National Rugby Championship 2014

[Caputo]

Obviously there is no directions yet about player allocations. I think the first things will be what the Perth Gold and Melbourne Rising and partly Vikings selecting the 16 to stay in situ. I think the two QLD teams are self contained of Reds and the former Reds College and current QLD reps and last years Aus U20 players.

I took a contrarian view on who to select by a 10/6 break up or even 11/5. I find it naive the way players have been allocated to the NSW teams on that they have played a few games of Shute Shield.

An example being Rebels hooker Pat Leafa and his strong Rays relationship. He came to Aus played with Vikings in JID then was given a trial last year and EPS by the Rebels and played a few games in Sydney post Super 15 in 13. I would expect him as a 'Rising' star.

I believe the fringe Super 15 players would stay in situ to impress the Super 15 paymaster. Then game time would be second consideration.

 

[Battalion]

q&a ewen mckenzie

http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsAr...wen-McKenzie-National-Rugby-Championship.aspx

 

[Caputo]

Here is my stab at the Perth Gold. I have 3 WF Wallabies, Hodgson, McCalman and Cummins.

Pek Cowan
Kieran Longbottom
Francois Van Wyk
Ollie Hoskins
Joe Savage
Nathan Charles
Harry Scoble
Robbie Abel
Sam Wykes
Adam Coleman
Ross Haylett-Petty or Nick Haining
Oscar Backhouse
Angus Cottrell
Corey Thomas
Bryn Stander
Kane Koteka
Richard Hardwick
Ian Prior
Ryan Louwens
Angus Taylor
Zac Holmes
Luke Burton
Tim Koiatu
Kyle Godwin
Marcel Brache
Jayden Hayward
Luke Morahan
Dylan Sage
Brad Lacey
Dillyn Leyds
Joel Rapana or Zubayr Abrahams

Into the players for allocation are Tetra Faulkner, Salesi Manu, Chris Heiberg, Heath Tessman, Phoenix Battye, Rory Walton, Hugh McMeniman, Chris Alcock, Sias Ebersohn, Junior Rasolea, Chris Tuatera-Morrison, Ed Stubbs, Pat Dellit and Dane Haylett-Petty

 

[Forcefield]

I like it. I'd like us to keep Rasolea, Ebersohn and DHP if possible. Especially since DHP is a local lad. I'd release Nathan Charles and Sam Wykes (as Sydney siders) to keep them. I reckon Godwin will get a look in on the Wallabies spring tour.

It'd be great for us to keep as close to the same backline as we have in Super Rugby. Helps build combinations.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'd like to see Harry Scoble get a run, being a Uni man like myself

 

[Brumby Runner]

Izzy Folau and Kurtley Beale have chosen their SS club, therefore it makes them aligned with the NRC team associated with their club team e.g. Uni - Sydney Stars and Randwick - NSW Country. The ARU cannot make them change teams or force them to align with another team unless the player is willing to agree.

But do you believe the ARU can force contracted players with the Force, Rebels and Brumbies to relocate to Sydney based NRC teams?

 

[Brumby Runner]

To be fair, most of those players Caputo listed are local Canberra players..

However, I think he's incorrectly selected some players to stay/go...

According to the Crimes they will be able to keep 16 Super Rugby players not involved with the Wallabies... obviously they will want to hang onto the best possible team while also ensuring there's no burden placed on relocating players..

The players I would identify as possibly returning to Sydney teams would include Mann-Rea (NSW Country), Ala'alatoa (Rams/Rays - can't remember which was his last club?), McCaffrey (Rams), Andrew Smith (Rays), Smiler (Rays), Dowsett (Rays)....

A player like Butler may also return to Qld Country, however he's now linked with Vikings at a club level and would probably be one of the 16 players selected by Canberra...

If Mowen has to hang around and play the NRC I would expect the Vikings to include (slightly edited from the previous page):

S Siliva
JP Smith
R Smith
S Carter
L Power
J Whetton
J Butler
F Auelua
Mowen
C Hoffman
L Cronje
Tatekawa
Rathbone
Coleman
Van Der Walt
Mogg (or whoever is the next best player not to make the Wallabies eg. Sio, McCabe, etc)

At this stage there will be fewer players from the Force and Rebels in the Wallabies squad so they'll be supplying more players to the Sydney teams than the Brumbies...

Having a look at the Tahs it would seem they'll be supplying somewhere between 4 - 7 players to every Sydney team (you can guess which team will get the most)....

If Dowsett returned to the Rays and was behind Matt Lucas, how would that benefit him?

 

[Intruder]

Look in regards to Wallaby distribution I can't give you the facts but the ARU are in talks with RUPA and it will be sorted. Players will have a say in where they want to be put. Just a rough wallabies squad delegation could look something like this;

QLD (Apologies don't know player clubs)
Country & City:
Slipper, Horwill, Simmons, Gill, Cooper
Fainga'a, Schatz, Genia, Harris, Kurindrani (UQ)

NSW
West Syd:
Robinson, TPN, White (Eastwood)

North Syd:
Hooper, Palu, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Fardy (Warringah), Sio (Norths ?)

