• Welcome to the forums of Green & Gold Rugby.
    We have recently made some changes to the amount of discussions boards on the forum.
    Over the coming months we will continue to make more changes to make the forum more user friendly for all to use.
    Thanks, Admin.

The Wallabies Thread

TSR

Andrew Slack (58)
I'd add RHP, and either Louwrens or Ruru. Or both. I'm still not sure Ruru is ready, but then I keep asking myself which other half looks better.
 

Rebels3

Jim Lenehan (48)
Sio
Latu
Kepu
Arnold
Coleman
Fardy
Hooper
McMahon
Genia
Foley
DHP
Beale
Kerevi
Speight
Folau

TPN
Smith
AAT
RHP
Hanigan
Hardwick
Powell
Hunt
 

dru

David Wilson (68)
And this is the nutshell of Australia's problems with regards to selections. We are choosing between options on the basis of which weakness we can tolerate the most. Activity vs impact, effort vs execution; and the pros/cons of being part of a squad that has achieved well below what we would like them to or having not yet been tarnished with that 'distinction'.


I find myself regularly typing posts which contradict posts I've made previously - sometimes within minutes of each other. But it's because I'm honestly fucked if I know what approach is best. Maybe Cheika should just clear the decks and bring in a heap of new guys. But all of new guys played in super rugby teams that performed poorly against the best sides as well and one emotion filled win against the Tahs by the Force doesn't change that.

I'm also conscious that Cheika has actually selected a hell of a lot of new guys over the last 18 mths. Some of those have done quite well, some make me scratch my head, but there have been a lot.

Don't get me wrong - this is an Internet forum and I get that ideas are going to be thrown around - but I just struggle to see how some of these calls are anymore than 50/50 either way.

Most honest post I've seen for a while. I share both your confusion and your "culpability" (for want of a better word).
 

TSR

Andrew Slack (58)
Sio
TPN
Ala'alatoa
Arnold
Coleman
Timani
Hooper
Higgers
Genia
Foley
Folau
Hunt
Kerevi - although that will probably be a disaster with Grey as defence coach
DHP
Beale

Either Latu or Moore
Smith
Kepu
Carter
RHP
Powell
Rona
Hodge
 

RedsHappy

Tony Shaw (54)
Most honest post I've seen for a while. I share both your confusion and your "culpability" (for want of a better word).

Oh dear. You've been seduced - although I hope not - into The Great Wallabies Player Selections Myth.

Our Wallabies-level problem is not essentially about 'really hard selections dilemmas and new vs old players and so on' at all.

Our problem is that we have a Wallaby HC whom is a very good team motivator, quite good culture-builder, good individual player counsellor and guider, but who has totally failed to design and select a world-class national coaching team of the breadth and depth needed to compete with a other elite coaching groups with the best teams, or even some so-called Tier 2 teams like Scotland.

Grey's best days are super-obviously gone, Larkham's best achievement with the Brumbies is actually very good defence (credit Ryan there to a considerable degree for that btw) and certainly not attack. And so on.

And that neither of these absolutely critical positions/persons have had to undergo a performance assessment/results-delivered hurdle of any kind before becoming full-time Wallaby coaches 'because they just wanted to become full-time'. That is unforgivably lazy and indulgent.

We can ruminate all we like re 'selections' as though this game of numbers and new faces conundrum will unlock another set of Wallaby glory days, but the effort will be in vain until the whole Wallaby support coaching team (I'm still OK with MC as HC btw) is turned over and significantly upgraded.
 

TSR

Andrew Slack (58)
I disagree Redshappy. It is about both. Nowhere in my post did I defend the current coaching regime at either State or National level. A lot of our ingrained problems are clearly not being addressed or are openly promoted by poor coaching.

But where is personal responsibility in all this. Coaching should identify and improve deficiencies in our core skills, defence, discipline and application, but you really don't expect Cooper to take any initiative to fix his tackling, Phipps his passing, Kerevi his defence, Simmons his impact at collisions? Do you not think by now Nabuli should be thinking - hey, maybe I should let this guy actually hit the ground before I tackle him so I don't get another yellow card.

To make it clear, I am not ignoring the fundamental failures in our coaching and development approach/structure or the appointment process that puts them in place.

My post was aimed solely at the selection conundrum.
 

