Reds 2021

[PhilClinton]

I think the Reds would be doing this to try and squeeze out that middle man.

Lots of moving parts though and it will be interesting to see how it evolves over the coming seasons. Having players sign two-way contracts between the clubs sounds great in theory, but it means the two clubs have to be on the same page in terms of who they want to sign, when they are available, who pays what etc. I know I'm getting a head of myself a bit but there are a lot of potential issues which will prevent it becoming a seamless player swap.

This is a modern solution to a modern problem though. I imagine we'll see most Oceania super teams make similar arrangements.

 

[Zero_Cool]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/repo...-wallaby-paenga-amosa-to-fill-springbok-void/

Well that's far from ideal, you can't hold it against the guy, good on him, but that's a big blow to the Reds.

 

[Cancelled Account]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/repo...-wallaby-paenga-amosa-to-fill-springbok-void/

Well that's far from ideal, you can't hold it against the guy, good on him, but that's a big blow to the Reds.

Not good leading into 2022. BPA is playing his best rugby and will leave us light on in depth with only Mafi at Super Rugby level.

 

[Hardtackle]

It sucks how blokes use the Wallabies as a stepping stone to a fat offshore contract.

I'd recruit and develop blokes who are most likely to stay and play for our teams long-term.

 

[PhilClinton]

It sucks how blokes use the Wallabies as a stepping stone to a fat offshore contract.

I'd recruit and develop blokes who are most likely to stay and play for our teams long-term.

Not sure if your post is supposed to be a troll? But I'll bite anyway.

Of course no one recruits players who they think are going to leave. You can't exactly have a selection criteria during the recruitment phase... ok mate so in four years when you're established, are you likely to move overseas? Because we can't match that type of money, we need to know now what your five year plan is.

The fact is these international comps are no longer where ex-internationals go to die. They're legitimate competitions who have more money than RA. Also from a players perspective, a good career without too many injuries may only last 12 years at the top level, if they can make triple their salary playing overseas, it's hard to turn down. It's the professional era now, not the loyalty era, unfortunately.

The agreements with Japanese clubs are the first step in giving Aussie teams a fighting chance of retaining their top talent for a longer period of time, or at least being compensated for losing them.

 

[Ignoto]

Goddamn, that sucks from both a Reds and Wallabies perspective. We've spent a good 2 to 3 years developing BPA and the French will reap all the rewards from the investment made by Australian Rugby.

I can't fault the guy at all for the decision, but I'm a bit over the European teams throwing their weight around. All I can hope is RA selects guys from overseas to stop the European teams specifically targeting Australian players knowing our selection policies and also hope World Rugby actually creates a better calendar to allow for proper international breaks.

 

[Cancelled Account]

Goddamn, that sucks from both a Reds and Wallabies perspective. We've spent a good 2 to 3 years developing BPA and the French will reap all the rewards from the investment made by Australian Rugby.

I can't fault the guy at all for the decision, but I'm a bit over the European teams throwing their weight around. All I can hope is RA selects guys from overseas to stop the European teams specifically targeting Australian players knowing our selection policies and also hope World Rugby actually creates a better calendar to allow for proper international breaks.

Unfortunately tier 1 players can demand the dollars and are willing to move if Australian can’t provide. Hooper was the only Aus player in the top 10 (?) top earners. There is always the question of privatisation vs ARU control. With the likes of billionaires like Twiggy there would be more retention success in Australian rugby, but unless Super Rugby teams grow collectively, Super Rugby caps won’t change. More money to go around for the players and possibly more money to attract better coaches, and improved facilities. Win win!

 

[RugbyReg]

Ok, so looking at this year just gone we had the following players make their Super Rugby debut:

Harry Wilson
Dane Zander
Seru Uru
Hunter Paisami
Josh Nasser
Ed Craig
Tuaina Taii Tualima
Josh Flook
Jack Straker
Zane Nonggorr
Sean Farrell
Jethro Felemi

Plus Henry Speight made his Reds debut.

That's a fair chunk.

