EOYT 2016 - Possibles, probables and general banter
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Rugbybloke123
Herbert Moran (7)
Really hoping to see folau in the centres and DHP at the back where he belongs. I hope that Kerevi's injury is a blessing in disguise for folau/wallabies as Folau should get the opportunity in centres and regain some of his form. Given the wingers we have available now we must look to play two specialist wingers and move DHP to FB where the back three could be very dangerous. Really hoping McMahon goes back to 8 over Timpani, whilst timpani has been solid he doesnt have the robust nature of McMahon who could do seemingly anything if you asked him to. Hoping Cheika plays his cards right and we see some creative football over in the NH
Tomikin
David Codey (61)
I would like to caveat that, Speight hasn't been the same since he did his hammy 2014 semi (injuries have been plentiful) but it's also the time he cut off his hair.. coincidence i think not..
He has never been selected coming off the back of an extended period of games (NRC or Super), and to come into form straight into the wallabies its a tough call.
Beside all that Morahan should have got a spot, he can kick the ball which none of the selected can.
The ARU release on the squad makes no mention of these three players. Perhaps it will be announced subsequently. But nothing formally has been announced.
As for Koroibete, I couldn't be more against his selection. This is a Wallaby squad and is meant to be a representative team. Koro is an excellent signing and I am genuinely excited about his potential and seeing him run around for the Rebels next year.
But he hasn't played rugby since his days in Fiji and I'd suggest Cheika never saw him play it. He's done nothing, in my eyes, to earn selection and I can't see how his selection is a positive in any way.
I'd have picked Morahan or English over him (and perhaps a few others) in a heart beat.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
The article has quite a lot of information about their aniticipated level of involvement, unavailability for test selection, etc so I assume it to be correct. But yes you would assume the ARU would officially disclose it as well.
Completely understand the alternative point of view about Koroibete so I'm not going to make a song and dance about it. If it were the trip to SA/Arg in the middle of the RC then I'd probably be in that camp too, but as its the EOYT which traditionally gets used to give a handful of emerging prospects some exposure and experience I don't have an issue with it.
T
Train Without a Station
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When has the EOYT actually been used to give emerging prospects exposure over currently ready players?
This logic is often repeated by I don't think it's at all the case.
The squad's are generally not larger than the June and RC squads.
We may have in the past taken some when the squads were larger than 30, due to tour games. But they weren't taken for the EOYT then, they were included because of tour games.
But in a limited squad there has never been any room for emerging or project players.
It's just so happened that generally by November the injury toll has reached it's peak and in testing the depth, some up and comers will get selected.
This logic is often repeated by I don't think it's at all the case.
The squad's are generally not larger than the June and RC squads.
We may have in the past taken some when the squads were larger than 30, due to tour games. But they weren't taken for the EOYT then, they were included because of tour games.
But in a limited squad there has never been any room for emerging or project players.
It's just so happened that generally by November the injury toll has reached it's peak and in testing the depth, some up and comers will get selected.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
But this EOYT is a Grand Slam
We would be very lucky to even go close to winning one of those with the way the team is really perfporming, so the selection probably doesn't mean much to me
We would be very lucky to even go close to winning one of those with the way the team is really perfporming, so the selection probably doesn't mean much to me
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
TWAS, Sean McMahon comes to mind 2014. Godwin and English were also on that tour but didn't play. That's only the most recent one, I'll have to check the records of the tours prior to that to throw some other names at you. No doubt some are included for the game against French Barbarians which I think would fall under the category 'Tour Game'.
T
TOCC
Guest
Heath Tessman summed it up well on twitter:
"Earned... Not given"
"Earned... Not given"
T
Train Without a Station
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But as I said, they weren't brought on as development players.
McMahon and Jones were replacements for Fardy and Palu from the RC squad who were unavailable.
Godwin a replacement for Beale. English for McCabe.
By the time the 2014 EOYT was selected, 6 RC squad Members were unavailable due to injury, with Beale the 7th not considered for other reasons.
Of the Rugby Championship squad, only Cowan and Burgess were dropped.
McMahon and Jones were replacements for Fardy and Palu from the RC squad who were unavailable.
Godwin a replacement for Beale. English for McCabe.
By the time the 2014 EOYT was selected, 6 RC squad Members were unavailable due to injury, with Beale the 7th not considered for other reasons.
