The Wallabies Thread

[Twoilms]

When you realise the tahs have only won 4 games this year it's really sobering. As a force supporter. I think we need to pick players that are showing form in super rugby and force the current guys that always get picked to work harder. We have some competition but when they know they get picked on previous form there isn't any drive. Drop their arses and pick players who have form and heart. How long did it take for sharpe to get picked again. Ages. And it was a huge mistake. He should of played many more test

Nick Cummins is another example who had super rugby form but wants picked over average east coast players because they were already wallabies and incumbent.

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Right sentiment but poor example. Cummins was a great character and a goer but was pretty limited. We've always had better options.

 

[Shiggins]

Right sentiment but poor example. Cummins was a great character and a goer but was pretty limited. We've always had better options.

Cheers but I disagree. We didn't have better options. And once he got in everyone saw that and he stayed. How can someone like him play with so much heart compared to all these talented arseholes. You can see the difference in heart by a mile. It makes me wonder. How many players show heart like the badge did? And why not !

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[Shiggins]

Imagine if half the players got his determination and heart. On top of their natural talent.

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[Braveheart81]

And earn quite a bit more coin. Not a bad career move I'd have said.

Maybe living in Australia and earning decent money is the compromise he wanted.

He went to Scotland and got out as fast as possible.

I have no idea about his personal circumstances but as a Fijian the situation in Australia might not be clear cut. Assuming he isn't an Australian citizen he would probably have to give up his permanent residency if he went and lived and worked overseas long term.

If he did that he could be in a position where he couldn't come back to live in Australia.

 

[Braveheart81]

Nick Cummins is another example who had super rugby form but wants picked over average east coast players because they were already wallabies and incumbent.

Digby Ioane, James O'Connor and Adam Ashley-Cooper? Terrible wingers the lot of them.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Comments like this are sensationalist, and ultimately, pretty bloody cooked if you ask me.

Foley, Folau and Hooper have had the Tahs in their collective backpack all year. Having watched the Force game twice, they managed to have strong performances (with Foley and Folau constantly bending the line) in a team that was utterly outclassed. Without those three the Waratahs wouldn't have won a single game this season.

They must, and will be, selected for the Wallabies.

Outside of those three, I do agree with you that other Waratahs should only be considered for a bench spot at the very most. Even then, I would only consider Robertson, Kepu and Latu for these positions.

If I see Dempsey or Hanigan near the Wallabies 23 I will fucking vomit. RHP and Hardwick any day of the week.

I also agree with other posters who suggest that Newsome, Phillip, Meakes, Rona and Lance deserve a shot in the squad.

Likewise with Naisarani the very minute he becomes eligible and Louwrens the very minute he recovers from his injury. Naisarani, in particular, has been an absolute relevation this season.

For me, the 23 would look like:

1-3: Sio, Moore (c), Ala'alatoa
4-5: Coleman, Arnold
6-8: Higgenbotham, Timani, Hooper (vc)
9-10: Genia, Foley
12-13: Hunt, Kerevi
11,14-15: Folau, Naivalu, Beale

16-18: Kepu, TPN, Robertson
19-20: RHP (cov. 4,5,6), Hardwick (cov. 7,8)
21-23: Powell (or Gordon; cov. 9), Hodge (or Meakes or Rona), DHP

With:

+ Coleman, Arnold, Higgenbotham as primary jumpers. Hooper and Timani as 1/2 a jumper each to make up the rest.

+ Louwrens to take spot 21 when returning from injury.

+ Moore to be rotated to the bench after the Rugby Championship, with TPN taking his starting position. Latu to be brought onto the bench to take Moores spot not long after.

+ In the 23: 7 Tahs (incl. Beale), 5 Brumbies, 4 Force, 4 Reds (incl. Genia), 3 Rebels.

And selections like that are just pure Waratahs bias and sense of entitlement. I cannot see how anyone, bar Cheika, could in all good conscience suggest the Tahs would have the major representation at Wallabies level again this year after the absolute drivel the whole team has served up during Super Rugby 2017. Remind what records were set by this team again?

I grant you that Folau, Foley and Hooper will start, but I don't think they should for the quite reasonable reasons I put forward. No sensationalism - just my opinion.

And that backline will leak tries as though they are the Tahs with two very suspect defenders in Kerevi and Beale and another not always dependable in Foley. Folau also has been missing tackles at the back lately, mostly it seems from poor positioning in defense. That team would result in a very poor outcome for the Wallabies.

I'd go (bearing in mind my stance that no Tahs should be selected for the first test at least):

Sio, TPN, Ala'alatoa, Arnold, Coleman, Fardy, Hardwick, Timani, Powell, Lance, Naivalu, Hunt, Hodge, Speight, DHP. Reserves Moore, Smith, Alexander, RHP, Higginbotham, Ruru (in Louwrens' absence), Paia'aia, Meakes.

That makes the franchise representations as, Brumbies 7; Reds 4; Force 8; Rebels 4. Much more balanced to the Super Rugby outcome for this year.

Others in the mix are Ainsley, Tupou, Rodda, Enever, Faiínga, Rona, Koriobete, Banks.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Maybe living in Australia and earning decent money is the compromise he wanted.

He went to Scotland and got out as fast as possible.

I have no idea about his personal circumstances but as a Fijian the situation in Australia might not be clear cut. Assuming he isn't an Australian citizen he would probably have to give up his permanent residency if he went and lived and worked overseas long term.

If he did that he could be in a position where he couldn't come back to live in Australia.

I also don't know his personal circumstances, but none of that warrants his selection as a Wallaby.

