not that unusual in my day, you were expected to be a man by 21, not a child.
Infantalising a 21 year old is madness.