Of the Rugby Championship squad, only Cowan and Burgess were dropped.
You'd assume that Korobeite is going to have to show a whole lot on the training paddock to get selected for a test and there's a reasonable chance he'll only play the Barbarians game.
I agree with the earned, not given comment but can also understand the ARU wanting him on the tour. For good or bad they made a decision to sign him and are now trying to maximise that investment.
He hasn't been given a Wallabies jersey yet.
I agree with the earned, not given comment but can also understand the ARU wanting him on the tour. For good or bad they made a decision to sign him and are now trying to maximise that investment.
He hasn't been given a Wallabies jersey yet.
I don't necessarily think that's how it works in professional sport.
Cheika and the ARU are trying to make decisions about what they think are in the best interests of the Wallabies in the short and longer term.
Who knows? Maybe one less player goes on tour if they don't take Korobeite.
I would have selected Morahan (probably at the expense of Naivalu or Speight) but I would have probably also taken Korobeite.
Unless selection is 100% on form (which it never is), then how does one deserve or earn the call up to the squad more than someone else? There's so many criteria you could look at which don't really have much place in professional sport.
Cheika and the ARU are trying to make decisions about what they think are in the best interests of the Wallabies in the short and longer term.
Who knows? Maybe one less player goes on tour if they don't take Korobeite.
I would have selected Morahan (probably at the expense of Naivalu or Speight) but I would have probably also taken Korobeite.
Unless selection is 100% on form (which it never is), then how does one deserve or earn the call up to the squad more than someone else? There's so many criteria you could look at which don't really have much place in professional sport.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
OK I see the differentiation you are making TWAS. I guess the query is that when there is a vacant spot caused by an injury to one of the incumbents, everyone moves up a place, so is the spot at the bottom of the ladder then given to an emerging player or a currently ready player.
So rewinding back to 2014, Fardy was the incumbent 6, from memory Jones and McCalman filled the void initially and then McMahon was given a shot in the Barbarians game. At the time McMahon was relatively unheard of, so they could have considered other lowly capped Wallabies for the spot such as Jake Schatz (or did he go anyway?). Anyway, I think in an instance like that they elected for some new blood, whether it was because he was considered the superior player for that tour we just don't know.
Looking at the tour squad, you'd think that the injury to Kerevi created a spot for either Godwin or Koroibete, one of them probably wouldn't be going without the injury, so in that sense you are correct. But they are both uncapped.
So rewinding back to 2014, Fardy was the incumbent 6, from memory Jones and McCalman filled the void initially and then McMahon was given a shot in the Barbarians game. At the time McMahon was relatively unheard of, so they could have considered other lowly capped Wallabies for the spot such as Jake Schatz (or did he go anyway?). Anyway, I think in an instance like that they elected for some new blood, whether it was because he was considered the superior player for that tour we just don't know.
Looking at the tour squad, you'd think that the injury to Kerevi created a spot for either Godwin or Koroibete, one of them probably wouldn't be going without the injury, so in that sense you are correct. But they are both uncapped.
I would say almost certainly that Godwin has come in because Kerevi got injured.
Scoey
Tony Shaw (54)
Clearly it is the way it works as players are feeling publicly aggrieved at the situation. On one hand they are trying to incentivise and encourage Australian Rugby Players to play in Australia and then they go an pick a guy that's not played a second of Rugby recently, and no Rugby in Australia to go on tour with the Wallabies. It sends a really clear message to the fringe players.
It's going to be hard to be sympathetic next time I hear Bill Pulver or Chieka on TV moaning about them trying to build depth but it's hard to compete with the overseas market.
Scoey
Tony Shaw (54)
I'll also add, how can you not make this differentiation? You're an intelligent lad.
I'll make it easier for you. What has Koroibete done to deserve or earn a call up. Once you've answered that, you may see how someone like Morahan is more deserving.
I totally get that. I also think that once they made the decision to sign Korobeite with a monetary contribution from the ARU towards his contract, it makes sense to take him on this tour.
People are justified having an issue with that but at the same time, we have been desperate to find a winger with real pace and dynamism.
At the end of the day, the ARU took a big risk signing a guy from the NRL on a significant contract but once they make that decision they have to try and do everything they can to make it a success.
It's always going to be a controversial situation when a player is signed up from the NRL and even moreso when it involves an ARU component to the contract.
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