 

[Braveheart81]

I'd go (bearing in mind my stance that no Tahs should be selected for the first test at least):

Sio, TPN, Ala'alatoa, Arnold, Coleman, Fardy, Hardwick, Timani, Powell, Lance, Naivalu, Hunt, Hodge, Speight, DHP. Reserves Moore, Smith, Alexander, RHP, Higginbotham, Ruru (in Louwrens' absence), Paia'aia, Meakes.

That makes the franchise representations as, Brumbies 7; Reds 4; Force 8; Rebels 4. Much more balanced to the Super Rugby outcome for this year.

The Rebels won one game all season, the Reds won the same number as the Waratahs and the Force and Brumbies won two more games.

Suggesting that there should be no Waratahs in the matchday 23 for the first test this year is absolutely sensationalism.

 

[wamberal]

Selection by numbers, eh? Why not a lottery?



Fortunately players are selected on their own merit, not the merit of their team.

 

[Braveheart81]

I also don't know his personal circumstances, but none of that warrants his selection as a Wallaby.

I never argued it did. Certainly when he did get selected though, the options that are now easily ahead of him weren't there.

 

[Braveheart81]

This is the 35 man Wallabies squad I would select and then my first test team:

Props: Sio, Ala'alatoa, Kepu, Ainsley, Robertson, Smith
Hookers: Moore, Polota-Nau, Latu
Locks: Coleman, Arnold, Tui, Carter
Backrow: Hooper, Fardy, Timani, McMahon, Higginbotham, Hardwick, Haylett-Petty
Halfbacks: Genia, Powell, Phipps
Fly-halves: Foley, Cooper
Centres: Beale, Hunt, Hodge, Kuridrani, Kerevi, Meakes
Back three: Folau, Haylett-Petty, Naivalu, Speight


23 for the first test:

Sio, Moore, Ala'alatoa
Coleman, Arnold
Fardy, Hooper, Timani
Genia, Foley, Haylett-Petty, Hunt, Kuridrani, Folau, Beale

Reserves: Polota-Nau, Smith, Kepu, Tui, McMahon, Phipps, Hodge, Naivalu

 

[wamberal]

The Rebels won one game all season, the Reds won the same number as the Waratahs and the Force and Brumbies won two more games.

Suggesting that there should be no Waratahs in the matchday 23 for the first test this year is absolutely sensationalism.

Brumbyism.

 

[Twoilms]

This is the 35 man Wallabies squad I would select and then my first test team:

Props: Sio, Ala'alatoa, Kepu, Ainsley, Robertson, Smith
Hookers: Moore, Polota-Nau, Latu
Locks: Coleman, Arnold, Tui, Carter
Backrow: Hooper, Fardy, Timani, McMahon, Higginbotham, Hardwick, Haylett-Petty
Halfbacks: Genia, Powell, Phipps
Fly-halves: Foley, Cooper
Centres: Beale, Hunt, Hodge, Kuridrani, Kerevi, Meakes
Back three: Folau, Haylett-Petty, Naivalu, Speight


23 for the first test:

Sio, Moore, Ala'alatoa
Coleman, Arnold
Fardy, Hooper, Timani
Genia, Foley, Haylett-Petty, Hunt, Kuridrani, Folau, Beale

Reserves: Polota-Nau, Smith, Kepu, Tui, McMahon, Phipps, Hodge, Naivalu

Still Moore? He's been a shit captain and is well out of form. Does his marginally better line-out throw really keep him in the team?

 

[wamberal]

TPN for me every day of the week.

 

[Braveheart81]

Still Moore? He's been a shit captain and is well out of form. Does his marginally better line-out throw really keep him in the team?

Maybe Polota-Nau starts but he was hardly stellar during the June series either. Given the criticism of Latu's fitness I doubt he will usurp either of them to be in the 23 for the first test of the Rugby Championship.

 

[Twoilms]

I can see the logic in picking most of those players but we've been picking mostly those players to very little success i can't see it being any more successful than they were in the first three games this year.

I fear for the Rugby Championship.

 

[Jimmyjam]

Whilst the Tah bashing by the usual suspects is going into overdrive, the airbrushing of the other Aussie teams dismal season also continues unabated....!

Using the logic of old mate BR, we should be banning any Rebels with a 1 from 16 season, or Reds (also) a 4 from 16 season with a worse for and against then the Tahs.

Then we look at the Force with 6 from 16 with a -91 f/a!
However all hail the mighty Brumbies with a sensational 6 from 16 and a massive +36 f/a.

Let's just pick the Brumbies and a couple from the Force... That'll do it, better get Cheikas number BR, you've got it sorted!

 

[Twoilms]

Maybe Polota-Nau starts but he was hardly stellar during the June series either. Given the criticism of Latu's fitness I doubt he will usurp either of them to be in the 23 for the first test of the Rugby Championship.

So we are left with a well past it 34 year old. Depressing.

 

[Braveheart81]

So we are left with a well past it 34 year old. Depressing.

It doesn't say a lot for Latu if he can't get fit enough to push himself ahead of that 34 year old and it says even less of Ready if he is so out of shape and form he can't get into the matchday 23 for his Super Rugby team.

 

[Micheal]

Sio, TPN, Ala'alatoa, Arnold, Coleman, Fardy, Hardwick, Timani, Powell, Lance, Naivalu, Hunt, Hodge, Speight, DHP. Reserves Moore, Smith, Alexander, RHP, Higginbotham, Ruru (in Louwrens' absence), Paia'aia, Meakes.

That makes the franchise representations as, Brumbies 7; Reds 4; Force 8; Rebels 4. Much more balanced to the Super Rugby outcome for this year.

Others in the mix are Ainsley, Tupou, Rodda, Enever, Faiínga, Rona, Koriobete, Banks.

That's a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater if I've ever seen one.

That team would get pantsed by Argentina, let alone the All Blacks.