Qld Premier Rugby 2023

[eldiablo]

Gabbett goes whack. Love that he was open and honest about the situation.

 

[Confucius Say]

Gabbett made the point that 34 of the best from the NRL play state of origin on a Wednesday and then many back up to play mere days later.

 

[Sideline Hack]

Interesting, I know for fact there was a players and coaches video session on Monday night and JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) was included on the call, expected to play this weekend.

Maybe things have changed since then. Will be disappointed if Rugby Australia keep promising players and no one ends up turning out.

RA changed their mind (or clarified position) apparently- no one in wider train on squad or Aussie A’s to play club rugby on run in to finals.

 

[PhilClinton]

Yeah that’s really shit from RA.

Makes it sound like a heap of steaming crap whenever they talk about “connecting with the grassroots”. Having guys like Wilson and JOC (James O'Connor) turn out for the club draws more attention to our game for the people that matter aka junior players, than the Reds winning Super Rugby does.

Honestly very annoyed (and I’m not a Brothers supporter).

 

[The Nomad]

Yeah and meanwhile across the ditch Ardie Savea running out for his club last weekend.

The cotton wool approach helps prevent injuries to our elite, unfortunately also stifles development on so many other levels.

 

[SouthernX]

Haha what a crock of shit and you wonder why the game in this country is in a state of disarray…

The one good thing we got going for rugby union is clubland and the talent it produces… be nice to see some of these stars come back to their roots

 

[Mug Punter]

Embarrassing state of affairs

 

[Bulldog]

We shouldn’t be surprised it is often that fringe Wallabies (also junior Wallabies) are cocooned ahead of a RWC. You never get as many Super Rugby players back to clubland for end of season as you would expect - RA directives, IR/CBA layoff periods, players being told to have off season surgeries, etc.

I don’t have a lot of sympathy for Brothers - please!!

 

[PhilClinton]

We shouldn’t be surprised it is often that fringe Wallabies (also junior Wallabies) are cocooned ahead of a RWC. You never get as many Super Rugby players back to clubland for end of season as you would expect - Rugby Australia directives, IR/CBA layoff periods, players being told to have off season surgeries, etc.

I don’t have a lot of sympathy for Brothers - please!!

Issue for me is that clubs (not just Brothers) were being told that certain players were coming to play, and then having that change quickly.

Quade and Kerevi were only officially withdrawn from GPS a couple of weeks ago on the Friday afternoon. Nothing official was ever said about them but there was a general buzz that some proper Wallabies would be playing club rugby again.

Coaches have had phone calls with players who were going to play, to then have it change 24hrs later.

 

[Oracle83]

Issue for me is that clubs (not just Brothers) were being told that certain players were coming to play, and then having that change quickly.

Quade and Kerevi were only officially withdrawn from GPS a couple of weeks ago on the Friday afternoon. Nothing official was ever said about them but there was a general buzz that some proper Wallabies would be playing club rugby again.

Coaches have had phone calls with players who were going to play, to then have it change 24hrs later.

If that’s the biggest concern you got life’s mighty fine.

 

[PhilClinton]

If that’s the biggest concern you got life’s mighty fine.

Thats a bizarre response to someone discussing their issues with Australian rugby on a club rugby forum.

I hope for your sake you don’t associate too much of this forum with real life.

 

[SouthernX]

I reckon the announcement of a wallaby back in clubland might just be enough for a rugby club to open the cheque book and hire something like a jumping castle for the day or get an extra staff to work the bars. Grassroots clubs knows the rep players get the patrons down there.

Now imagine you’ve booked the bouncing castle or rostered that staff for their shift on the bar only to find out mid week that there’s no wallabies playing - less crowds & now you gotta eat the overheads of a bouncing castle which was hired to justify the father spending his afternoon at the bar while he watches his kid on a jumping castle with a bit of rugby going on in the forefront of his child minding.

Rugby australia does a poor job of showing common decency to its grassroots.

 

[RugbyReg]

Phil Waugh will fix it….

 

[Bulldog]

No for one minute am I excusing RA/Wallabies Brains Trust but the Reds have been treating their clubs in a similar manner for years.
If a player goes down at training the Reds would pull the 3rd/4th back up from clubland. If a player played 5 minutes of Super Rugby on a Friday night as a replacement they would be withdrawn from a pre-scheduled club game on the Saturday.

 

[SouthernX]

Big weekend for the Bankers - they are a competitive outfit whom seem to need to work on their off-season match fitness as a club as whole. (60 minutes won’t win you a footy match)

hoping they can pick up their first win against a pesky Eagles outfit.

 

[Ras]

Re players being rested: I understand it from both sides, but in the case of Taniela, who's been publicly stating for months now he was to return via club, it only reflects poorly on him now for these false promises. Not to mention I think it's pretty unfair for a player who hasn't played in the best part of 9 months to have his first game back for the wallabies. You'd hate to be one of the fringe squad members with potential to get your first cap and not get a run because they're using a bench spot for a 10 minute "return from injury" stint.

I know this is slightly different issue to those Aus A squad withdrawals, but RA needs to look at club football as an asset to it's professional players, not a risk.

 

[SouthernX]

Just curious (Stan subscriber here) but do they still show game of the week at 3pm on nine gem? They introduced it last year but I haven’t bothered to watch FTA so i wouldn’t know

 

[LeCheese]

Re players being rested: I understand it from both sides, but in the case of Taniela, who's been publicly stating for months now he was to return via club, it only reflects poorly on him now for these false promises. Not to mention I think it's pretty unfair for a player who hasn't played in the best part of 9 months to have his first game back for the wallabies. You'd hate to be one of the fringe squad members with potential to get your first cap and not get a run because they're using a bench spot for a 10 minute "return from injury" stint.

I know this is slightly different issue to those Aus A squad withdrawals, but Rugby Australia needs to look at club football as an asset to it's professional players, not a risk.

I agree - however, I believe Nela was (possibly over-optimistically) targeting a return for Brothers prior to heading to SA for the TRC. It would appear his recovery progress was the limiting factor, not the Wallabies' or his own intentions. You can understand why a player of his caliber would travel with the Wobs despite injury in a WC year.

 

[Sideline Hack]

I agree - however, I believe Nela was (possibly over-optimistically) targeting a return for Brothers prior to heading to SA for the TRC. It would appear his recovery progress was the limiting factor, not the Wallabies' or his own intentions. You can understand why a player of his caliber would travel with the Wobs despite injury in a WC year.

Not over optimistic- that was the plan, RA changed the plan (as is their right with WC in mind)

 

[LeCheese]

Not over optimistic- that was the plan, Rugby Australia changed the plan (as is their right with WC in mind)

I imagine the plan would have changed based on medical advice around his recovery progress, not just because RA wanted to drag it out