Rebels 2013
- Thread starter James Buchanan
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en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
He has been inconsistent for the Wallabies, good sometimes but often not.
Here's the thing though, why would we want to not start a bloke who's gotten a whole seasons of international experience? I've never seen a decent player like Phipps get more hatred from his own fans.
The bloke is miles ahead of anyone else we (as in the Rebs) have got and he is the 3rd best Australian scrummie playing in Australia right now. Even counting those playing overseas he's 4th best.
That puts him at starting super rugby standard surely?
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
Many fans that followed the Rebels from their announcement wanted Su'a from day 1 when he still was Aus eligible.
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
Totally agree, how any body can blame Phipps when the support players gave him nothing to work with. He had to join the ruck to protect the ball way to much.
Watching the Wallabies I am just hoping the Rebels players don't get injured.
T
tranquility
Guest
The thing is that if Kingi or Zaker are given half the game time at Super level that would be vastly superior. Not only is Phipps not the third best 9 in the country, he is probably 3rd best 9 for the Rebs.
spectator
Bob Davidson (42)
I liked what I saw in Phipps a couple of seasons ago and thought he was in great form. He hasn't quite lived up to my early expectation but I don't think he is as diabolical as people make out.
Have to say that I'm surprised Kingi hasn't been given more of a go, particularly given his utlity value off the bench. With Lucas injured, he would have been my reserve half pick.
Have to say that I'm surprised Kingi hasn't been given more of a go, particularly given his utlity value off the bench. With Lucas injured, he would have been my reserve half pick.
Bowside
Peter Johnson (47)
Prior or Frisby.
Dumbledore
Dick Tooth (41)
No he isn't. Stirzaker and Kingi have both shown enough to suggest that if they were given more than five minutes a game at scrumhalf they would be significantly better. The one time Stirzaker did, against the Stormers, we almost pinched the win. Phipps tries hard, but just isn't a very good player - like a less good version of Burgess. His pass is wildly inconsistent, he makes bad decisions, has a poor kicking game and misses far more tackles than he should.
Dumbledore
Dick Tooth (41)
Or Sheehan or McKibbon or one of the other two Rebels boys already mentioned.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
I think I argue my point more than fairly and I don't think any positive discussion will be had with absolutist arguments like "no he isn't".
I just can't buy into the point that if a bloke injects himself into a game where most players are under fatigue and does some good stuff for a few minutes then logically he is better than a decent starting player. Any professional player worth anything should be able to do some good stuff in this situation.
In an ideal world Phipps wouldn't be a starting Wallaby on his current form and it's perfectly fair to say both Kingi and Stirzaker should have been given far more of a shot, Kingi even should have been given a starting birth at 9.
BUT, none of this to me points to the fact Phipps shouldn't be starting for the Rebels or the fact that he isn't a starting quality super rugby 9. He's our best option on current form and he's not even bad.
swingpass
Peter Sullivan (51)
sheesh ! some of you guys are hard markers. phipps is the incumbent at rebels and wallabies, and i agree his form is a bit inconsistent, but shit look at the pack he is playing behind. he is the best available half at the moment and is nowhere near as bad as some posters make out. i believe stirzaker is probably going to be the goods but as we have all seen there is an enormous gap between club and S15 and a qauntum leap to test football, especially when there is no go forward. only exceptional halves, catchpole, hipwell, farr-jones, can build pace and momentum into the ball from a static maul/ruck or one going backwards, even genia struggles. and kingi is far too erratic, imo. there are lots of problems with the wallabies but to single out the most pressured bloke on the paddock is a bit tough. clearly nigel owens gave him a hard time early on and perhaps that affected his performance on sunday as well.
as an aside, i have never been one to call for the coaches head but given we can't change the cattle available, perhaps the time has come to get a new one. it is the same mistakes they continue to make as individuals and a team that frustrate me the most, they are pro footballers FFS and should learn. i can't believe they really are ALL as dumb as dogshit. perhaps they are !
as an aside, i have never been one to call for the coaches head but given we can't change the cattle available, perhaps the time has come to get a new one. it is the same mistakes they continue to make as individuals and a team that frustrate me the most, they are pro footballers FFS and should learn. i can't believe they really are ALL as dumb as dogshit. perhaps they are !
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
Good one. In all seriousness though I hope he lives up to his super rugby form, he really looked the goods for test rugby.
Bowside
Peter Johnson (47)
Phipps has been the worst player on the field, from either team, in every test he has played this year.
As you said it is sometimes hard to play behind the Australian pack, but none of our other halves have every struggled as much as phipps has. Genia has shone behind far worse packs, even burgess (who could only pass one way) still made a good fist of it.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
I was waiting for somebody to mention Burgeo.
Burgess was absolutely lambasted for his performance in his first ever spring tour. The British media has a field day with one paper even calling him no better than your average starting Championship halfback (England's 2nd Division).
Obviously Burgess is a classy player now picking up a nice pay packet in France but on his first Spring tour he was attracting much more ire than Phipps is currently.
On a side note this is a Rebels thread not a Wallabies thread.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
Apparently I've become to Nick Phipps what Bruce Ross is to Tom Carter.
Though without the personal connection.
Though without the personal connection.
T
tranquility
Guest
Frisby would be far better, he is a star.
Bowside
Peter Johnson (47)
That's because we use to have standards. Now rugby supporters and press are just apathetic.
kronic
John Solomon (38)
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