Graham Henry has a spray at Rugby Tourists

[The_Brown_Hornet]

My memory of Vicks was that he was a bit broken at the end of his (first) time with the Wallabies. I don't think he could have continued to play at the very top level for the intervening years, because his body wouldn't have carried him the distance.

 

[qwerty51]

My memory of Vicks was that he was a bit broken at the end of his (first) time with the Wallabies. I don't think he could have continued to play at the very top level for the intervening years, because his body wouldn't have carried him the distance.

At the end of 2006? Like I said, I'd never seen Vickerman play any better in 2008 and we never saw more of him from then. All I'm saying is he was another player that caused Australian rugby hurt when he left. Barbarian seems to think otherwise.

 

[cyclopath]

Geez, Baabaa, gotta disagree about McMinimum. What did he actually achieve? He was broken nearly all the time. Vickerman was a far better resource than poor old Hugh. Great talent, but very average in delivering anything for any extended period.
I agree the Vickerman situation was different as he went to Uni. Our lock depth was worse than our miscellaneous backrow depth.

 

[barbarian]

I just think McMeniman is the only example of a player 'buggering off overseas' when his state and country needed him. Probably Queensland more than the Wallabies. He left when QLD were still in the doldrums and he was one of their best players every time he stepped on the park (which was rare, I grant you). The Reds struggled to find a lock/blindside of his quality for a while.

I suppose my definition of 'hurt Australian rugby' was not explained well enough. Of course guys like George Smith, Chris Latham, Steve Larkam etc. would have walked into any S14 team at the time of their departure, but they had done years of service and were past their prime. But I was talking more about what Henry was referring to, which was players knicking off before their prime when they had much more to give to their country.

 

[drewprint]

I wish McMeniman stuck around (and was injury free). When he was fit he was excellent, and held so much promise for greater things to come. He would have been an outstanding option at 6 for Australia.

 

[cyclopath]

I wish McMeniman stuck around (and was injury free). When he was fit he was excellent, and held so much promise for greater things to come. He would have been an outstanding option at 6 for Australia.

He wasn't going to be injury free at Super and International level - that's why he left.
Great talent, but his body was not going to let him achieve the level many of us hoped.

 

[Slim 293]

What is with Queensland producing broken potentially great 6's?

Of course theres' McMeniman...

But let's not forget Daniel Heenan... he was the form 6 going into the test season in 2006 (ahead of Elsom) and started in the first test against England that year... doesn't last half the game and never steps back on the field in Australia again...

Mitchell Chapman has struggled to stay fit for the majority of a season...

 

[drewprint]

He wasn't going to be injury free at Super and International level - that's why he left.
Great talent, but his body was not going to let him achieve the level many of us hoped.

I know. That's why I said I wish he was injury free...

 

[cyclopath]

I know. That's why I said I wish he was injury free...

Ah, I see.
So do I.

 

[drewprint]

Looking back, my wording was pretty poor sorry! But yep, injury free McMeniman would probably have stayed in Aus, and been a real boon for Australian rugby.

 

[lily]

Peter Hewat was another very talented player who didn't have the x factor. Just ask that arsehole O' Connor. He left the Shute Shield comp just like Chris Malone, Paul Warwick, Brock James etc. All have been employed since.

 

[Waratah]

Most promising players turn out to have feet of clay. We would do well to remember that