Up the Guts
Steve Williams (59)
Marx is an absolute unit, there’s no way you’d run anywhere near him, Folau tried it and got smashed.
The Wallabies Thread
- Thread starter KOB1987
- Start date
Joe Blow
John Hipwell (52)
Cheika did not have much choice for the Ireland series as Arnold was not available for the first test. He then made the mistake of going with an unchanged 23 for the second test and the series was taken away.
Last year our best locking performance was when Arnold and Simmons started against the ABs. There is a pretty long stretch before the RWC and I doubt that lineout calling gives anyone a free ride. Simmons is there for his experience. In the mean time the others are gaining more of it with every test. Who calls the lineout at the Brums when Carter is not playing, or at the Reds when Higgers and Douglas do not start?
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
upthereds#!
Peter Johnson (47)
Yeh Rodda calls them at the Reds - though it's not an amazing part of their game I believe. Does help to have experienced 2nd and 3rd options in a front jumper like Higs and a support like Douglas however.
I'd suggest Cheika will stick with Rodda & Coleman
then I'd be happy to see:
19. Arnold 20. Hanigan 21. Samu
or
19. Simmons 20. Timu 21. Samu
I'd suggest Cheika will stick with Rodda & Coleman
then I'd be happy to see:
19. Arnold 20. Hanigan 21. Samu
or
19. Simmons 20. Timu 21. Samu
Brumby Runner
Jason Little (69)
From my viewing, there is very little lineout calling anywhere these days. The whole pack, minus the hooker, get into a huddle before the lineout forms and appear to work out how the play will proceed. A prop then conveys the decision to the hooker and it all gets underway. Maybe no more than one or two lineouts per game for most sides are actually called after the lineout forms.
Rob Simmons is doing a phenomenal job of tricking the coaches into thinking he's valuable then.
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Steals a living.
I'd rather like to see Timu given another shot. I doubt the RC will be as tight as the Ireland series and that should suit him. Off the bench though. Tui to start at 6.
USARugger
John Thornett (49)
They're deciding the general movement they want to use but somebody still has to make the actual call based on where the opposition have lined up and their spacing. The only sides I'm aware of that pre-determine their lineout movement/throw are very, very amateur.
Brumbieman
Dick Tooth (41)
That's what we've all been saying since we realised in 2012 that the promise of 2009/2010 had reached it's ceiling and he wasn't ever going to get better than that.
Arnold, Rodda, Coleman - done. Those are our three locks, and unless one of them gets injured Simmons needs to go out to pasture, he's not a 'winner' that will cut some poor fluffybunny in half to get the ball back at 78mins in the game when we're down by 4.
He'd tackle them late and high instead and give the game away.
The only real question we have atm in terms of who's in our forward pack this year is who plays at 6/8 with the Pooper. Our real concerns are @ 10 and 13.
Joe Blow
John Hipwell (52)
To be fair Rob Simmons was very good against the Irish. He made dominant tackles in every test and carried the ball well. His experience is valuable amongst a bunch of pretty young locks. This has probably been his best year.
The question is where does Arnold fit into the puzzle?
The question is where does Arnold fit into the puzzle?
TSR
Andrew Slack (58)
I think the main intrigue for me at this time is who Cheika names as his locks for the first Bledisloe. As others have pointed out, over the course of the RC & EOYT we are likely to see a number of different combinations and all 4 of the above plus others get opportunities.
TSR
Andrew Slack (58)
100% agree, and I think he has come out with comments to suggest he largely has, but player load management, inevitable injuries and the desire to make players continue to fight for their spots will mean there will still be player changeover.
No doubt he will be picking what he feels is his best 23 for Bledisloe 1 though.
Brumby Runner
Jason Little (69)
I have sincerely thought so from his very early Reds' days BH. What confuses me is that so many Tahs' supporters posting here in the early days also held a similar belief, but it (magically) turned around as soon as he moved to the Tahs. And there is simply no doubt that the lock stocks are a hell of a lot stronger now than they were when Rob was playing out of the Reds.
Despite the differing opinions of Rob at the moment, he will not be a Wallaby forever. IMO he is on the down hill run and won't last beyond the RWC if he makes it there. What is the betting that one of Arnold, Rodda, Tui or Philip will learn the magic of calling a lineout by then, or more likely that lineout calling will be disregarded as a necessary skill by then.
I agree that after the 2019 RWC Simmons is very likely to be on the way out. He'll be 30 then and these younger guys are improving.
One of them probably will take over the reins as the second caller after Coleman. It will be needed.
My main point currently is that the time investment when there are other things to work on would not really be considered worthwhile. They get limited time to work together and have to work on a lot of areas. Skilling up a new lineout caller involves the whole pack for a lot of it.
Arnold is only a year younger than Simmons. He won't be around for every either.
Jimmyjam
Watty Friend (18)
'What confuses me is that so many Tahs' supporters posting here in the early days also held a similar belief, but it (magically) turned around as soon as he moved to the Tahs.'
Sorry mate, but calling 'Bulls#@t' on that one. Simmons has had an ok year by his standard but besides an improved lineout has had fairly minimal impact. No tahs fans that I know even wanted him on the roster including me. Anyway, you can believe whatever you want.
I reckon Simmons has been very good this year. The Tahs scrum has gone from being close to worst in the comp last year to being average and the lineout became one of the best in the comp (although disappointingly fell away late in the season although I put that down to Damien Fitzpatrick losing form).
Whilst clearly if we'd been able to recruit Adam Coleman that would have been better but Simmons was a huge upgrade in our weakest position.
Whilst clearly if we'd been able to recruit Adam Coleman that would have been better but Simmons was a huge upgrade in our weakest position.
Had the Tahs recruited Coleman instead, their scrum and line out would both be average.
Simmons has long been commended by props for the added support he provides at scrum time. Whilst not a slight on his compatriots it's definitely a noted difference by our front rowers. There's been many a quote on this over the past few years. When you throw in his line out prowess which is so far beyond his peers it's not funny, I'd pick Simmons every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Why?
Coleman won't win you a match; but a shit line out can certainly lose you one.
Well, he probably will. The Wallabies results in the last couple of years have been distinctly better when he's played.
I agree that Simmons is a better set piece operator but Coleman is comfortably our best overall lock.