Wallabies 2019 Thread

[Joe Blow]

Surely Jones and LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (as locks) will become quite important in 2020. Young trees at the Reds, Brumbies & Rebels (Hockings, Blyth, Swain, Hosea, Frost) all still growing, and our backrow stocks are looking pretty sweet.

Lock- Rodda, Simmons, Jones, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
Backrow - Hoops, Wright, Samu, Dempsey, Naisarani, Valetini

Not to mention the front row, which should improve with age.

 

[Joe Blow]

10 is the question mark in most sides, newbies or meh are the options in most sides

Isn’t Maddox a 10 by trade? Might need to start grooming him.

 

[Braveheart81]

Isn’t Maddox a 10 by trade? Might need to start grooming him.

Maddocks? No. I think it was speculation more than anything. I think he played there a bit in high school but I'm almost certain it wasn't his normal position in the first XV.

I certainly can't think of any games he's played at 10 at any level since school.

 

[KOB1987]

Maddocks? No. I think it was speculation more than anything. I think he played there a bit in high school but I'm almost certain it wasn't his normal position in the first XV.

I certainly can't think of any games he's played at 10 at any level since school.

3rd XV you mean

 

[Tomikin]

Sure, but I would say it would be equally presumptive to suggest those guys are going to be core Wallabies in this RWC cycle.

We'll still have Rodda and LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) who are both very young. Rob Simmons who might not play another test after the RWC but likewise has a wealth of experience and could easily factor in selections regularly over the next cycle (or at least the first couple of years), test capped Matt Philip and Blake Enever. Luke Jones who can play lock, and then the other youngsters like Frost, Hosea, Ha'angana etc.

Some of them will be for sure, but there's a whole bunch who are reasonable candidates and they can't all be core Wallabies in the next few years.

Interesting times, locks going to be a position of strength, I personally think the position will probably be filled by personal coach preference, at the moment you would say Rodda's locked in and the other spot/s are up for grabs.

Backrow will likely have 7 Hooper 8 Isi for the foreseeable future with only 6 really up for grabs and a great World Cup from Dempsey could see him snag that position (and I hope he does) as his still a lineout target and has the pace to play in the wider channels.

 

[Tomikin]

10's going to obviously be the position we will struggle in next year, but Foley will be available, and even if its just mentoring he probably should come back.

I reckon Andrew Deegan's a good shout next year and then we will probably see who is in form to make up the numbers.

 

[Slim 293]

Deegan needs to be playing Super Rugby though, rather than exhibition games against the Penang Panthers, Yogyakarta Yaguars or whoever.........

 

[Tomikin]

Deegan needs to be playing Super Rugby though, rather than exhibition games against the Penang Panthers, Yogyakarta Yaguars or whoever...

Agreed but his still probably the best skill set of all the local 10's at the moment, well I think so.

 

[Lindommer]

I've put up a notice here on the relevant Tahs thread for someone to get off their clacker and sign Deegan up. He really should be competing in a higher level competition.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Keep an eye on Angus Bell, he could be the best of the lot, IMHO.

Excellent in the open at the U20s but had his problems at scrum time.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Darcy Swain is a strange one to include on the list. He's alright but given the locking talent we have already that are well ahead of him and the younger talent coming through it's hard to see him becoming a core member of the Wallabies in the next RWC cycle.

I would remind you of this pessimistic assessment in a couple of years BH if only I could be bothered.

 

[Braveheart81]

I would remind you of this pessimistic assessment in a couple of years BH if only I could be bothered.

It's not a pessimistic assessment. As my later post suggested, there are a lot of young locks who could be put in this category. That fact alone means that a statement suggesting any of them should be a regular fixture in the Wallabies in the next couple of years is pretty hard to support. Some of them will be for sure and Swain could be one of them. You suggested that the only pre-requisite for that was a coach who makes reasonable selections.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I fully expect the next coach to be fair and unbiassed. My reference there was to the lack of impartiality as exhibited by his preference for his favourites in the current coach.

