Rocky's Captaincy

[TheTruth]

IMO the Rock seemed to improve as Captain as the year went on. Average at start, but really impressed me re Italy and the French. Maybe getting bacjk to his best and that leadership from the front is what Australian rugby needs, particularly with all the young blokes in the team

 

[fatprop]

He is playing better, some of the goal kicking decisions are still not right

 

[barbarian]

Yeah agree with fp, sometimes he is too keen to take a low percentage shot at goal rather than boot it into touch and have a crack at the line. This especially annoys me in the early minutes of a game, when we are yet to really test out the oppo defence.

I think it certainly improved as the year went on. His manner with the refs still needs work, but it is getting better. I reckon he is the man to take us to the RWC. He isn't John Eales or Martin Johnson but he is definitely better than average.

 

[Bullrush]

He was pretty crap but I don't know that any captian has been brilliant from the word go. The position takes some learning and growing IMO. Def better later in the season.

 

[TheTruth]

Yeah agree with fp, sometimes he is too keen to take a low percentage shot at goal rather than boot it into touch and have a crack at the line. This especially annoys me in the early minutes of a game, when we are yet to really test out the oppo defence.

I think it certainly improved as the year went on. His manner with the refs still needs work, but it is getting better. I reckon he is the man to take us to the RWC. He isn't John Eales or Martin Johnson but he is definitely better than average.

Only problem is that our goalkickers too often missed the points, some easy some hard. Having said that if percentages of kickers are down then a different decision by the capotain needs to be made such as having a crack at the line

 

[fatprop]

Yeah agree with fp, sometimes he is too keen to take a low percentage shot at goal rather than boot it into touch and have a crack at the line. This especially annoys me in the early minutes of a game, when we are yet to really test out the oppo defence.

I think it certainly improved as the year went on. His manner with the refs still needs work, but it is getting better. I reckon he is the man to take us to the RWC. He isn't John Eales or Martin Johnson but he is definitely better than average.

Well he was taught his rugby under Phil Waugh

I am in two minds on taking the longer kicks, I do believe in taking the points, but the captain needs to understand when it is reasonable to call the kicker over ie when he is a chance of kicking it

 

[Bullrush]

Well he was taught his rugby under Phil Waugh

I am in two minds on taking the longer kicks, I do believe in taking the points, but the captain needs to understand when it is reasonable to call the kicker over ie when he is a chance of kicking it

I reckon the Capt. looks at his kicker and says, "Can you hit it?" If he says "Yes", surely you have to give him a crack. What does it say about you faith in your team if you then don't take the shot.

If you really don't think they can hit it, don't ask - just go for the line.

 

[Godfrey]

You could hear him through the ref's mic in the France game asking O'Connor if he'd prefer a shot or to kick to touch on some kicks.

 

[Richard D. James]

You could hear him through the ref's mic in the France game asking O'Connor if he'd prefer a shot or to kick to touch on some kicks.

And unfortunately O'Connor chose to kick to touch and didn't put it out... Sometimes you just can't win as a Captain. :lmao:

 

[wal]

Australia has had a pretty steady lineout over the last few years, pretty good return on their ball. Take the touch and a lineout/maul and give our young backs a crack at the opposition backlines early.

To me Rocky comes across as a little bit abrassive when talking to the refs, when he is playing well he is a natural leader, one of the guys that you will put in for.
It pains me to say that he could learn a lot from McCaw. Great player, great captain but born on the wrong side of the Tasman in my eyes.

 

[Jnor]

You could hear him through the ref's mic in the France game asking O'Connor if he'd prefer a shot or to kick to touch on some kicks.

I heard that too but I'd say that's more a roundabout way of asking "can you get it?" than deferring to JOC (James O'Connor) or anyone else on penalty decisions

 

[DPK]

And unfortunately O'Connor chose to kick to touch and didn't put it out... Sometimes you just can't win as a Captain. :lmao:

I'm pretty sure it was Quade who failed to make touch in that instance.

 

[Langthorne]

The thing about many of those penalty attempts is that they would even be low % shots for Steyn or Carter. At the end of a close game (whether or not in the lead), or on the buzzer as a 'Hail Mary', they are worth a punt. Early in a match, there is often much momentum and pressure on the opposition to be lost by taking these shots.

Assessing the game situation and the chances of making the penalties are only one part of being the captain. Another that Rocky has struggled in is 'ref management', but that has improved marginally over the season. The area that has improved a lot over the season has been 'leading by example' - even in the England match he was pretty immense.

 

[Scott Allen]

I share the view that Rocky's captaincy improved during the year - good Captains take a little while to develop. John Eales with two years experience as captain was vastly different as a captain than in his first year. Whether Rocky can get anywhere near Eales as a captain remains to be seen but I am feeling a lot more comfortable about his leadership.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Rock has certainly got better and I think the improvement in his own form has a lot to do with that. He's probably not the cerebral, oratorial type like a Farr-Jones. To me he seems more like a charge from the front, follow-me type of leader. I thought he had a storming EOYT and the games we won, he was one of the best on the field in every case.

Agree on the ref management part. He will need to get better at the diplomacy side of the game, something he could learn from Smit or McCaw (who are masters at it).

 

[Ruggo]

Rocky is learning on the job and doing a good job. I was not a fan at first but I admire the way he is humble about his job. I can't recall a Wallaby captain having such an inexperienced team under his wing which would pose it's challenges. It is hard to compare him to Eales as Eales had a bit more to work with in regards to experience. Rocky looks to have the upmost respect of his players under him and surly that has to be the benchmark for success.

Not saying it will happen but I can picture in my head Rocky holding up bill in 12 months time.

 

[Jnor]

Rocky is learning on the job and doing a good job. I was not a fan at first but I admire the way he is humble about his job. I can't recall a Wallaby captain having such an inexperienced team under his wing which would pose it's challenges. It is hard to compare him to Eales as Eales had a bit more to work with in regards to experience. Rocky looks to have the upmost respect of his players under him and surly that has to be the benchmark for success.

Not saying it will happen but I can picture in my head Rocky holding up bill in 12 months time.

Freudian slip much?
Agree with most of the sentiments posted here. He's no Eales/NFJ and may or may not achieve that status over time. I think he definitely has an, um, different style to most successful captains but as we've seen him in the role he seems to be getting more comfortable with it and maybe a bit more orthodox too.

 

[Groucho]

Australia has had a pretty steady lineout over the last few years, pretty good return on their ball. Take the touch and a lineout/maul and give our young backs a crack at the opposition backlines early.

To me Rocky comes across as a little bit abrassive when talking to the refs, when he is playing well he is a natural leader, one of the guys that you will put in for.
It pains me to say that he could learn a lot from McCaw. Great player, great captain but born on the wrong side of the Tasman in my eyes.

McCaw was also a hopeless captain in his first two years.

 

[Scotty]

I don't think Elsom has anywhere near the potential that Pocock does as a captain. His level head on the field is very impressive and something you hardly ever see from one so young (particularly a nutter openside).

 

[DPK]

I don't think Elsom has anywhere near the potential that Pocock does as a captain. His level head on the field is very impressive and something you hardly ever see from one so young (particularly a nutter openside).

I agree that Pocock is a great leader, but I don't think he should be given the captaincy. Let him concentrate on playing footy rather than lumping the captaincy on his already huge workload. He can lead without having a little (c) next to his name.