Reds 2017

[neilc]

You know things have gone from bad to (very much) worse when a journo who was a near-sycophant to the QRU for years, today says:

Capitulation to Brumbies shows Queensland Reds in dire straits

...and, can you believe it, in the linked article also says some blame must be shared by the QRU board (pigs do fly over Ballymore, sometimes, yes they do).

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...s/news-story/550fa87d5d30059a5f8ace15c6073297

He makes good points in the article about recruitment not seeming to be linked to the coaching, although I am not sure if that is correct - surely the head coach is indicating who he wants or what type of player he wants. Maranta wasn't a RG pick was he? Supposedly Stiles really rates him from schoolboy days,

Personally I think the Moore recruitment was an odd one - sure he wanted to come back to Qld after his Irish club deal fell through (did perhaps the Brumbies not value him highly any longer so weren't wiling to offer what he wanted?) but despite Wayne Smith saying he looks so devastated in the after match interviews I don't think he should be given a free pass to avoid responsibility for what happens on the field - as a hooker his job is to hook the ball, throw the ball in so we win it and have some impact carrying the ball forward as well as stopping the opposition getting through. I seem to remember when he used to be a strong ball runner but not any more. The best hooker on Saturday is a guy who went on a Mormon mission for a couple of years and hasn't been able to nail a permanent starting spot.

I had hoped that Moore would be someone who could provide experience and leadership that the likes of Ready could utilise to develop more, not sure how much of that is happening, certainly not seeing any on-field leadership to change what the team is doing or the tactics being used. I would like to see Stiles start Ready in games and utilise his energy.

 

[Gnostic]

I still support Stiles



We have a great forward pack but the front row and definitely, the second row are not performing to the required level. Only brightish spots are Higgers and Smith.



Is that the players fault? or a valid Stiles criticism? To me and in particular, Moore, Douglas and Simmons, all very experienced Wallabies have been quite poor. Those guys should be able to flick a switch on game day but they cannot seem to find the fucker.



Rodda was great in first game but has had injury and disappeared.



Frisby has been a disappointment this year. Thought he would go up another notch after the EOYT but ? Tuttle looks OK but just.



10 spot is a shambles. Quade hasn;t played well at all and McIntyre just continues with his game. I seriously doubt whether he has the capacity to ever become a good one.



Someone mentioned the lacking of passion blah blah.. I agree that if you bring in non Queenslanders or old ones (like Moore) some of that "passion" won't be there.



Home grown produce gives the best yield

OH FFS. you were told this would happen, and pretty much the manner of it. The same people outlined what would happen with Richard Graham. Why do you continue to "support" these coaches until the day of their resignation or sacking? Is the QRU so obviously infallible that you cannot question their wisdom?

You realise that if we as fans demanded more of the management nearly all of the horrendous failures in Australian Rugby could have been avoided or at worst mitigated.

 

[USARugger]

Maranta wasn't a RG pick was he? Supposedly Stiles really rates him from schoolboy days

We never learn and the madness carries on.

No other contact sport on Earth carries on with shit like this, probably because boys aren't men and sucesss at 16 is a poor indicator of success at 26 other than for obvious outliers.

Shit, the rugby nations that regularly manhandle us on the test stage don't do this shit outside of the very obvious outliers either. Even then those players are picked for what they're currently doing, not how they played before they could grow a moustache.

This entire mentality is a cancer that needs to be excised from the body of Australian rugby.

This is what happens when schoolboy rugby is the center of the universe for an overly influential sector of the rugby supporting population.

 

[Scoey]

OH FFS. you were told this would happen, and pretty much the manner of it. The same people outlined what would happen with Richard Graham. Why do you continue to "support" these coaches until the day of their resignation or sacking? Is the QRU so obviously infallible that you cannot question their wisdom?

You realise that if we as fans demanded more of the management nearly all of the horrendous failures in Australian Rugby could have been avoided or at worst mitigated.

Why is it so offensive to you that some random person on the internet may continue to support Stiles? Or why that random person on the internet hasn't listened to the other random person on the internet when he said Stiles was destined to fail?

Can't it just be as simple as he's a Reds fan and Stiles is the current coach so he's willing to give him a bit more time to see if he can arrest the slide? You know you can do that and at the same time, be of the opinion that the QRU is a bunch of headless chooks.

As for your second paragraph, this is simply not true. It's a nice idea but that's all it is. At the start of 2016 we as fans demanded that RG be removed and changes be made with the Reds administration. We did this by writing to them, cancelling memberships, telling them over the phone, holding up banners in protest at the games. And what did we get for that? Sweet FA. RG was reinstated as coach.

 

[The torpedo]

You know things have gone from bad to (very much) worse when a journo who was a near-sycophant to the QRU for years, today says:

Capitulation to Brumbies shows Queensland Reds in dire straits

...and, can you believe it, in the linked article also says some blame must be shared by the QRU board (pigs do fly over Ballymore, sometimes, yes they do).