What debutants can we predict for next year? Always hard to predict injury runs which saw a lot of those front rowers given a shot. We obviously don't know the full squad as yet but have a shot at some names beyond just Suliasi Vunivalu.

Thorn is going to keep giving some young ones a go so you'd start there.

Hopefully Tom Kibble gets a shot but he just needs some game time and there are a lot of backrowers. Sam Wallis in front of him and a good chance I reckon.

Kalani Thomas for sure, at least off the bench.

Brad loves a prop so Harry Vella a good shot.

Mac Grealy likely too.

Any others? A hooker somewhere?

 

[RugbyReg]

Ok, so looking at this year just gone we had the following players make their Super Rugby debut:

Harry Wilson
Dane Zander
Seru Uru
Hunter Paisami
Josh Nasser
Ed Craig
Tuaina Taii Tualima
Josh Flook
Jack Straker
Zane Nonggorr
Sean Farrell
Jethro Felemi

Plus Henry Speight made his Reds debut.

That's a fair chunk.

What debutants can we predict for next year? Always hard to predict injury runs which saw a lot of those front rowers given a shot. We obviously don't know the full squad as yet but have a shot at some names beyond just Suliasi Vunivalu.

Thorn is going to keep giving some young ones a go so you'd start there.

Hopefully Tom Kibble gets a shot but he just needs some game time and there are a lot of backrowers. Sam Wallis in front of him and a good chance I reckon.

Kalani Thomas for sure, at least off the bench.

Brad loves a prop so Harry Vella a good shot.

Mac Grealy likely too.

Any others? A hooker somewhere?

 

[dru]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/repo...-wallaby-paenga-amosa-to-fill-springbok-void/

Well that's far from ideal, you can't hold it against the guy, good on him, but that's a big blow to the Reds.

Ah, geez. Good luck to him I suppose. BPA has been one of my favourites and he was only just coming into decent form. Let’s look for a massive 2021 season and go from there.

 

[Penguin]

Goddamn, that sucks from both a Reds and Wallabies perspective. We've spent a good 2 to 3 years developing BPA and the French will reap all the rewards from the investment made by Australian Rugby.

I can't fault the guy at all for the decision, but I'm a bit over the European teams throwing their weight around. All I can hope is RA selects guys from overseas to stop the European teams specifically targeting Australian players knowing our selection policies and also hope World Rugby actually creates a better calendar to allow for proper international breaks.

The Frogs are at the bottom of teams I'd like to support at any given time. Equal with the Poms. Sick of this shit. Why would a player give up on a potential World Cup berth to play club rugby is beyond me. Euros, pounds or dollars don't equal a World Cup

for your country. Do that shit after. It's not like they're on peanuts here either. Do ya reckon Montpelier woulda given you a shot when you were the garbo?

 

[Rebels3]

The Frogs are at the bottom of teams I'd like to support at any given time. Equal with the Poms. Sick of this shit. Why would a player give up on a potential World Cup berth to play club rugby is beyond me. Euros, pounds or dollars don't equal a World Cup

for your country. Do that shit after. It's not like they're on peanuts here either. Do ya reckon Montpelier woulda given you a shot when you were the garbo?

You do realise the French and English don’t have control over their leagues? The French in particular had to play 3 matches recently without their top side because clubs threatened to sue them.

 

[dru]

You do realise the French and English don’t have control over their leagues? The French in particular had to play 3 matches recently without their top side because clubs threatened to sue them.

Little there will endear anyone to anything French in rugby.

 

[Dctarget]

Little there will endear anyone to anything French in rugby.

Easily my 2nd favourite team. French rugby is great. Their clubs are difficult to support though.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Unfortunately tier 1 players can demand the dollars and are willing to move if Australian can’t provide. Hooper was the only Aus player in the top 10 (?) top earners. There is always the question of privatisation vs ARU control. With the likes of billionaires like Twiggy there would be more retention success in Australian rugby, but unless Super Rugby teams grow collectively, Super Rugby caps won’t change. More money to go around for the players and possibly more money to attract better coaches, and improved facilities. Win win!

