Mr Doug
Dick Tooth (41)
Don't think he has ever really recovered from the ankle injury in Oct 2015. Lost a yard and now tries to do too much to compensate
Well let's 'bone' him, and replace him with two young players with potential!
Don't think he has ever really recovered from the ankle injury in Oct 2015. Lost a yard and now tries to do too much to compensate
Assuming that: Folau would not get a game for the ABs - even mid-week if such things still existed.I think Byrne maybe partially towing the company line and / or thinking how Folau could perform if in the NZ system or can see his potential. Doesn't matter how good he is if he can't deliver it the majority of the time he on the paddock.
The ARU needs to continue working with Folau for the duration of his contract because he's the highest profile player we have
Do you really think that there are kids out there making decisions to play or not play because of Folau? I ask seriously because I doubt it but I have no up-to-date experience of young kids.
I can recall many moons ago when Benji Marshall burst on the scene and all the kids were doing his goose step-hop-thing: is Izzie at this level of "recognition" these days?
Not really, but Folau would still have the biggest public profile of all our players.
He's on contract for some time yet so it would be silly for the ARU not to try and get the most out of it.
I get the feeling that he's not on the radar of wavering kids much.
having him on such a long contract is equally silly - but I get your point
Generally I agree with what your saying except when did form mean anything come Wallabies selection time.The ARU needs to continue working with Folau for the duration of his contract because he's the highest profile player we have and even when down on form is still there or there abouts for Wallaby selection. Odds are he will be in the Wallabies matchday 23 this year and based on history, he'll probably go well.
If his form doesn't improve, that definitely needs to be carefully considered when he is off contract. It is becoming pretty clear that the ARU shouldn't be paying him to be the highest paid player in Australian rugby next time around.
Generally I agree with what your saying except when did form mean anything come Wallabies selection time.
It has always been a mix of form and incumbency. It's a reality of professional test rugby where you're playing 12-15 tests a year.
Form has definitely meant something when it has come to re-signing players.
We part company on this.After being our best player for a couple of years
And in answer to BH, surely the highest paid player should now be Alan Ala'alatoa, the likely starting THP come RWC?
To be fair, Folau's form at 13 for the Tahs last year was very impressive and many people, especially on this forum, were calling for him to play there for the Wobs....
I don't believe where he's been playing this year has anything to do with his bad patch of form.
Has he really been performing that badly in 2017?
Generally, the best we can ask of a player is to perform excellently relative to their team. It would be unfair to compare his attacking stats to those of a Hurricanes / Crusaders outside back (although I will do so), as his attacking opportunities simply haven't been the same. With that in mind*:
Clearly the expectation of Folau is high and deservedly so.
I think a big part of the disappointment is that he hasn't been a leader within this side when the chips are down.
With Foley and Horne missing a number of games through injury and Phipps being dropped due to poor form, Folau needed to be the guy to stand up and help direct the backline and give them some direction. He really hasn't done that.
His play has been reasonable without being near his best (which is a very high level).
As a player in his fifth year with the Tahs with over 50 tests, I think you expect him to be one of the senior leaders within the side.
Has he really been performing that badly in 2017?
Generally, the best we can ask of a player is to perform excellently relative to their team. It would be unfair to compare his attacking stats to those of a Hurricanes / Crusaders outside back (although I will do so), as his attacking opportunities simply haven't been the same. With that in mind*:
Israel is 3rd in the Waratahs for line breaks with 5, behind Hooper and Kellaway on 9 each.
He's first on tackle-busts, with 24. The next best are Hooper and Kellaway respectively, with 21 and 17.
He's first for offloads completed, with 11. The next best are Foley with 9 and Taqele with 7.
He's equal 1st in terms of tries scored, with 3. Gordon, Hooper and Taqele also all have three to their names.
He's first in terms of run metres, with 632. The next best are Hooper and Kellaway with 601 and 395 respectively. Evidently, there is a huge drop-off here.
In all attacking metrics he is leading the pack, or thereabouts. He has also only conceded a single penalty.
He's played almost the same number of minutes as Henry Speight, who by all accounts has been excelling in attack this season in a team that has outperformed the Waratahs. His stats are as follows:
Tries: 6 (>Folau)
Running metres: 568 (<Folau)
LB: 12 (>Folau)
TB: 30 (>Folau)
Offload: 4 (<Folau)
Penalties Conceded: 5 (>Folau)
Three metrics go Speights way, three go Folaus. Not much between them.
Relative to Julian Savea, who has played in the best attacking side of the competition:
Tries: 5 (>Folau)
Running metres: 590 (>Folau)
LB: 10 (>Folau)
TB: 18 (<Folau)
Offload: 5 (<Folau)
Penalties Conceded: 0 (<Folau)
All bar two metrics go Saveas way, but none of them by a considerable amount. Savea has been slightly better in a team that has been far better.
What should we take from this?
Folau has actually been pretty good, relative to both his team and similar players in teams that have been far more successful - just as he was last season, both in Super Rugby and internationally, despite the immense criticism he's received.
I think we set our expectations too high because of his profile and his past performance. Everyone refers to the 1st Lions test, where he essentially carried the Wallabies attacking performance. Can we expect that from him every game? No. Should we expect that from him every game? No.
Has he been consistently performing at a high level? Yes.
I think he's had a pretty good season and I'm glad the stats reinforce that.
"The Waratahs gone and done lost too many games - why can't Izzy Folau win dem all for us?"
* all stats taken from Foxsports.