The Wallabies Thread

[Brumby Runner]

Whatever you say, Higgers was head and shoulders above Hanigan this year both in Super Rugby and the first Test. I thought Higgers was also better in the second Test, too.

Cheika clearly doesn't like Higgers, his selection of Korczyk (a fraction of the player of Higgers currently, not to mention rightly kept out of the Reds by Higgers and Tui), Hanigan, and Dempsey ahead of Higgers speaks clearly to that.

I watched Hanigan closely in the last few Super Rugby games, after barely paying any attention to him earlier in the season. All I see is a big engine who is easy to notice due to his hair. For everything he did really well, he did two to three massive blunders, including barely being able to hold onto the ball. Hanigan has the engine, but hell, so did Neville. In a few years the kid may be a Super Rugby level player. The fact this guy is a starter for the Wallabies despite better options (he wouldn't start for any other of our - or maybe even any - Super Rugby teams in my opinion, and wouldn't even make the bench for some) speaks massively about selection issues. The fact the guy can sadly even be considered for a starting Super Rugby spot, let alone making the Wallaby squad, says something tragic about our depth and quality of players right now.

And don't even get me started on the Douglas selection. He stank every game he played this year. He got counter rucked by small backs, missed clean outs, fell off tackles, dropped balls, got yellow carded by failed and pointless shows of aggression. Got rightly dropped for a couple of rookies.

Hooper is the most uninspiring captain in a long time. Highly polarising player.

It's little wonder fans (including me now) have been turning away from rugby for a few years now.

I largely sgree Ash, except for the bolded part. It speaks volumes to the quality of our coaching, especially at the national level, rather than the players imo.

 

[fatprop]

Agree with most of that FP, although I'll be interested to see how Pocock goes. He may be a dinosaur in terms of style, but if so he's a T Rex based on his influence in games which just goes to show how exceptional he is. But you are right, every set of rule changes further and further disadvantaged his style.

I think he will have a role at 8 again, as the attacking structure posters above have talked about that Cheika uses. , I see him playing there ruling around the ruck, with a 6 who is a lineout option and the 7 & 6 planted wider to support the ball being moved wider.

That structure is not unreasonable if we want to play with any width, and I for one prefer them playing with width as we will never win against any of the decent sides playing kick and clap or charging up the middle. But with a bit of structured width, second line attacks and pods of pigs working hard, it can work

I agree with what the backrow will probably be. I think the ongoing choice of Hanigan is wrong, and he should be sent away to physically develop. But I am probably beyond rule 10 on this, so I'll let it go.

I don't think it is a great choice, , it is one of the many weak slots in the side. But I also don't see many units who will play the role Cheika wants substantially better. There are others who do other things really well, but not to slot into what Cheika has in mind

 

[fatprop]

Ok, then the way I read it, Cheika then thought Higgers was a better No 8 than Timani (even though their whole histories would suggest the opposite was more aligned to his game plan - Genius) and now that he has discarded Higgers, he is left with, in his opinion, the second best option and NOBODY else (excuse the use of upper case for emphasis).

It looks like a very deep hole that Cheika is digging himself into, you know what I mean?

Cheika said Timani wasn't fit enough, once he was he was selected

 

[Brumby Jack]

Looking forward to seeing the halves as VCs

 

[Braveheart81]

Lots of surprises!

 

[No4918]

So who was cut?

 

[Braveheart81]

So that is:

Props: Ala'alatoa, Faulkner, Kepu, Robertson, Sio
Hookers: TPN, Moore, Uelese
Locks: Arnold, Coleman, Douglas, Simmons, Rodda
Backrow, Hooper, Dempsey, McMahon, Hanigan, Timani, Korczyk

Halfbacks: Genia, Phipps, Powell
Fly half: Foley
Centres: Beale, Hodge, Kerevi, Kuridrani, Meakes, Rona
Back three: Folau, DHP, Koroibete, Perese, Speight

 

[Braveheart81]

So who was cut?