How many of the current front runners for lock, Rodda, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Simmons, Philip and Enever, will still be around in 2023? I won't be surprised if Simmons, Enever and Philip all go o/s for the bigger contracts before next RWC. I will be surprised if one or two of Hockings, Blyth and Swain are not regarded as core Wallabies by the next RWC. Unsurprisingly, I do favour Darcy Swain as being one of them, He has already in most eyes, including it seems the coach's, overtaken Blake Enever in the Brumbies' pecking order. He has an all round locking game and excellent set piece skills. But above all, her is superior (imo) to the other younger players in setting up or dismantling rolling mauls, where he has the potential to be equal to Rory Arnold.

In any case, all of these three are far ahead of your other nominees in Frost, Ha'angana and Hosea.

 

[Braveheart81]

LOL. Literally every test coach has their favourites and gets accused of unfair selections. It just depends whether you agree with them or not as to whether you think they are biased.

 

[Tomikin]

LOL. Literally every test coach has their favourites and gets accused of unfair selections. It just depends whether you agree with them or not as to whether you think they are biased.

I do think we call it favorites but its more I believe information, so Chekia knows the Tah's players capabilities better then others so when calling in a line ball decision he goes with what he knows, nothing wrong with that.

I think we call it favorites when its really not, like Chekia said he didn't really have much to do with JOC (James O'Connor) or Lealifanio to this season but Im certain now in his camp his seen what they are about.

I think not coming from a super team may help the coach not be seen as playing favorites.

In the end he wants to win more then we do, I'm sure his not going out there each week to lose the game.

 

[fatprop]

I do think we call it favorites but its more I believe information, so Chekia knows the Tah's players capabilities better then others so when calling in a line ball decision he goes with what he knows, nothing wrong with that.

I think we call it favorites when its really not, like Chekia said he didn't really have much to do with JOC (James O'Connor) or Lealifanio to this season but Im certain now in his camp his seen what they are about.

I think not coming from a super team may help the coach not be seen as playing favorites.

In the end he wants to win more then we do, I'm sure his not going out there each week to lose the game.

There is also a selection lag built into the system, the Tahs had been the most successful Super Rugby side for a number of years, that leads to more players being selected, rightly or wrongly as they had been in the semis while the rest were polishing their boots.

With the Ponies finally turning up they are now getting more selections, it is the circle of life

 

[Bobby Sands]

There is also a selection lag built into the system, the Tahs had been the most successful Super Rugby side for a number of years, that leads to more players being selected, rightly or wrongly as they had been in the semis while the rest were polishing their boots.

With the Ponies finally turning up they are now getting more selections, it is the circle of life

Annnnd thank god for it.

Less Tahs = better Wallabies.

 

[cyclopath]

Annnnd thank god for it.

Less Tahs = better Wallabies.

Fewer.

 

[fatprop]

Annnnd thank god for it.

Less Tahs = better Wallabies.

It would have been nice to see the rest of the teams be of a standard to actually provide viable options

 

[Tomikin]

There is also a selection lag built into the system, the Tahs had been the most successful Super Rugby side for a number of years, that leads to more players being selected, rightly or wrongly as they had been in the semis while the rest were polishing their boots.

With the Ponies finally turning up they are now getting more selections, it is the circle of life

To an extent, there has also been some misfortune along the way, Lealiifanio's sickness, Arnold's untimely injuries then poor international form, even Dempsey getting injured.

I do feel for guys like McCaffrey and Samu, Pete mostly there is no way his form, in gold or for the Brumbies this year should have not got him a gig in the squad and a shot at the cup, he musta really pissed off the powers that be.

Mostly though the team this year is much better then last year, and alot of form has been rewarded and transferred into the RWC squad.

Wouldn't mind another strike Winger/Banks in the squad we lack genuine pace.