The Wallabies Thread

[upthereds#!]

We'll never know.

What seems fairly clear is that his play in June didn't demand his ongoing selection and whilst it would have been interesting to see if his play at 6 was better, he's certainly not of a standard at 31 to suggest that shaping the rest of the backrow to work around his skill set makes any sense.

Neither Dempsey or Korcyks Super Rugby play demanded their selection, let alone a c+/b- score in june tests, whereas RHP play certainly did warrant interest. Cheika is a interesting person.

 

[Derpus]

Nah you're having a laugh if you think Higgers seagulls better than Hooper. This is the guy everything calls a centre.

 

[upthereds#!]

Toughest thing about Cheika as coach is that it is very hard to justify some of his selection points. People are always going to have varied opinions on players (Like Moore, Quade, Folaus best position etc) but how many players have seemingly garnered such an extreme level of support by the Head Coach, to the utter confusion of the majority of supports as Hanigan, Dempsey and Korcyzk have.

The Koroibete thing has come up on my mind "Cheika unleashing project" etc etc, " he has been frustrated but now gets his chance" etc. He was a project player that has been giving serious time in a learning environment to finally earn a chance off the bench against a ' weaker ' opposition. This is how it should be and should have been for Rona.

And Where the hell was this standard of care when it applied to Nabuli? Below average Super Rugby performance where he admitted he barely has learnt where to stand, to get picked in a wallaby squad, get a run on debut, then a few weeks later misses out on the Wallabies entirely in favour of other rookies.......can't help but think it was purely to lock in his qualification as an australian player.

 

[upthereds#!]

Nah you're having a laugh if you think Higgers seagulls better than Hooper. This is the guy everything calls a centre.

I think Hooper would make a great centre, I think Higs would make a better wing. To me, a seagull is a forward on the wing, not centres. Semantics.

 

[Braveheart81]

Neither Dempsey or Korcyks Super Rugby play demanded their selection, let alone a c+/b- score in june tests, whereas RHP play certainly did warrant interest. Cheika is a interesting person.

I would have RHP in the squad too. I think everyone would.

I still wouldn't be picking Higginbotham though. I think it is dubious whether he'd be in the best 23 now and unbelievably unlikely he would be in 2019.

Currently I think Hooper and McMahon are our two best backrowers and the balance for them is someone who is strong in the lineout.

If you picked Timani in the backrow with the two of them it leaves our lineout very week (although the scrum is probably slightly stronger).

Timani's form is poor though.

A compromise has to be made somewhere currently because none of our number 8 options are close to complete players in that position.

 

[upthereds#!]

I would have RHP in the squad too. I think everyone would.

I still wouldn't be picking Higginbotham though. I think it is dubious whether he'd be in the best 23 now and unbelievably unlikely he would be in 2019.

Currently I think Hooper and McMahon are our two best backrowers and the balance for them is someone who is strong in the lineout.

If you picked Timani in the backrow with the two of them it leaves our lineout very week (although the scrum is probably slightly stronger).

Timani's form is poor though.

A compromise has to be made somewhere currently because none of our number 8 options are close to complete players in that position.

goddam compromise...sometimes I wish I was a kiwi.

 

[cyclopath]

goddam compromise.sometimes I wish I was a kiwi.

You should check! Like me, you might be!
Although I'm yet to see the benefit.

 

[Derpus]

goddam compromise.sometimes I wish I was a kiwi.

Eh even they aren't perfect these days. Sonny Bill cost them the Lions tour and was absolutely dreadful in Bled 2 and he still walks in. Barrett has been far from infallible at 10 as well.

 

[TOCC]

I would have RHP in the squad too. I think everyone would.

I still wouldn't be picking Higginbotham though. I think it is dubious whether he'd be in the best 23 now and unbelievably unlikely he would be in 2019.
.

I would definetly have Higgers in the squad ahead of Dempsey

 

[Joe Blow]

I wish that Cheika had played Higgs and Timani together with Hooper in June.
As someone wrote, he was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole with Higgers.
Now he has gone back to playing two 7s with one big bloke.
Hanigan is the big bloke.......

Pretty easy to see the problem with this

 

[MACCA]

IMO the Rugby brains trust really back the guys that can do the 5% ers (Dempsey, Hanigan etc). These guys can do the odd tricky play however are allowed to ignore the other 95% of their job descriptions. The guys who do the other 95% don't get the credit. Tackling, winning collisions, effective clean outs, heavy work in scrums just doesn't get you selected.
I reckon that's one of Australian rugby's selection pitfalls.


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[Strewthcobber]

IMO the Rugby brains trust really back the guys that can do the 5% ers (Dempsey, Hanigan etc). These guys can do the odd tricky play however are allowed to ignore the other 95% of their job descriptions. The guys who do the other 95% don't get the credit. Tackling, winning collisions, effective clean outs, heavy work in scrums just doesn't get you selected.
I reckon that's one of Australian rugby's selection pitfalls.


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Your pretty much describing Rob simmons there though aren't you?

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[TSR]

I would have benched or dropped Hanigan for this game.

I thought his two games against the All Blacks were the best of his career to date but he was poor against South Africa.

You might want to rewatch those games. He was terrible in the first (although clearly not on his own) and merely inadequate in the second. If I've ever seen a player good at getting his stats up by leaning on a breakdown it's him.

I'm not actually sure why you keep objecting to other people's post (that is not meant to be rude even though it sounds a bit abrupt). As far as I understand your comments you at least agree Hanigan needs a break, you agree Dempsey shouldn't be picked, you would have at least had Fardy & DHP in the squad. Most people here are suggesting that Cheika is making consistent selection mistakes. Your own comments indicate you agree. But you seem to have an issue with others making that observation.

 

[wamberal]

I wish Luke Jones had stuck around, and toughened up. He had all the makings of a pretty handy 6.

 

[Joe Blow]

I wish Luke Jones had stuck around, and toughened up. He had all the makings of a pretty handy 6.

Another young forward pushed into test rugby too quickly

 

[wamberal]

Another young forward pushed into test rugby too quickly

I don't mind that, sometimes the only way to know if a player is good enough for the next level is to put him there. Retallick and Etsebeth made it okay, and there have been plenty of others.

 

[Braveheart81]

If Jones had hung around a couple more years he'd probably be a regular starting XV player on a considerable contract.

Hopefully he comes back and has another crack. He is still well and truly young enough.

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[wamberal]

I was very impressed with his work in a finals game at Millner a few years ago, he was the only Manly forward who more than held his own on the day.

 

[Tomikin]

If Jones had hung around a couple more years he'd probably be a regular starting XV player on a considerable contract.

Hopefully he comes back and has another crack. He is still well and truly young enough.

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He seemed too have not been on the national teams liked list.. He'd be real useful now

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[Derpus]

If Jones had hung around a couple more years he'd probably be a regular starting XV player on a considerable contract.

Hopefully he comes back and has another crack. He is still well and truly young enough.

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DIdn't he have a kid and realise he couldn't stuff around hoping to be a Wallaby? Pretty sure he just left to maximise income because rugby stopped being his priority.