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Wallabies 2019 Thread

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The_Brown_Hornet

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
cyclopath said:
Yes, if he does all the core lock work well - lineouts, shoring his side of the scrum etc... Especially the latter. In recent years I think our scrum has suffered at times from locks that are not great scrum technicians. I think we have enough lock and back row options available that we don't need to compromise in either area in any way. Until injuries happen! :p
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The back five options in the pack are all pretty excellent. The big thing I think will be getting the balance of roles in terms of scrummaging, jumping, ball carrying, pilfering, smashing blokes, rolling cnuts, general rock shifting and mongrel right across the group.
 
S

Show-n-go

Guest
Brumbieman said:
Not really, they haven't really featured that heavily or dominated their competition all season.

The best team, and by FAR the best pack getting a 50% representation isn't that daft is it?
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Think having Valetini is a hard sell to some, I think Carter is a near impossible one to sell
 
Brumby Runner

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
Braveheart81 said:
I wouldn't pick Dempsey either. I don't think he has shown much this year in the games he's played.

The question I would have about Valetini is what his work is like at the back of the scrum. I think he needs to be a good option at 8 as well as 6 to be a chance of making the final RWC squad. I think he's a strong chance of making an initial 40 man squad though.

If he's seen as a specialist he'd be behind Naisarani and might miss out to someone like Samu who is more versatile. If you're outside the starting XV it's going to be hard to make the RWC side as a backrower, particularly if Pocock makes it onto the plane.
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So true about the backrow. It looks to be a particularly strong area at the moment. History shows, though, that apart from one M Hooper quite a few backrowers suffer injuties on a regular basis. Even Hooper missed games this (or last) year.
 
Brumby Runner

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
Rugbynutter39 said:
For me on form would be criminal to leave out Samu and I have him ahead of Valetini
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Different styles of players. Samu is more a 7/8, great energy, good around the field in both attack and defense, adequate pilferer, while Valetini is more a 6/8, larger and plays harder both running the ball and hitting in defense, plays tighter. The evidence this year would support the contention that they are complementary and not necessarily competing for the same spot.
Braveheart81 said:
I agree.

People will get outraged again but Hanigan will make the 40 man squad. He's had a good season.

I wouldn't have him in the 31 man RWC squad but he's probably only an injury or two away to certain people.

There's a few moving parts there in terms of whether LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) is seen as a lock (and they take one less as a result) and then the fitness of Pocock.
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BH, I don't see Hanigan as really being an injury issue.

Apart from Hooper who carried the team this year, HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes) who is a very promising developing player and Kepu who is now on the wane but from a very high standard, I don't think any Tahs forwards have done sufficient to warrant selection in the national team.
 
Slim 293

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
I won't be surprised to see Hanigan make an extended squad, but quite frankly he's just not good enough to be anywhere near the team.........

He benefited a couple of seasons ago when we were lacking options and Fardy wasn't going to be considered..........

But now there's Jones, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Naisarani, Samu, Valetini, McCaffrey and Dempsey all competing for positions in the backrow, and all of them far more effective, more skillful, more physically dominant around the ground, and all of them in better form.
 
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fatprop

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
TSR said:
It’s not a myth at all. If Phipps pass was strong he’d be our clear Number 1 half. That doesn’t mean every pass is sub standard or he can’t go through games where he passes well. But he has consistently across his career has an issue with the reliability of his pass and, as a half, it is his number 1 job.

The fact that other halves also throw the occasional or more than occasional bad pass doesn’t make Phipps passing better or worse.
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Phipps's pass is a factor of his want to clear the ball faster than any other 9 in aus. So yes you get a shit pass sometimes, but you also end up with a lot of attacking options against un-set defenses because he is by far the quickest to the breakdown and to clear.

Like always, it is swings and roundabouts, if you want the fastest clearances, he is your man, but his pass can be erratic because of it.

If you want slower safer clearances pick someone else who can unpick set defenses
 
fatprop

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
Slim 293 said:
I won't be surprised to see Hanigan make an extended squad, but quite frankly he's just not good enough to be anywhere near the team...

He benefited a couple of seasons ago when we were lacking options and Fardy wasn't going to be considered....

But now there's Jones, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Naisarani, Samu, Valetini, McCaffrey and Dempsey all competing for positions in the backrow, and all of them far more effective, more skillful, more physically dominant around the ground, and all of them in better form.
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We continually focus on players weaknesses and not what they actually bring to the mix. Hanigan is competing with Jones & LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) for the 4/6 bench option they all have weaknesses and strengths and it will be down to the backrow balance. Hanigan is a lineout gun with a high workrate, Jones is the closest match but less mobile but quite effective and safe, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) is more dynamic but less consistent

I think the lineout benefits will depend how we plan to finish games, the Pooper? vs a straight swap of Hooper for Pocock or visa versa
 
Derpus

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Slim 293 said:
But now there's Jones, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Naisarani, Samu, Valetini, McCaffrey and Dempsey all competing for positions in the backrow, and all of them far more effective, more skillful, more physically dominant around the ground, and all of them in better form.
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Sadly, Hanigan has been better than Dempsey for the Tahs this season.
 
Slim 293

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
fatprop said:
We continually focus on players weaknesses and not what they actually bring to the mix. Hanigan is competing with Jones & LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) for the 4/6 bench option they all have weaknesses and strengths and it will be down to the backrow balance. Hanigan is a lineout gun with a high workrate, Jones is the closest match but less mobile but quite effective and safe, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) is more dynamic but less consistent

I think the lineout benefits will depend how we plan to finish games, the Pooper? vs a straight swap of Hooper for Pocock or visa versa
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Although Hanigan can cover 4/6 in Super Rugby, I would never consider him for that role for the Wallabies.

I also think your'e being generous calling him a "lineout gun" - he can jump, but he hasn't recorded a single lineout steal this year.

And I don't think having a high work rate is good enough if he's ineffective.

Obviously balance matters, but among the list of backrowers available there's no requirement for him.
 
Slim 293

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
I would understand if Valetini was selected......... he's a beast, has a good workrate to back that up, and can jump in the lineout if required.

He'll definitely be in the initial squad, but with his injury history and young age I'd rather we didn't rush his development - I'd like to see him a complete a full season of Super Rugby at least.
 
Strewthcobber

Strewthcobber

Simon Poidevin (60)
Two of the three backrowers need to play in the 1-3-3-1. Hooper will obviously be one of them.

LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) as an example showed he wasn't the right man for the edges last year, so if you play him at 6, your 8 needs to be able to. Poet or someone like Samu.
 
fatprop

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
Slim 293 said:
Although Hanigan can cover 4/6 in Super Rugby, I would never consider him for that role for the Wallabies.

I also think your'e being generous calling him a "lineout gun" - he can jump, but he hasn't recorded a single lineout steal this year.

And I don't think having a high work rate is good enough if he's ineffective.

Obviously balance matters, but among the list of backrowers available there's no requirement for him.
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I didn't put him in my squad, but I don't dismiss him either, as to his lineout effectiveness, he takes all his balls, gets up fast and creates pressure at two, he isn't crap, but he isn't the dominant crash ball unit I think we need
 
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