Forcefield

Ken Catchpole (46)
Righto. all the shit aside. I'm going to throw some of these into the squad for contention for upcoming squads, some for selection consideration and some for development exposure:

Meakes
Rona
Tupou
Paia'aua
Perese

Sadly, I haven't watched enough Super Rugby this year to offer much more then that

Meakes could probably handle starting, but the other four would definitely think for development exposure. I'd be tempted to add Tuttle for the same reason given how shitty some of our 9s have been. I also think RHP deserves a look in. Definitely better than Hanigan IMO.
 

dru

David Wilson (68)
Oh dear. You've been seduced - although I hope not - into The Great Wallabies Player Selections Myth.

No not seduced RH, I stick by the primary issue - coaching. In among things I earlier called "trifles" are player performances. I think it's germane to point out the same players we praise on one hand can legitimately be criticised on another. Fans perspective on judging players then falls to either what is considered more important by the fan, or just as likely to cognitive biasses. Of which there are plenty when we start discussions over say, NSW bias, or Quade/Moore/Mumm/Hooper/Phipps hell even Fardy/Higgers etc.

Coaching is our thorn, but you cant really talk about the Wallabies without some discussion on the plyers.
 

farva

Vay Wilson (31)
I'd add RHP, and either Louwrens or Ruru. Or both. I'm still not sure Ruru is ready, but then I keep asking myself which other half looks better.
Newsome needs a shot too. He has been in fantastiv form and is willing to work.
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
We are so short of hookers I'd almost chuck Ready in there and back myself (Cheika) to get the most out of him.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
^^^To me Meakes is a standout to be given a chance.
He played outside Beale through school, made oz schools and u20s and might have had a brumbies eps. He played for Norths and was good but he never got any real talk before going to the uk.
Maybe the received wisdom was that he was not a super or test player.
At this juncture I say that is no longer a legitimate approach - either in his case or more generally.
Whatever talent identification has been going on it has not unearthed the requisite talent. Maybe we no longer produce it.
Let's find out: I often wonder looking back on Conrad smith's career whether this country would have picked him out early enough to stop him leaving the game and pursuing a law career.
 

TSR

Andrew Slack (58)
I've been thinking of Meakes purely as a 12. If Hunt is out, I'd have him straight in. But didn't he play 13 at Gloucester? Maybe he's our solution there. I'd hope Kerevi will fill one if the centre positions soon enough, but his defence remains an issue (and I'm assuming he'll be fit).

I like Rona as well but would be happy with either, or both.
 

Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
I've been thinking of Meakes purely as a 12. If Hunt is out, I'd have him straight in. But didn't he play 13 at Gloucester? Maybe he's our solution there. I'd hope Kerevi will fill one if the centre positions soon enough, but his defence remains an issue (and I'm assuming he'll be fit).



I like Rona as well but would be happy with either, or both.



Kerevi will fill a defensive role in Grey's pattern perfectly.
 

TSR

Andrew Slack (58)
Kerevi will fill a defensive role in Grey's pattern perfectly.
I was going to respond with LOL - but it is really not funny.

I'm concerned it's going to be accurate though.

I understand systems take a while to bed down, but surely Grey can't be stupid enough to think if we stick with what he is trying to achieve it is going to come good.
 

Twoilms

Trevor Allan (34)
Center depth was a worry until recently and now we could conceivably have Kuridrani, Kerevi, Meakes, Hunt and Beale pushing for a spot. Not a bad problem to have. Same could be said of the wings (though Naivalu should finally be recognized as our best specialist winger).

Hunt and Meakes would make a great 12-13 combo if you are focusing up on tightening the defense.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
Haven't seen a lot of Meakes play until last night but with that shaven head he looks like the sort of hard guy you'd want on your side in a bar fight. Apart from perhaps Hunt it's been a while since we had a back like him that looks like they're actively trying to injure the opposition in defence.

We've fluffed around enough swapping five-eighths to fullbacks and fullbacks to wingers in defence. Come the RC I'd much rather see a guy like Meakes who wants to put bodies on the floor than some guy who can't defend but has 'X-Factor'.
 

TSR

Andrew Slack (58)
Ready was really good last year - at least for the first 3/4 of the year. This year, not so much. Maybe he should head to the Force.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
I'd like to see Meakes get a go in gold this year. He's been quite outstanding this season and as others have said, his straight running and defence have been spot on. He can also pass, which is a pretty handy skill for a centre to have, as well as being able to hit a hole and break the line. With the right amount of trailing support runners I think he could be quite dangerous.
 
Top