Reds 2014

[Tomikin]

Yes, way too much talk about the backs. With CFS and Toua in there we have a good mix of speed, hard running and ball skills out wide. These guys maybe raw, but their upside is much higher than the other options. We need to stick with them and keep ironing out their flaws.

One change I would be looking at is Fa'aingaa into 12 to lead the defense. I don't see the need for Harris as a second ball player when Toua is good enough for that role when needed. In fact he is better than Harris as a distributor.

Actually to me Toua is very similar to Beale as a fullback. Lets hope he can be 2010 Beale in the near future.

Now onto the forwards. Physicality, or lack thereof is clearly the issue for the Reds. We have a bunch of hard workers and great tacklers, but really lack go forward from the pigs. We need to find a monster that can make metres and attract defenders in close to the ruck. I would also look to use Quirk a bit wider - he seems by far the fastest of our forwards.

I think I read earlier that some one wanted a young Radkie Samo I thought at the time.. Don't we all .. including the wallabies. .



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[RugbyReg]

I'll be interested to see how Nigel Ah-Wong develops. He's playing wing for QLD A, but I wonder if he will do the same for Sunnybank or whether he reverts back to the back row.

He'd be one to keep an eye on.

 

[Ignoto]

Thats a fair call you guys could really use a Speight/Honey Badger

We had a Digby but then he left! Hell even a Morahan would have been great this season, shame the way everything unfolded for him to leave!

 

[TheKing]

I'll be interested to see how Nigel Ah-Wong develops. He's playing wing for QLD A, but I wonder if he will do the same for Sunnybank or whether he reverts back to the back row.

He'd be one to keep an eye on.

Reg how much does he weigh? did he lose any weight in transferring to the wing


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[USARugger]

He's a decent size back rower but he's faster than Rod.

 

[emuarse]

Issue with the Reds is tackle busting players in the backline. Guys who can beat other guys one on one with more than just speed.

Turner isn't one, Davies isn't one, Harris isn't one, Fainga'a isn't one, Taps isn't one, Shipperley isn't one. Some of these may have the potential to be, but currently they are not.

Digby was one. Quade is one.

Toua may be one, CFS may be one. I guess, being short of other options, we need to stick with those guys and hope they come through. Toua, though, needs to hold onto the ball once he's tackled.

Hopefully was can find a fullback/outside centre/wing who is a threat to defenders with ball in hand. Young guys like Kerevi, JJ, Kuridrani etc may be there in a few years, but that doesn't help now.

Look at the Tahs backline and Brumbies backline, they have players like Kuridrani, Tomane, Speight, Betham, Folau, etc who can beat defenders and break tackles.

Would be great to have another one or two of those players in the backline rather than speedy guys and midfield play makers / defensive lynchpins.

I prefer to see forwards as tackle busting players.
I prefer to see backs as fast, deceptive, and smart. I think we have a good back line in that regard, and CFS as 13 should be the break out back.
Now, as for the forwards. Slipper is OK. Quirk on his day is not brutal but can be hard to bring down.
Howell and Simmons have got to start getting more grunt into their play.
I remember Big Kev when he came back from injury last year in a game against the Kiwis over there (Crusaders or Highlanders) where he busted through. It looked spectacular and really inspired the pack. He needs to do that against the Sharks.

 

[emuarse]

He's a decent size back rower but he's faster than Rod.

Really - wow!
Or are you talking about the annual beer boat race

 

[Hawko]

P.S. can someone please amputate Genia's right foot and replace it with a prosthetic?

He'd still try to kick it with the prosthetic! A lobotomy would be a better bet.

 

[Ash]

Browning might be the Reds' best choice as a strong running back rower, but I'm guessing that he is a year or two off yet.

 

[tranquility]

All of this talk about how the Reds appear to be poorly coached, and how RG is out of his depth is a bit short sighted. I think people forget just how experienced our backs coach Steve Meehan is. He was the backs coach of Stade Francais when they made the final of the French top tier three years running, he was also the head coach of Bath which won silverware in Europe. Stylesy too has had good feedback as a technical coach from the players.

Most importantly however is that they are all QLDers, with NS and RG being former players. They all would have grown up supporting QLD, and once they started coaching dreamed of coaching QLD. Now they have their shot, so let's get around them. We can definitely win in Durban.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Its a joke to be critical of RG ATM - give the bloke a chance.

Its the team that needs to lift

Forwards need more mongrel - to be led by Captain Kev - otherwise move over and give another fella a shot.

The backs need more penetration. Don't give a flying fuck whether they bust tackles, or run around them but penetrate. QC (Quade Cooper) to piss off his "way too frequent" shitty forward passes and the little General to cut off his box kick foot - or at least change feet - cannot do any worse.

