Hurricanes vs Waratahs Super Rugby R7 2025 - Friday 28 March

[PhilClinton]

On paper, the Tahs have the best front row in Aus rugby and that alone should be worth 9-12 points a game for them.

Someone from RA needs to get McKellar and Taniela into a room and say rightio boys we are paying this lump a shit tonne of money and he hasn’t looked properly conditioned or committed for 2 years now (obviously not all on the Tahs).

Call out the laziness and warn TT that he needs to start doing the Monday sessions instead of getting a message and drop the KFC or McKellar is going to hire Thorn as his S&C.

 

[Colin Windon]

Canes excellent on a tough night for Tahs supporters. I’ve been to most of the home games and this game aside there is much more to cheer for this year. Upright carries by some of the big boys a bit of an issue particularly with a ref who seemed a bit quick on calling a maul.

We will be truely tested by the Kiwi sides over the next few weeks.

Im always surprised by the negativity on this chat. After a tough Tahs game it was great to see the Brumbies get home in a tight one.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

On paper, the Tahs have the best front row in Aus rugby and that alone should be worth 9-12 points a game for them.

Someone from RA needs to get McKellar and Taniela into a room and say rightio boys we are paying this lump a shit tonne of money and he hasn’t looked properly conditioned or committed for 2 years now (obviously not all on the Tahs).

Call out the laziness and warn TT that he needs to start doing the Monday sessions instead of getting a message and drop the KFC or McKellar is going to hire Thorn as his S&C.

The starters only. And really only Bell when you consider how TT seems and Porecki written off by a lot.

The Reds and Brumbies have by far more depth of Test players in each position.

 

[PhilClinton]

The starters only. And really only Bell when you consider how TT seems and Porecki written off by a lot.

The Reds and Brumbies have by far more depth of Test players in each position.

Yeh that’s why I said on paper.

They’ve got the highest paid prop in the southern hemisphere and he’s playing at about 50% fitness and ability.

I’m happy to die on the hill that McKellar isn’t a good coach if he can’t motivate those types of blokes to be better. We were quite happy to rinse the Rebels culture about it. Same goes now.

 

[Derpus]

Yeh that’s why I said on paper.

They’ve got the highest paid prop in the southern hemisphere and he’s playing at about 50% fitness and ability.

I’m happy to die on the hill that McKellar isn’t a good coach if he can’t motivate those types of blokes to be better. We were quite happy to rinse the Rebels culture about it. Same goes now.

Yeah its clearly not Tupou’s fault. Its all the teams and coaches hes played for. Terrible, all of them.

 

[PhilClinton]

Yeah its clearly not Tupou’s fault. Its all the teams and coaches hes played for. Terrible, all of them.

Funny that under Thorn he never had any issues? The coach who pushed him the most.

So RA and the Rebels offer him a fat pay cheque and the opportunity to get outta QLD and away from the person who’s got the best outta him.

And since then it’s been a pretty rapid decline.

RA have to take some blame as they’ve invested all this money into him but clearly haven’t been working with his teams to actually see any value.

 

[PhilClinton]

I will also add that I think we sometimes forget that Taniela wasn’t groomed to be a professional sports star like a number of the other top tier athletes in our game e.g. McReight. He didn’t grow up with the discipline of those guys, he was literally signed to a rugby contract via a YouTube video because he was so big and fast.

He definitely needs to cop blame and criticism but I’m more concerned with the lack of oversight from the administration that they haven’t supported him when you consider the unique background to his rise.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Funny that under Thorn he never had any issues? The coach who pushed him the most.

So RA and the Rebels offer him a fat pay cheque and the opportunity to get outta QLD and away from the person who’s got the best outta him.

And since then it’s been a pretty rapid decline.

I think there's an argument to be made that 29 April 2022 against the Chiefs, under Thorn, is where the rapid decline began.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Thorn ran him into the ground.

TT looked like he checked out as soon as he got the big pay day. Countless examples in various codes.

