Rugby 7s general chat

[HJ Nelson]

2015 contracts announced: http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsAr...announces-centralised-contracts-for-2015.aspx

Full list of contracted Qantas Australian Men’s Rugby Sevens players for 2015:
Paul Asquith (aged 21). Club: Southern Districts, NSW. Place of Birth: Wollongong, NSW
Cameron Clark (aged 21). Club: Northern Suburbs, NSW. Hometown: Sydney, NSW
Tom Cusack (aged 21). Club: Canberra Royals, ACT. Place of Birth: Canberra, ACT
Allan Fa'alava'au (aged 21). Club: Endeavour Hills, VIC. Place of Birth: Auckland, NZ
Con Foley (aged 22). Club: University of Queensland, QLD. Hometown: Fairfield, QLD
Pama Fou (aged 24). Club: Souths, QLD. Hometown: Brisbane, QLD
Alex Gibbon (aged 22). Club: Southern Districts, NSW. Place of Birth: Lismore, NSW
Lewis Holland (aged 22). Club: Queanbeyan Whites. Place of Birth: Queanbeyan, NSW
Greg Jeloudev (aged 24). Club: Sydney University. Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW
Ed Jenkins (aged 28). Club: Sydney University, NSW. Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW
Tom Lucas (aged 21). Club: Sunnybank, QLD. Place of Birth: Rockhampton, QLD
Nick Malouf (aged 21). Club: University of Queensland, QLD. Hometown: Brisbane, QLD
Sam Myers (aged 24). Club: Northern Suburbs, NSW. Place of Birth: Forbes, NSW
Afa Pakalani (aged 25). Club: Southern Districts, NSW. Place of Birth: Tongatapu, Tonga
Jesse Parahi (aged 25). Club: Avoca Beach, NSW. Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW
Peter Schuster (aged 24). Club: Northern Suburbs, NSW. Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW
James Stannard (aged 31). Club: Souths, QLD. Place of Birth: Brisbane, QLD
Shannon Walker (aged 26). Club: Easts, QLD. Place of Birth: Kyogle, NSW
Michael Wells (aged 21). Club: Northern Suburbs, NSW. Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW
Bradley Wilkin (aged 19). Club: Easts, QLD. Place of Birth: Wellington, QLD

 

[RugbyReg]

Shannon Walker given another chance. A wonderful talent no doubt, but gees we've seen bugger all of him.

Would love to see another flyer come through the system.

Another canny play maker in the Stannard mould too would be handy.

 

[wamberal]

How will they go without Stannard, he was one of the very best performers last year?

 

[Braveheart81]

I think the depth in our sevens side is so much better than it was a couple of years ago. Part of that is the consistentcy we've had for a couple of years in that guys that were new to the program are now amongst our best players.

If you take a core of Jenkins, Parahi, Clark, Fou, Holland, Stannard, Foley and then add in a couple of Wallabies (probably Phipps, Foley and Gill), I think you've got a very good team.

Ideally you'd shift Stannard back to being the reserve playmaker and Con Foley or Parahi to the bench for a player like Gill.

If Folau, Cooper and Beale want to play some 7s next year to try and make the Olympics team then that wouldn't be a bad thing.

 

[Braveheart81]

How will they go without Stannard, he was one of the very best performers last year?

Cam Clark seems like he could take over that chief playmaker role eventually. He's definitely one of our best few players now.

Allan Fa'alava'au is also rising up the pecking order to be the Stannard type player.

 

[wamberal]

Cam Clark seems like he could take over that chief playmaker role eventually. He's definitely one of our best few players now.

Allan Fa'alava'au is also rising up the pecking order to be the Stannard type player.

Silly me, Stannard is in the squad.

 

[Braveheart81]

Silly me, Stannard is in the squad.

I was assuming you were talking about when he moves on.

I'm guessing he's trying to make the Olympics and that will probably be it.

I agree with you that he is still one of our best players and critical to our team.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Wayne Smith reporting today that NRL players may have a role in the Olympic Sevens team.

AUSTRALIA’S rugby sevens coach Geraint John has stepped up his push for rugby union and rugby league to combine to enter a “dream team” in next year’s Rio Olympics sevens competition.
John is waiting until the selection criteria for the Games sevens team is finalised over the next week before approaching the NRL about the release of rugby league players to trial for Rio.
The coach will carefully study the Auckland Nines rugby league tournament this weekend, not just with an eye to expanding his tactical repertoire but also to identify NRL stars who could figure in Australia’s Olympic campaign.

EDIT if you want to read the whole article you can Google the first paragraph.....

 

[RugbyReg]

event to be played in August next year, so perhaps only realistic from some of the bottom of the ladder teams?

Is it a better outcome than using Wallabies/Super Rugby players?

 

[TOCC]

I think if that were to occur the NRL would want more control over the governance of the team, and rightfully so if NRL teams are going to release players to represent a competing code.. Maybe on an individual club basis team's might release a player who isn't seeing regular match time, but no team is going to compromise their season by releasing a key player.

 

[Jagman]

Yep. it sounds like a publicity stunt from John. Getting Sevens and their olympic profile in the papers ahead of the 9s tournament.

 

[qwerty51]

I would have no problem with picking NRL players. We need the best chance of getting gold possible.

However I doubt any would be good enough without extensive 7s experience beforehand. Some of them might be great with ball in hand but 7s requires you to be competent at both ends of the spectrum and there's no way an NRL player will be able to master the breakdown so quickly, it's why Shannon Walker has been in and out of the team.

 

[TheBigDog]

If the team looks to be lacking a pure speedster for the Olympics then picking up a lightning winger from the NRL probably wouldn't be a bad move. I doubt any NRL players would form key members of the squad but I can envision a few blokes who would be handy in the final minutes to get us over the line.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Any ex-keebra park high guys running around the NRL? They were unbeatable in the school's 7s for a while there

 

[qwerty51]

If the team looks to be lacking a pure speedster for the Olympics then picking up a lightning winger from the NRL probably wouldn't be a bad move. I doubt any NRL players would form key members of the squad but I can envision a few blokes who would be handy in the final minutes to get us over the line.

Carlin Isles has finally started to show promise but he's such an awful liability, he struggled to bring anyone down and whenever he's the only one at the breakdown the opposition just exploit him. I wouldn't want some speedster costing us a key tackle.

 

[p.Tah]

If we want a flyer from the NRL who won't break the bank perhaps this kid, now 19 would be of interest

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...layer-in-the-nrl/story-e6frexnr-1226544265170

But the one we really should get is Koroibete

Grew up playing Rugby in Fiji

http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/how-fast-marika-koroibete/

 

[mxyzptlk]

Carlin Isles has finally started to show promise but he's such an awful liability, he struggled to bring anyone down and whenever he's the only one at the breakdown the opposition just exploit him. I wouldn't want some speedster costing us a key tackle.

To be fair, the last two tournaments Isles has shown some defensive development. He's made more than a few one-on-one tackles (to everyone's surprise), has made a few hits dragging the runner into touch, and has started to get that side of the game together. Still needs support, though.

 

[Quick Hands]

After watching Australia scrape hope over Kenya in the plate semi, hopes of Olympic gold are in the realms of fantasy.

 

[wamberal]

I would not be quite as harsh. We have beaten all the biggies at least once in the last couple of years,


However we do need an injection of size (Luke Jones, please), speed, and creativity.

 

[qwerty51]

Fuck not this again. Luke Jones would be the worst 7s player of all time. You're kidding if you think size is our problem atm. We're too slow and have no creativity.