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Reds 2015

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Set piece magic

Set piece magic

John Solomon (38)
RG needs to be fired, we have to change cattle and he just can't attract any in the current circumstance.

High on our list should be a barnstorming enforcer who bends the goddamn line and makes the opposition piggies run back in defense a lot. A higginbotham or parisse. Schatz/quirk/Robinson backrow is too unbalanced to be successful, just don't offer enough in attack. Get JOC (James O'Connor) but get the legal team making sure his contract includes a clause that gives us the right to not tollerate his shit.
 
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Train Without a Station

Guest
In all fairness we can't really blame management for the lack of that type of player.

That's essentially what Browning is developing to become and what Quirk promised to be last year. Browning wouldn't have been expected to quite get there this year, but based on last year I can forgive the overlooking of this. Quirk showed some rampaging form. In the limited funds and squad size nature of this, it would have seemed silly to recruit another player to fill that void.

Really looking at the squad, fullback is the only glaring void we have. Tighthead and 8 have come up, but these were positions where we had thrived with what we already had, or had players who appeared to be developing there.
 
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tranquility

Guest
tigerland12 said:
We need a Potgieter, Alberts, Picamoles type player.
Click to expand...

Correct, and you can add Vermulen to that list. The problem is, everyone needs one of those, and they are not very common. Thankfully we have one of the best juniors bruisers anywhere already in our stable.
 
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Train Without a Station

Guest
It also comes back to our previous argument regarding McMahon doesn't it tranquillity?

Who do we turf to get somebody else? When are they signed to? If you've got 30 spots, and only $4 Million to spread over those 30, how can you justify recruiting a back rower to play one of 4 match day positions (6,7,8 or bench) when you've already got 6 and stocks are thinner in other positions.

It's all well and good for us to point out weaknesses, but as I've said before, individual contracting decisions aren't made in a vacuum. They're relative to the context of the 29 other ones around them.

We all know now that Quirk hasn't worked out for 2014. Hard to make that call in April 2013 though. Especially the way he was playing for example.
 
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tranquility

Guest
Absolutely.

Although I tend to think Quirk will still be our long term 6. Browning will play 8 and Shatz will be the dogsbody on the bench.

I know different posters have talked about his line-out prowess, but he isn't a lock and that isn't enough to be picked in the side each week.

In my opinion a backrow of Gill, Quirk, Browning is pretty promising and well balanced. Even if we can't get a mature backrower to play, why don't we look to hire an experienced backrower to help coach, even just a few sessions a week. Someone like Owen Finnegan or David Croft.
 
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Train Without a Station

Guest
If anything I think our effort to retain a lot of young talent that showed promise and has left us with little room to move. Perhaps we may have been a little better off if Quirk or Shatz for example had taken offers from somewhere else, much like Butler did, and forced us to look outside for a replacement or two.
 
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tranquility

Guest
Yeah he is a deadset freak.

@RugbyReg can you shed a little more light into Mooney chasing Vermeulen all those years ago? The thought of him playing for the Reds & Wallabies makes my mind boggle.
 
RugbyReg

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
I just remember he was very close to signing him after a long chase (also was after another saf backrower but can't remember who it was). DV ultimately decided to stay home and back himself in the republic. Would have been great if we nabbed him.
 
Ghibli

Ghibli

Ted Thorn (20)
First and best thing to do is to show RG the door.
Worrying sign that the administration keeps talking about full confidence - fairyland stuff methinks.
 
Scrubber2050

Scrubber2050

Mark Ella (57)
Trouble with our salary cap is that we have 3 big dogs on huge contracts - Horwill, Genia and QC (Quade Cooper).

A disproportionate amount of our cap goes to these 3. Two of the three are not performing anywhere near to their $$$$$$ value.

QC (Quade Cooper) has at least been OK but appears to have struggled because of his outside players.

We need a big experienced 4, 5, 6 or 8 with a truckload of mongrel who can bend and break the line - Put a big mongel centre in there as well and the Reds can then get go-forward ball

The Reds will then create a highly competitive team
 
mst

mst

Peter Johnson (47)
Scrubber2050 said:
Trouble with our salary cap is that we have 3 big dogs on huge contracts - Horwill, Genia and QC (Quade Cooper).

A disproportionate amount of our cap goes to these 3. Two of the three are not performing anywhere near to their $$$$$$ value.

We need a big experienced 4, 5, 6 or 8 with a truckload of mongrel who can bend and break the line - Put a big mongel centre in there as well and the Reds can then get go-forward ball
Click to expand...
......and add JOC (James O'Connor) and that will add to the salary cap pressure. I wonder if like the past someone else gets sacrificed like Higgers, or others just get disenchanted and considering greener pastures. I wonder when Harris's contact is up? The other part of this it makes a mockery of the QLD whinging about other provinces poaching their junior development and academy players. when you won’t give them a shot, instead hanging on to the old and recruiting big $$$ patches!

The Rebels's, Brumbies and Force have shown you these players are available most likely in your own backyard and with a good programme can be close to Wallabies standard in 1 to 2 years.

As a Brumbies supporter I say please continue - and oh, thanks for the work you put in to J Butler, he is a real asset to us and by next year will be that experienced 6 you were looking for.

For the sake of Australian rugby, there is no quick fix. Bring in your young talent and build. It will take about a year, but done right you can repeat the 2010 to 2012 performance.
 
Sir Arthur Higgins

Sir Arthur Higgins

Alan Cameron (40)
you guys need an 8 and either a full back or a centre. granted you have had injuries in the back line this year, but everyone has, there isn't a lot of depth in your centres i think. faainga is far too one dimensional to make up for injuries to CFS (who is still very raw) and tapuai (who is starting to come on again). the fullback from the start of the year (name escapes me) has promise and pace but plagued by injuries. harris is not a fullback, he's a fill in at fullback.
if you have JOC (James O'Connor) back - get the contract right, in the reds' favor. but he could potentially fill that fullback/wing void that you currently have and also play 12 as needed if taps is out.

i have no idea who you'd pick up as an 8 - so best rush browning into the squad for next season.
 
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