Ainsley, Cowan, Fa'agase, Tupou
Latu
Carter
Hardwick

Hunt, Magnay, Nabuli, Naivalu

Of those, Latu, Hunt and Naivalu are definitely injured and Nabuli might be.


Carter and Hardwick are the biggest surprises to be excluded in my opinion.

Dempsey and Korczyk are the biggest surprises to be included.

 

[Killer]

and Ainsley even more so imo

 

[Braveheart81]

Looking forward to seeing the halves as VCs

As predicted by BJ, Foley and Genia are the vice captains.

 

[Joe Blow]

Cheika said Timani wasn't fit enough, once he was he was selected

Problem was that he selected him alongside Hanigan. What many are saying, and I would agree, is that on paper the best balanced back row in the previous squad would have been Higgers, Hooper and Timani.
No point playing Higs at 8 and telling him to play like Timani.

McMahon showed nothing to make this squad and has one foot on the boat. Hanigan looked to be not quite up to it physically and Hardwick looks to have potential in the same vein as a McMahon or Pocock type of player. We don't need 3 7s in a test squad alongside an unripe 6 and one relatively inexperienced 8.
Higgers should be there and so should RHP or someone similar.

 

[Braveheart81]

Based on Cheika's comments regarding other players who are leaving is that he must consider McMahon a potential starter.

 

[Joe Blow]

Yeah. It is what it is. Squad looks OK except it is weak in the back row.
Douglas and Simmons retained with Izzac Rodda.

The search continues.......

 

[KOB1987]

Yeah. It is what it is. Squad looks OK except it is weak in the back row.
Douglas and Simmons retained with Izzac Rodda.

The search continues...

Yeah but it's not a selection issue, it's about the best we can do and probably explains why McMahon has been retained. The selection of Dempsey over Hardwick was a surprise but I suspect we are arguing about the bloke who will be in the stands in a suit.

 

[Braveheart81]

and Ainsley even more so imo

Cheika just said that Ainsley is injured and they may take him to Cessnock so they can keep treating him and he could rejoin before the second Bledisloe.

On that basis it seems like he would have been a definite inclusion if he was healthy.

 

[Slim 293]

The selection of Dempsey over Hardwick was a surprise but I suspect we are arguing about the bloke who will be in the stands in a suit.

But sometimes those guys have to pull off the suit..........

 

[fatprop]

So that is:

Props: Ala'alatoa, Faulkner, Kepu, Robertson, Sio
Hookers: TPN, Moore, Uelese
Locks: Arnold, Coleman, Douglas, Simmons, Rodda
Backrow, Hooper, Dempsey, McMahon, Hanigan, Timani, Korczyk

Halfbacks: Genia, Phipps, Powell
Fly half: Foley
Centres: Beale, Hodge, Kerevi, Kuridrani, Meakes, Rona
Back three: Folau, DHP, Koroibete, Perese, Speight

I see a lot of THPs all of a sudden, where have all the LHPs gone?

 

[Joe Blow]

Yeah but it's not a selection issue, it's about the best we can do and probably explains why McMahon has been retained. The selection of Dempsey over Hardwick was a surprise but I suspect we are arguing about the bloke who will be in the stands in a suit.

Hardwick was one of our better players in June. Korzyk is untested and rarely commands a starting spot at the reds. We have a decent starting back 3 forwards with absolutely nothing behind it.
The second row selections are overturned again as well.
The backs look very solid but they cannot do much without a decent platform.

losing faith.....

 

[Braveheart81]

The second row selections are overturned again as well.

Just Carter left out.

Seems like it's a case of him getting a good crack in June and not delivering so another group get their chance (two old ones and one new one).

 

[fatprop]

Based on Cheika's comments regarding other players who are leaving is that he must consider McMahon a potential starter.

Yeah so I wonder at 8 or 6?

Leaving Hanigan out could leave Hooper & McMahon playing right/left with Timani up the middle

You lose lineout and gain dynamism