The Wallabies Thread

[Lorenzo]

Not saying we should guarantee him 20 caps. If he's prepared to play for a Super contract and someone will have him (big if) then don't you play him if he performs?

If its character, Beale has his character challenges and no one seems to be asking his exclusion on character grounds.

 

[KOB1987]

Not saying we should guarantee him 20 caps. If he's prepared to play for a Super contract and someone will have him (big if) then don't you play him if he performs?

If its character, Beale has his character challenges and no one seems to be asking his exclusion on character grounds.

It was him, Beale and Quade who were the '3 Amigos' during the Lions series. Beale was at the centre the most publicised fuck-up since then, but he's also the one who's cleaned himself up the most since that. On current character I'd have Beale ahead of both of them.

 

[Lorenzo]

I was never a massive fan of JOC (James O'Connor), just saying I wouldn't ignore him.

Beale got pretty fucking lucky when MC got the coaching job. Any other coach and he'd likely be playing for the Datsun 120ys or whatever.

Beale could literally join ISIS and you would still be talking about how we need his attack.

 

[RoffsChoice]

Copying this here from another thread because I think it's relevant to this topic:

We get, on average, six test matches a year, and we continue to waste one of them on the Gold Coast every few years. How is this helping anyone in Australian Rugby besides the 5000 people on the Gold Coast who actually attend? Even Newcastle managed to get 20,000 out to watch the B team.

Why aren't we playing more games in Perth and Melbourne? Over the last ten years, we have played more games in Brisbane (17) than we have in Perth (7) and Melbourne (8) combined. IMO, we should always give the mid-year tests to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, and the Rugby Championship should alternate on a three year cycle between these fixtures:

• Year one: All Blacks in Sydney, South Africa in Brisbane, Argentina in Perth
• Year two: All Blacks in Sydney, South Africa in Perth, Argentina in Melbourne
• Year three: All Blacks in Sydney, South Africa in Melbourne, Argentina in Brisbane

If we happen to get a third Bledisloe that year, play it in Brisbane.

If we want more games for cities like Canberra, the Gold Coast, or Brisbane, we should do as we did in 2012 and have a mid-week test. If bloody Newcastle could bring 20,000 fans to a game against a bad Scotland side, in the driving rain, where we had six debutants, then Canberra and the Gold Coast should accept the same situation. Hell, Canberra has a better crowd record against Italy (22468) and Fiji (15438) than they do against Argentina (14229).

As an aside, here are the win %s and average attendance numbers in Aus for 2009-2018:

View attachment 10268

 

[KOB1987]

I was never a massive fan of JOC (James O'Connor), just saying I wouldn't ignore him.

Beale got pretty fucking lucky when MC got the coaching job. Any other coach and he'd likely be playing for the Datsun 120ys or whatever.

Beale could literally join ISIS and you would still be talking about how we need his attack.

Yeah I don't know about that. Being used as a super sub for the next 12 months was hardly disastrous.

Anything you say against Beale is based on your personal hatred of the bloke. I enjoy reading your views on every other topic but as soon as I see the word Beale/KB (Kurtley Beale)/Kurtley in your posts I skip to the next paragraph.

And we're in agreement re JOC (James O'Connor).

 

[Brumby Runner]

Not saying we should guarantee him 20 caps. If he's prepared to play for a Super contract and someone will have him (big if) then don't you play him if he performs?

If its character, Beale has his character challenges and no one seems to be asking his exclusion on character grounds.

We all got sick of banging our heads on that brick wall a couple of years ago. It is now his poor form that is bringing his spot under question.

 

[Derpus]

Beale has never been charged with a crime as far as i know? and Beale has shown way more in the last few years than O'Connor.

No real comparison.

 

[Lorenzo]

I used to rate Beale highly. I have no personal view about him at all.

My issue is that he has now played a large number of tests over a long period of time, and he is still fairly unreliable. Whether its missing or barely making 4 or 5 tackles (often in fairly set play where he only has to cover the gap between two players either side of him, not one on one in the open field against Christian Cullen), or unforced errors with the ball. Whilst the attacking prowess that is supposed to make up for it only shows up every 4 or 5 tests. It feels like we are waiting for him to have that great game we all know he is capable of, but how long do we wait? And when it arrives, how long do we wait for it to repeat itself?

 

[Derpus]

Are we moving on to assessing Beale's form independent of O'Connor returning?

If so, Beale was horrendous at 10 last match. To'omua was as mystified as the rest of us when he got pulled. Cheika made a terrible decision that may well have cost us the match.

I'd be all behind him getting dropped to the bench and allowing Foley and To'omua to have a crack at 10/12. It would be the most natural and well rounded 10/12 combo we would have put out in ages. Should work in theory.

