tigerland12
John Thornett (49)
Sorry Tahs fans, losing Luke Burgess was the last straw, I cannot tip them in this one now
Semi Final 1: Blues vs Waratahs
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Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Poor old Hickey must have run over a black cat sometime this year. To his credit, the last time the Tahs had a lot of injuries, though not as many as this year, they finished up 2nd last under Link in 2008.
He is talking bravely but he scared me when he mentioned Batger as a flyhalf. The Junior Tahs tried him him there against Fiji earlier this year and he had a poor game.
The injuries to Barnes and Halangahu underline the need to have more hard head players on tap in case they are needed. In the pro academy Ben Seymour is a fine young player but only 20 years old. Somebody like 25 y.o. Dave Harvey of Gordon who played for Sydney against Country recently should have had some training sessions with the Tahs, just in case, though who knows what his work situation is?
I see the Tahs have picked Bernard Foley from the Oz Sevens to be with them and he must have done some training with the team as part of his ARU contract. Bruce and I have been spruiking him for a while now and though he is not a lot older than Seymour is the occasion wouldn't worry him much as he has been on the world stage in the 7 man game. He has played precious little XVs rugby this year, however.
The bench hooker Taione of Manly is definitely a hard head and has been picked in front of another Seymour from the Junior Tahs, Nick, though they must have considered Fonokalafi of Randwick who played for the Sydney team.
With their witches' brew of injuries we will not expect too much from the Waratahs. I have been very critical of my team in the last couple of seasons and probably deservedly so, but they have got my approval back the way they have been have a go lately.
I wish them well against the Blues as surely everybody Oz rugby fan does.
He is talking bravely but he scared me when he mentioned Batger as a flyhalf. The Junior Tahs tried him him there against Fiji earlier this year and he had a poor game.
The injuries to Barnes and Halangahu underline the need to have more hard head players on tap in case they are needed. In the pro academy Ben Seymour is a fine young player but only 20 years old. Somebody like 25 y.o. Dave Harvey of Gordon who played for Sydney against Country recently should have had some training sessions with the Tahs, just in case, though who knows what his work situation is?
I see the Tahs have picked Bernard Foley from the Oz Sevens to be with them and he must have done some training with the team as part of his ARU contract. Bruce and I have been spruiking him for a while now and though he is not a lot older than Seymour is the occasion wouldn't worry him much as he has been on the world stage in the 7 man game. He has played precious little XVs rugby this year, however.
The bench hooker Taione of Manly is definitely a hard head and has been picked in front of another Seymour from the Junior Tahs, Nick, though they must have considered Fonokalafi of Randwick who played for the Sydney team.
With their witches' brew of injuries we will not expect too much from the Waratahs. I have been very critical of my team in the last couple of seasons and probably deservedly so, but they have got my approval back the way they have been have a go lately.
I wish them well against the Blues as surely everybody Oz rugby fan does.
T
Tank
Guest
Whilst I do not think it is over for them yet even with the latest injury (Burgess) credit to the Tahs for their late season performances. Further, even as a passionate Queenslander and Reds supporter, I must say that the injury toll has been nothing short of catastrophic and I really feel for the players, the coaches and even the administrators. No one would wish this kind of situation on their worst enemy and as Hawko (I think) above said, the injured unavailable team would probably beat their available team. I terrible situation at the worst possible time.
BUT - go out and give them hell.
The Reds have had their share of injuries but the Tahs have far exceeded them. The Tahs have my support.
rugbysmartarse
Alan Cameron (40)
can we borrow caleb ralph?
alternately, the brumbies' season is over - lets get AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) in
alternately, the brumbies' season is over - lets get AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) in
M
Muttonbird
Guest
NSW does seem to have more injuries than some other teams and I've read here some grumblings about the handling of Polota-Nau among others. Is there an endemic player-management problem at the Waratahs? Or a fitness problem?
Richo
John Thornett (49)
Very hard to tell without more inside info on the S&C, I would say. The Tahs do seem to err on the side of putting the player on the paddock, but that's merely my impression.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Add to this, Vanderglas played reasonably well in the last few weeks for the Brumbies...
I know that some will say "they are a key positions" and "it's not a Reds thread" but the Reds have used about 36 players and the Tahs, I think, have used a couple more. So it may have little to do with management and more to do with bad luck. Of course that doesn't allow for the length of the injury.
It would be interesting to see how many players each Franchise has used this season.
It would be interesting to see how many players each Franchise has used this season.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
If my count is right the Brumbies went through 35 players...
22 of those were forwards including 5 props and 4 hookers...
The backline had a few key injuries at times, but never enough injuries to call in reinforcements... in fact the Brumbies didn't Ed Stubbs or Samu Wara this year....
Although Stubbs might've had a look in if he wasn't injured...
22 of those were forwards including 5 props and 4 hookers...
The backline had a few key injuries at times, but never enough injuries to call in reinforcements... in fact the Brumbies didn't Ed Stubbs or Samu Wara this year....
Although Stubbs might've had a look in if he wasn't injured...