 

[PhilClinton]

He signed the big deal at 26yrs old, he’s currently only 28.

As a front rower, if he was applying himself and had the proper support networks in place, he should have another big pay day in his future.

That won’t be happening unfortunately.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

He got the deal and he’s running at 75% mentally at most.

Support networks wouldn’t help or a motivator coach IMO. The goal has been achieved.

I see him bouncing around Euro Clubs living off the name for the next 5 years.

 

[PhilClinton]

If the consensus is he was already a lost cause coming into this season, then it’s an even bigger slight on RA and the Tahs for pursuing him after the Rebels folded.

There were French clubs who would have happily taken most of, if not all of his salary cost from us once the Rebels went under.

I’m simply not buying the narrative that RA/Rebels/Tahs are the victims here and it’s all a Taniela issue when the reality is he fled QLD into a poorly managed environment for players.

 

[Derpus]

Funny that under Thorn he never had any issues? The coach who pushed him the most.

So RA and the Rebels offer him a fat pay cheque and the opportunity to get outta QLD and away from the person who’s got the best outta him.

And since then it’s been a pretty rapid decline.

RA have to take some blame as they’ve invested all this money into him but clearly haven’t been working with his teams to actually see any value.

The bloke that forced him to play 80 minute matches as a THP? Yeah, righto.

Whatever the cause attempting to lay the blame at the feet of McKellar really just says more about your feelings for McKellar than anything. I don't recall culture issues at the Brumbies under him?

 

[Strewthcobber]

No, the maul was irrelevant to my point. I simply meant that whether an infringement is repeated should have no bearing on the penalty try call (what I think Strewth actually meant), not that a repeated infringement should preclude one being called (what he ended up posting)..

Yep. I meant if the ref considers that dropping the maul is a "repeated offense" under the laws, the sanction for that is a warning/yellow card etc. Specifically not a penalty try.

The sanction for any collapsed maul at any stage, 1st or 10th time, should be considered independently and could include a penalty try + yellow card if ref thinks the offense prevented a try

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

That’s a fair card every day. Illegal actions that ruin any passage of play should go everytime.

Huge shame when you consider the backline injuries to then lose the Captain and 12.

 

[Derpus]

That’s a fair card every day. Illegal actions that ruin any passage of play should go everytime.

Huge shame when you consider the backline injuries to then lose the Captain and 12.

And this brings me back to… any collapsed maul on the tryline should be a penalty try.

 

[Sully]

Thorn ran him into the ground.

No Thorn didn't. Tupou was playing similar minutes to his peers.

 

[Adam84]

FWIW, In Tupous last season playing at the Reds in 2022 before getting injured he averaged 55mins, which is less than what Bell is playing this year.

 

[BDA]

Thoughts on the game:
-I thought the tahs were playing ok for the first 55 odd minutes until the wheels fell off. The canes clearly had a plan to attack the breakdown and the tahs just couldnt get any momentum. I thought the refs probably let the canes get away with a bit too much at the breakdown in the first half but thats just part and parcel of having the advantage of a home crowd.
-Thought the canes were excellent - their best game of the season by far.
-The reality of super rugby is (and has always been) that winning away from home particularly overseas is heavy hard and its what seperates the best sides from the rest. I think some people on this thread may have too high expectation of a team that finished at the bottom of the table last year. They are still a work in progress quite obviously. I think they are going to run hot and cold this year. That said i think the pessimism is also too harsh. I reckon theyll be a tough side to beat at home but are going to struggle on the road - thats just where theyre at which is a massive step forward from last year
- people trying to point the finger at tupou seem to be under the impression that he's still the one man wrecking ball x factor player he was 4 years ago. He not that player anymore. That said he still performs the core duties of a tighthead well and he certainly wasnt the reason the tahs fell apart at the end of the game

 

[LeCheese]

I'm also fairly certain the Reds had a big THP injury list and depth issues in the season(s) Tupou played numerous 70+ min matches