Syd Stars:
Ryan, Betham, Folau

Country:
Kepu, Douglas, Beale

VIC
Pyle, Higgers, Burgess

ACT
Alexander, Moore, Speight, To'omua, Leali'ifano

WA
McCalman, Cummins

A lot of the brumby Wallaby contingent will probably associate to junior clubs in NSW or Qld to even it out. But that's about 4-5 Wallabies per side.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Look in regards to Wallaby distribution I can't give you the facts but the ARU are in talks with RUPA and it will be sorted. Players will have a say in where they want to be put. Just a rough wallabies squad delegation could look something like this;

QLD (Apologies don't know player clubs)
Country & City:
Slipper, Horwill, Simmons, Gill, Cooper
Fainga'a, Schatz, Genia, Harris, Kurindrani (UQ)

NSW
West Syd:
Robinson, TPN, White (Eastwood)

North Syd:
Hooper, Palu, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Fardy (Warringah), Sio (Norths ?)

Syd Stars:
Ryan, Betham, Folau

Country:
Kepu, Douglas, Beale

VIC
Pyle, Higgers, Burgess

ACT
Alexander, Moore, Speight, To'omua, Leali'ifano

WA
McCalman, Cummins

A lot of the brumby Wallaby contingent will probably associate to junior clubs in NSW or Qld to even it out. But that's about 4-5 Wallabies per side.

This could be close to the mark, but why White to West Sydney. If I'm right, he started his career in the JID comp before going to Eastwood.

 

[qwerty51]

White should go to NSW Country

 

[Caputo]

I like it. I'd like us to keep Rasolea, Ebersohn and DHP if possible. Especially since DHP is a local lad. I'd release Nathan Charles and Sam Wykes (as Sydney siders) to keep them. I reckon Godwin will get a look in on the Wallabies spring tour.

It'd be great for us to keep as close to the same backline as we have in Super Rugby. Helps build combinations.

I was trying to keep DHP but had 8 backs from Western Force. Kept Morahan because he is a star but he and Godwin could be on fringe of Wallabies. Kept Charles as he is the best Hooker available and he and Wykes have been at the Force long term not blow ins. Same reason for keeping Pek Cowan over Heiberg but this is my paper team. I think the team would be pretty competitive.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I was trying to keep DHP but had 8 backs from Western Force. Kept Morahan because he is a star but he and Godwin could be on fringe of Wallabies. Kept Charles as he is the best Hooker available and he and Wykes have been at the Force long term not blow ins. Same reason for keeping Pek Cowan over Heiberg but this is my paper team. I think the team would be pretty competitive.

No mention of Steenkamp?

 

[GaffaCHinO]

Pulver said on the rugby club that the wallabies will be evenly spread across the teams said about 4 per team.


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[Slim 293]

If Dowsett returned to the Rays and was behind Matt Lucas, how would that benefit him?

He would possibly be behind Hoffman at the Brumbies........

The fact is that not every Super Rugby player can be distributed in a way that they all start........

 

[Slim 293]

This could be close to the mark, but why White to West Sydney. If I'm right, he started his career in the JID comp before going to Eastwood.

That's correct........

Nic White played in Canberra for several years (Wests, and then Queanbeyan which is his current club) before he set foot in the Shute Shield........

He actually grew up as a Brumbies supporter.........

 

[Caputo]

He would possibly be behind Hoffman at the Brumbies....

The fact is that not every Super Rugby player can be distributed in a way that they all start....

But it may be close between the two as Dowsett was in the match day 23 last week. It would good to see him go head to head. Depends on what the Brumby masters might want.

 

[Slim 293]

True, but Dowsett is from Sydney while Hoffman has come all the way from South Africa.........

 

[Brumby Runner]

Pulver said on the rugby club that the wallabies will be evenly spread across the teams said about 4 per team.


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Don't envy the ARU's challenge in spreading the talent. Do it arbitrarily and there will likely be a lot of very pissed off senior Super players around the place. IMO the only solution would be for the respective NRC teams to name the 16 Super players they want to retain and let the remainder negotiate with teams of their choice for a spot. If they can't come to a suitable arrangement, they stay where they are and take their chances of getting a game.

And what of the overseas players? Wouldn't those who have no Wallabies' aspirations be more inclined to return to their home countries to play ITM or Currie Cup rather than be arbitrarily relocated to another team in Aus perhaps thousands of kms away with whom they have no connection and probably no desire to play?

 

[Highlander35]

This is true. For the rebels, it would be unreasonable to expect Ellison, Horie, Sau, Woodward, Smith, Fuglistaller, Sexton, Veianu and Lahiff to go elsewhere, but what if some of them aren't in the top 16 they want to retain? Will they be forced to leave?

Obviously some, (thinking the Sydney UnI boys, Weeks, Neville etc.) Would be more or less willing to go home, but what if they'd rather stay?

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[Dave Beat]

Obviously some, (thinking the Sydney UnI boys, Weeks, Neville etc.) Would be more or less willing to go home, but what if they'd rather stay?

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Be careful there Neville and some of the boys are Manly.