Also, can we just give the kicking duties to Hodge already?

 

[KOB1987]

I'm pretty sure the experiment with him at 10 is over. I think the question is now whether the next experiment is 10. Foley 12. To'omua or 10. To'omua 12. Beale. Personally I'd try both in both games. Start with one and finish with the other, and switch that around for the following test. The RC is a write off now for us so we may as well see what works and what doesn't. During that experiment we can also try out various combinations of Beale/Folau/DHP up the back.

 

[Derpus]

I'm pretty sure the experiment with him at 10 is over. I think the question is now whether the next experiment is 10. Foley 12. To'omua or 10. To'omua 12. Beale. Personally I'd try both in both games. Start with one and finish with the other, and switch that around for the following test. The RC is a write off now for us so we may as well see what works and what doesn't. During that experiment we can also try out various combinations of Beale/Folau/DHP up the back.

Beale should be dropped after last week. Gotta be some point where you play so bad you get dropped, right?

 

[KOB1987]

I like him as a sub, he can light things up at the end of a game. But he played awful at 10, he was pretty good at 12 during the Ireland series, you can't really mark any player accurately on the Bledisloes. I'd also like to see him working with Izzy up the back. Try everything I reckon.

 

[Ignoto]

Beale has never been charged with a crime as far as i know?

Yes he was. He punched a bouncer and the ARU helped settle the matter outside of court. As a result, the charges were dropped.

May want to read up on it and see he had a lot of anger/drinking issues which he was given plenty of leniency and help from the ARU - https://www.smh.com.au/national/kurtley-beales-assault-charges-dropped-20130417-2hz9w.html

 

[Rebel man]

Beale has never been charged with a crime as far as i know? and Beale has shown way more in the last few years than O'Connor.

No real comparison.

James O’Connor is about to return from injury for Sale Sharks, maybe we should wait and see how he goes. If he performs well there I would love to see him back

 

[Rebel man]

Yes he was. He punched a bouncer and the ARU helped settle the matter outside of court. As a result, the charges were dropped.

May want to read up on it and see he had a lot of anger/drinking issues which he was given plenty of leniency and help from the ARU - https://www.smh.com.au/national/kurtley-beales-assault-charges-dropped-20130417-2hz9w.html

Look I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way but the ARU wants to be more inclusive and see more aboriginals play the game because look at the amazingly talented aboriginal players in the NRL and AFL. So Beale will be afforded more leniency as he helps inspire the next generation of aboriginal youth to play Union.

 

[Derpus]

Look I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way but the ARU wants to be more inclusive and see more aboriginals play the game because look at the amazingly talented aboriginal players in the NRL and AFL. So Beale will be afforded more leniency as he helps inspire the next generation of aboriginal youth to play Union.

Definitely playing with fire suggesting it was affirmative action.

 

[hammertimethere]

Not sure if that was worded quite correctly RM, nor do I think he meant to suggest it was affirmative action Derpus. I think KB (Kurtley Beale) has definitely been afforded significant leniency and support for his off-field fuck ups throughout his career (and for what it's worth I've heard the odd story from young men who run in the same social circles that there were a few more early in his career that weren't made public though this isn't unique to him). I also believe that this support has helped KB (Kurtley Beale) to grow to the point where he is now a fine ambassador for rugby for the most part to both indigenous and non-indigenous kids alike (even though he played like crap on the weekend). Whether the amount of leniency/support was comparable to any peers who played in the same team and had problems of similar magnitude is a nigh impossible question to answer for those of us not in the RA integrity unit who don't know everything that's happened.

 

[Lorenzo]

Beale caught a break because Cheika could demand (and receive) basically anything when he was appointed in an emergency. I doubt his ethnic background played a part.

 

[Derpus]

Not sure if that was worded quite correctly RM, nor do I think he meant to suggest it was affirmative action Derpus. I think KB (Kurtley Beale) has definitely been afforded significant leniency and support for his off-field fuck ups throughout his career (and for what it's worth I've heard the odd story from young men who run in the same social circles that there were a few more early in his career that weren't made public though this isn't unique to him). I also believe that this support has helped KB (Kurtley Beale) to grow to the point where he is now a fine ambassador for rugby for the most part to both indigenous and non-indigenous kids alike (even though he played like crap on the weekend). Whether the amount of leniency/support was comparable to any peers who played in the same team and had problems of similar magnitude is a nigh impossible question to answer for those of us not in the RA integrity unit who don't know everything that's happened.

Agreed, it's also probably not appropriate to speculate.

 

[Slim 293]

James O’Connor is about to return from injury for Sale Sharks, maybe we should wait and see how he goes. If he performs well there I would love to see him back

I bet Melbourne would love to have him back, and I’m assured they have plenty of money under the cap to sign him.........