Yeah, the Reds have been hit by injury, but so far have been able to keep their 2 key players their all season at 9 & 10
The Tahs have had a continuous change at 10 ( a real issue) and now have deep injuries at 2, 3 & 10 with the first two options all wounded.
To put it into perspective who would be starting and who would be on the bench next week for the Reds if Fainga'a & Hanson @ 2, Slipper & Holmes @ 3 (Shep I guess), Cooper & Harris @ 10 (Lucas I guess)
You missed my point completely!:banghead
I was saying that TPN's injury was not poor management but bad luck and used the similar amount of players used from the Reds and Tahs and now the Brumbies to prove my point. I didn't need the fact the the Tahs injuries were much more important than anyone else's thrown up again.
I have just realised that my original post is nowhere near the post I was responding to. I was responding to a post about TPN's injury being about poor management. I apologise for flying off the handle Fatprop.
Here it is
I was saying that TPN's injury was not poor management but bad luck and used the similar amount of players used from the Reds and Tahs and now the Brumbies to prove my point. I didn't need the fact the the Tahs injuries were much more important than anyone else's thrown up again.
I have just realised that my original post is nowhere near the post I was responding to. I was responding to a post about TPN's injury being about poor management. I apologise for flying off the handle Fatprop.
Here it is
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
I believe that if Kurtley turns his attention to tackling in the line he'll be as good as anyone. But not in a single game on the weekend.
Ruggo
Mark Ella (57)
It is comparing apples to oranges but there is a fair case to say the Reds have managed thier injuries better. The way Link has rotated the squad and used his bench to keep his squad hungry has helped. It masks the significance of some of those injuries. Losing Horwill in round two and getting our season back on track in his absense was significant. The gap left by the absense of Hynes has been brilliantly filled by Lucus. We lose him and Lance comes from club rugby and fills the void well. James Slipper has been missing in some crucial games.
I was probably a bit of a wanker at the begining of this thread in my comments. Before a ball had been kicked the jibe between Tahs and Reds fans was who had the better depth. It is a bit ironic to hear complaints about injury when reflecting back. A couple of unique situations have made things worse for the Tahs this year.
1/ Supporter frustration. Everyone wants more attacking rugby and I don't envy the coaching staff for trying to fix that when they are having trouble fielding the same 15.
2/ The Barnes situation. Nobody can be blamed for wanting a happy ending to this sooner rather than later but in reality and hindsight a plan for the worst should of been developed earlier and that includes a back up to Hangers. To have to impliment this two weeks before the finals must be extermely disruptive for the side as a whole. The blow to Burgess yesterday was just terrible luck and I feel for the Tahs on that one.
Some things can be controlled and some can't. The Tahs should just go out and give it their all and what happens, happens. You never know because with the bone of a 2012 contract on offer, they just may exceed expectation.
I was probably a bit of a wanker at the begining of this thread in my comments. Before a ball had been kicked the jibe between Tahs and Reds fans was who had the better depth. It is a bit ironic to hear complaints about injury when reflecting back. A couple of unique situations have made things worse for the Tahs this year.
1/ Supporter frustration. Everyone wants more attacking rugby and I don't envy the coaching staff for trying to fix that when they are having trouble fielding the same 15.
2/ The Barnes situation. Nobody can be blamed for wanting a happy ending to this sooner rather than later but in reality and hindsight a plan for the worst should of been developed earlier and that includes a back up to Hangers. To have to impliment this two weeks before the finals must be extermely disruptive for the side as a whole. The blow to Burgess yesterday was just terrible luck and I feel for the Tahs on that one.
Some things can be controlled and some can't. The Tahs should just go out and give it their all and what happens, happens. You never know because with the bone of a 2012 contract on offer, they just may exceed expectation.
The Mayor of Perth
Ted Fahey (11)
Yep, and if they get over the Blues Kaplan awaits!
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
I don't think supporter frustration had anything to do with the Tahs injury problems. The supporters' frustration was solely to do with the choice of the game plan, not with winning games. Tahs fas wanted the win-at-all-costs approach to be compromised for the sake of running rugby. Please don't lay the playing of TPN with injuries at our door. That's the opposite of what we wanted.
A
antipodean
Guest
Further to that; it is immeasurably difficult for the Tahs to play running rugby in such a competitive environment. They are hamstrung by expectation of results, so they chase that first and foremost. Of greater annoyance to me is they possess the players to win more often than not playing attractive rugby, but seem incapable of playing well for 80mins.
Contrast that with the Reds, who were afforded the ability to play any way they chose given no one was attending their games after years of competing for the wooden spoon. The rugby gods have finally smiled on them, letting them win as well as playing attractive rugby.
Should add I can't see us beating the Blues at Eden park.
Contrast that with the Reds, who were afforded the ability to play any way they chose given no one was attending their games after years of competing for the wooden spoon. The rugby gods have finally smiled on them, letting them win as well as playing attractive rugby.
Should add I can't see us beating the Blues at Eden park.
U
Utility Back
Guest
Sounds like every half-time chat or team briefing i've heard on "The Code"
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