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...s/news-story/550fa87d5d30059a5f8ace15c6073297

Looks like we'll now be installing microwave ovens

 

[Scoey]

Don't forget the custom kitchens either.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Gnostic

What an odd post !

I made a point about a few senior players not standing up. I questioned and made an observation.

Of course I support Stiles ATM. Blokes I'm pissed off with are Moore Douglas Cooper, Frisby, Kerevi and some others to a lesser degree. Those players should be stepping up to the plate but are not. At the end of the day we have an excellent forwards roster and an average backs one. Accountability is a 2 way street. First and foremost it is the players.

The "culture" question always raises its ugly head when a team is in a down spiral. Nothing breeds success like success.

The question to be levelled at Stiles is how can he get the best from his roster. Fucked if I know personally except to say drop a couple of the big names like Moore and maybe Dougo to send the message to the rest of the group.

Gnostic with your thought processes no doubt you have been a loud advocate for the dropping of Cheika as national coach, based on his player's performances and in particular his win/loss ratio.

 

[The torpedo]

Don't forget the custom kitchens either.

Gotta move these refrigerators

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

And the colour tv's............

 

[Ruggo]

Styles is clearly trying to put his own slant on the Reds but there are a few things from the past he needs to include and they did start to show some of it against the Canes. That rapid around the corner style was an absolute weapon when the Reds were on top. It sets the tempo, for when the Reds play their best rugby which is at pace.

George Smith is an absolute legend of our game but I can see how we miss Gill. He had that pace we need and he always made yards with his tight running game.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Ruggo
Agree with most of post, particularly re George being a legend.

Personally I think he is playing OK but just OK and certainly his best years are behind him.

How do you think he is going now compared to his best (50%, 75%, 100%)

 

[Ruggo]

George is playing quite well but I think his game has evolved with his age. He doesn't have the pace he used to have. He is very solid but not as dynamic as he used to be, whereas Gill was always very dynamic for the Reds.

That's my view.

 

[The torpedo]

IMO Gilly will return to the Reds for 2019.

My understanding of what went down was the following:

Gilly was told that RG was getting sacked. Re-signs with the Reds for 2016.

RG inexplicably re-hired

Gilly (rightfully) pissed about this situation

Signs 2-year deal with Toulon

RG gets sacked

Tries to break deal with Toulon, can't

 

[upthereds#!]

My understanding also. His comeback will coincide with G.Smith departure/transfer into post rugby life.

As per a recent article in the australian, we really need our ball runners in the forward pack. Tui is a tyro off the bench, but that game where Houston was meant to be on with Higs was where we should be. It's a shame Leroy got injured and now reportedly wants to go back to Bath. Time to give Timu a run perhaps? Love Korzcyks energy but not what we need right now.

 

[Scrubber2050]

^^^^^^
Any idea how Liam is going at Toulon ?

 

[Scrubber2050]

^^^^^
Torp
spot on re Gill and why he left.

Hopefully you are right about a return but personally I have doubts because of the lack of success of the team and the fact the ARU probably STILL won't top him up because of Hooper and Pocock.

Again and on a personal level he brings more to a game of rugby than either of the other 2 blokes, particularly adding to the team culture. IMHO and I'm sure plenty of criticism will follow both the other players play for themselves before the team - just my opinion

However I hope you are right about 2019

 

[Floggn']

Gilly is just a workhorse. Watching the Top 14 he never stops and never misses a tackle. His clean out rate would have to be one of the highest from any player in the code.
Just on the contracting. You are exactly right but for the wanting to get out the deal. That never happened. The ARU tried to get him out but he didn't.

On another note I've heard whispers of Jim McKay being around QRU head quarters of late.. Wonder why...

 

[Scoey]

The rumours that Leroy wants to go back to Bath. Where are they coming from? It's not surprising, I'm just wondering if it's just inside knowledge or whether something has been published perhaps?

 

[Ruggo]

The other thing we need back is Cooper's game management. All to often we talk about his flair but at his best he provides absolute clarity as to when he wants the ball. The Reds pack were outstanding at toiling away and pulling those defensive numbers into the breakdown area and creating space. He was precise about when he had the miss-match created. That was before we had strike power like Kerevi to set up.

One of Link's biggest successes at the Reds was identifying Cooper's game management abilities and harnessing them into how the side plays.

 

[Floggn']

Agree Quade ran the backline and attack in 2011, Jim McKay rode the coat tails. What Shane Arnold could bring to the table currently I have no idea. McIntyre should be cut now as he is and never will be to the standard required. Surely coaches have tried to get him to run straight instead of receiving the ball running laterally. This is basic 101 stuff. If he doesn't listen chop chop. Duncan Paia'aua needs to be dropped as well. His defence has been absolutely woeful and his hands have been rubbish. Chris Kuidrani is a genuine turnstile, he runs at holes it seems but that is when he is defending! How do these people keep getting run on jerseys? Sorry turned into a good rant there.