Odds are Reds at about 3.85 - will be hard too win but those odds are wortha bet

 

[tranquility]

Aidan has done enough at 15 to have the security of growing into that position for atleast the next 5 rounds I would have thought. Still plenty to work on, but have any other player's in our backline looked more threatening? Not sure, that they have. Placid and JJ are also out and out fullbacks who will breathe down his next in future and that is good news for everyone.

CFS is the long term 13, and the short term one. He is the only genuine 13 in the squad and it shows how much we have missed a specialist when he is scoring trys and denting defensive structures.

We have so many 12s in our squad and no-one can work out who is the best fit. Turner comes in for Shipperley in my opinion.

Their has also been quite alot of talk about the Reds needing a sledge hammer winger, I would like to see some of Kurindrani's play as he sounds like he could be the man for the role.

In the forwards Mcduling needs a run. I have heard so much about him, but have never seen him play. Maybe at 6?

Beau is doing good things from the bench, so let's keep with the formula. Anae needs to be on the bench every week. Browning to debut when ready.

 

[redveincheese]

A huge test against the sharks. We have the skill and fire power to give the sharks a shake with the players and depth we have. But I am not sure that the players believe that they can at this moment in time.
I think we should have put the Cheetahs away by 30 points last Friday but the Reds looked vulnerable. A team like the Sharks can smell fear, just as we were able to in 2011.
I hope the coaching staff can get the mix right and also instill some ultra confidence in the players , even if it means tapping into some mystic faraway energy source that cant be seen by mere mortals, or some such BS like that.

 

[Scoey]

I've been reading a lot about Reds defensive issues of late and the word diabolical was even used once. I know there's more to defence than tackling but I just read that the Reds have the highest 'Tackle Success' percentage of the competition at 90.7%. We're doing something right obviously. Tighten up the structures and we'll be hard to get through. Our opponent for this weekend sitting fair at the bottom looks good when you consider what our backs will be able to throw at them.

In case anyone was interested:

Reds 90.7
Stormers 90.4
Force 88.3
Blues 87.7
Chiefs 87.5
Cheetahs 87.2
Waratahs 87.1
Lions 87.0
Rebels 86.8
Crusaders 86.7
Bulls 86.6
Highlanders 86.6
Hurricanes 86.3
Sharks 83.3
Brumbies 80.0

 

[RugbyReg]

I've been reading a lot about Reds defensive issues of late and the word diabolical was even used once. I know there's more to defence than tackling but I just read that the Reds have the highest 'Tackle Success' percentage of the competition at 90.7%. We're doing something right obviously. Tighten up the structures and we'll be hard to get through. Our opponent for this weekend sitting fair at the bottom looks good when you consider what our backs will be able to throw at them.

In case anyone was interested:

Reds 90.7
Stormers 90.4
Force 88.3
Blues 87.7
Chiefs 87.5
Cheetahs 87.2
Waratahs 87.1
Lions 87.0
Rebels 86.8
Crusaders 86.7
Bulls 86.6
Highlanders 86.6
Hurricanes 86.3
Sharks 83.3
Brumbies 80.0

thanks for that. Surprises the hell out of me to be honest. Look at the Brumbies down the bottom!!!

 

[Scoey]

thanks for that. Surprises the hell out of me to be honest. Look at the Brumbies down the bottom!!!

Yes it surprised the hell out of me also. The stats are from the NZ Herald Rugby Stats page here:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/statscentre.cfm

Some really interesting figures there and presented in an easy to read format. They get really interesting when you start putting them together though.

Eg. The Sharks top the comp easily for "defenders beaten" but when you look at the tackle success of their opposition so far it's a bit easier to see why this may be they case.

On another note, Toua has got some pretty impressive numbers next to his name in the Player Ranking section.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Serious question, with the emergence of Feauai-Sautia at 13, what does that mean in the long run for A Fainga'a and Tapuai? I know they've both been tried at 12 in the past, with mixed results, but with Harris also there will one have to move on or be prepared to ride the pine?

 

[Parse]

Yes it surprised the hell out of me also. The stats are from the NZ Herald Rugby Stats page here:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/statscentre.cfm

Some really interesting figures there and presented in an easy to read format. They get really interesting when you start putting them together though.

The surprising stats there are the scrum success % and ruck success % for the Reds.

 

[Sully]

Yes it surprised the hell out of me also. The stats are from the NZ Herald Rugby Stats page here:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/statscentre.cfm

Some really interesting figures there and presented in an easy to read format. They get really interesting when you start putting them together though.

Eg. The Sharks top the comp easily for "defenders beaten" but when you look at the tackle success of their opposition so far it's a bit easier to see why this may be they case.

On another note, Toua has got some pretty impressive numbers next to his name in the Player Ranking section.

people calling for Toua and Schatz to have a rest should read that page. The ones calling for Genius head sou;d read Scott Allen's column today.

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[Ash]

Genia's issue is his kicking; it's poorly executed and too often at the wrong time.

That charge down he should go the open left every time.