That is why we need to build a premier trans tasman / Asia pacific competition with private equity investment and more open borders policy ie player who plays in trans tasman competition eligible for national team regardless of which team they play for in the competition. Ie we retain our players by building a better competition that attracts more fans, dollars etc. anyhow this is for another thread so will stop there

 

[Rebels3]

Paul Tait saying Santiago Socino is talking to the Reds.

 

[TSR]

Hmmm. I hope not. BPA may be leaving, but he is contracted for this year and, unless the move of Nasser to hooker has already been deemed as a failure, the Reds would seem in a pretty good spot this year. BPA & Mafi established at Super level with Nasser a player with super rugby experience who should, hopefully, be ready to push for a starting spot by season end.

I guess a lot depends on how Mafi is going too. If anything I thought his play around the field may have even been a bit better than BPA initially, but he really struggled with his throwing and, by the end of the season you could almost see his confidence falling away. But if we are going to have a culture of backing our own, surely that has to work both ways to some extent. By that I don’t mean carrying underperformers - but Mafi looks to me to have plenty of potential at Super level.

I would much rather see them have 1-2 young guys working with the squad and put pressure on them and Nasser to come through over this season before BPA moves on.

I know he is training with the Rebels at the moment - but wasn’t Theo Fourie selected in the Wallabies U20 squad last year?

 

[upthereds#!]

Ok, so looking at this year just gone we had the following players make their Super Rugby debut:

Harry Wilson
Dane Zander
Seru Uru
Hunter Paisami
Josh Nasser
Ed Craig
Tuaina Taii Tualima
Josh Flook
Jack Straker
Zane Nonggorr
Sean Farrell
Jethro Felemi

Plus Henry Speight made his Reds debut.

That's a fair chunk.

What debutants can we predict for next year? Always hard to predict injury runs which saw a lot of those front rowers given a shot. We obviously don't know the full squad as yet but have a shot at some names beyond just Suliasi Vunivalu.

Thorn is going to keep giving some young ones a go so you'd start there.

Hopefully Tom Kibble gets a shot but he just needs some game time and there are a lot of backrowers. Sam Wallis in front of him and a good chance I reckon.

Kalani Thomas for sure, at least off the bench.

Brad loves a prop so Harry Vella a good shot.

Mac Grealy likely too.

Any others? A hooker somewhere?

Did Ryan Smith debut? If not, him.

 

[PhilClinton]

At the start of the season I thought Mafi was in line for a Wallaby squad selection, partially because the hooking pool in Australian rugby isn't exactly deep and Mafi looked the best of an average bunch. But yes definitely his confidence dropped during the back end of the year, along with an injury or two if I recall, and he was no longer better than BPA.

In the Reds social media Mafi looks to be ripping in during pre-season and looks fit, which is always a good sign for a player trying to bounce back into form. I think we will see him get ample chances in 2021 to regain top spot but if he doesn't grab it with two hands, maybe he will look elsewhere, his brother is already playing in Japan and enjoying it. BPA performed well for the Wallabies and I think he still has improvement in him, but definitely hasn't locked down that hooking job.

 

[TSR]

Agree with all that.

Anyone know if the Reds have bought in anyone to assist with their lineout?

Also, does anyone know if Michael Wood is still with the Reds?

 

[Adam84]

At the start of the season I thought Mafi was in line for a Wallaby squad selection, partially because the hooking pool in Australian rugby isn't exactly deep and Mafi looked the best of an average bunch. But yes definitely his confidence dropped during the back end of the year, along with an injury or two if I recall, and he was no longer better than BPA.

In the Reds social media Mafi looks to be ripping in during pre-season and looks fit, which is always a good sign for a player trying to bounce back into form. I think we will see him get ample chances in 2021 to regain top spot but if he doesn't grab it with two hands, maybe he will look elsewhere, his brother is already playing in Japan and enjoying it. BPA performed well for the Wallabies and I think he still has improvement in him, but definitely hasn't locked down that hooking job.

Interestingly Mafi played an off-season in Japan last year. Don’t know if this contributed to it, but playing 3 back to back seasons must be pretty taxing both physically and mentally. A decent off-season is probably what he needed.