Up the Guts
Steve Williams (59)
I like Philip, very strong ball carrier and a bit of a madman. Hoping he gets another crack this year as he was unlucky not to play a few tests last year
Wallabies 2019 Thread
- Thread starter Lindommer
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Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I can't get the picture of him leaning in for a tackle on Beauden Barrett who was about a metre inside him and clean through out of my head.
Blackadder
Desmond Connor (43)
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2019/02/23/one-percenters-february-24-2019
Nic White thinking of coming home
Nic White thinking of coming home
RoffsChoice
Jim Lenehan (48)
My favourite scrum half not named Parra! Come back to Canberra!
Brumbieman
Dick Tooth (41)
Been thinking over the weekend, after the Tahs results and the general cancerous influence of NSW rugby on the Wallabies (Shute Shield doing their best to take down the NRC, years of entitled players never delivering etc, old boys cartel), what i'd do if handed the Wallabies reins tomorrow and told to pick my squad.
Aiming for as few Tahs as possible (taking only the genuinely good players), my squad (just going for top two players in each position).
1. Sio, Slipper
2. Fainga'a, BPA
3. Thor, AAA
4. Rodda, Tui
5. Coleman, Arnold
(wow, remind me again why we cant destroy every single forward pack in every facet with that talent?)
Backrow is the hardest -
6. Dempsey, Valetini (hasn't really fired so far this year but fuck it), (Jones possibly)
7. Pocock, Hooper
8. Naisirani, McCaffrey
Backs-
9. Genia, Powell
10. Cooper, Lealiifano
11. Koirobete, Maddocks
12. Kerevi, To'omua
13. Kuridrani, Petaia
14. Folau, Naivalu
15. Banks, DHP
Actually, that's not much different to the squad i'd pick even without trying to pull a Cheika on the Tahs, and that shits all over everything we've seen rolled out since 2015.
Lord Laurie as my forwards/defence coach, McKay as attack coach, Mick Byrne for skills - he was good enough for the AB's, he's still good enough, he's just not being listened to - and Dean Benton keeping them in shape.
Aiming for as few Tahs as possible (taking only the genuinely good players), my squad (just going for top two players in each position).
1. Sio, Slipper
2. Fainga'a, BPA
3. Thor, AAA
4. Rodda, Tui
5. Coleman, Arnold
(wow, remind me again why we cant destroy every single forward pack in every facet with that talent?)
Backrow is the hardest -
6. Dempsey, Valetini (hasn't really fired so far this year but fuck it), (Jones possibly)
7. Pocock, Hooper
8. Naisirani, McCaffrey
Backs-
9. Genia, Powell
10. Cooper, Lealiifano
11. Koirobete, Maddocks
12. Kerevi, To'omua
13. Kuridrani, Petaia
14. Folau, Naivalu
15. Banks, DHP
Actually, that's not much different to the squad i'd pick even without trying to pull a Cheika on the Tahs, and that shits all over everything we've seen rolled out since 2015.
Lord Laurie as my forwards/defence coach, McKay as attack coach, Mick Byrne for skills - he was good enough for the AB's, he's still good enough, he's just not being listened to - and Dean Benton keeping them in shape.
Ignoring the bizarre rant elements of the post, I will answer the question you posed:
The players you mention are chronically hot and cold at international level. Prone to looking fantastic one match, then turning in two or three anonymous efforts.
Neither of the two hooker options you mention are good enough for international rugby at the present time.
If it all comes together, then we can be great. This happened in 2015 and it's not out of the realm of possibility it happens again.
.
B
Bobby Sands
Guest
Israel, Hunt & Hooper should be the only Waratahs selected in the squad. I guess Beale as well but only as a utility.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
No you missed the rest of the post, he's excluding players because of the people in the office, not the players' actual form.
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
No Dempsey?
I didn't bother with that bit because they are ramblings of a conspiracy theorist.
Yeah, I agree with that. He's at the bottom end of that battle over backrow positions of people who can cover a couple of spots. I'd be very surprised if he gets the nod in a RWC year as an uncapped player.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
Kepu but he needs to be managed well
Dempsey because he's excelled in gold and is the form backrower of all provinces
Ned has been a placeholder and I wouldn't have him in my 23 but a few players need to step up with consistency between now and the RC to unseat him from the wider tour squad
Jed's a smokey for a utility 6/lock spot over Ned but the jury is well and truly out on that one
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Pretty well stocked for form locks.
B
Bobby Sands
Guest
My apologies, I love Dempsey.
B
Bobby Sands
Guest
The reality is that right now we have a lot of players who are looking pretty good that are in the mix for far less positions than that. It's certainly a better position than previous years.
Prop: Sio, Ala'alatoa, Tupou, Kepu, Slipper. These are probably a pretty clear 5 at the moment. Other options are a step down
Hooker: BPA, Fainga'a, TPN, Latu, Uelese, Rangi (pick 3)
Lock: Coleman, Rodda, Salakaia-Loto, Arnold, Simmons, Arnold, Philip, Jones, Holloway (pick 4)
Backrow: Pocock, Hooper, Dempsey, Naisarani, Hanigan, Timu, Valetini, Cottrell, McCaffrey (pick 5)
Halfbacks: Genia, Phipps, Gordon, Powell (pick 3)
Five eighth: Foley, Cooper, Leali'ifano (pick 2)
Centres: Beale, Kerevi, Kuridrani, Hunt, To'omua, Petaia, Meakes, Ashley-Cooper
Back three: Folau, DHP, Banks, Hodge, Maddocks, Naivalu, Koroibete (pick 9 between centres and back three with some players being interchangeable).
In 2015 we took a couple of risks having only two hookers (Sio was the emergency cover at hooker) and two halfbacks (Giteau was the third halfback).
The question for 2019 is whether we can get away with either of these and it will somewhat depend on whether there are any injury clouds over key players. The upside of being able to select more backrowers, centres or outside backs is potentially only an upside on paper.
The difference for 2019 is we don't need two separate teams as we have no short turnarounds so can essentially pick a best 23 with some backups to start against Uruguay and rest critical players.
Prop: Sio, Ala'alatoa, Tupou, Kepu, Slipper. These are probably a pretty clear 5 at the moment. Other options are a step down
Hooker: BPA, Fainga'a, TPN, Latu, Uelese, Rangi (pick 3)
Lock: Coleman, Rodda, Salakaia-Loto, Arnold, Simmons, Arnold, Philip, Jones, Holloway (pick 4)
Backrow: Pocock, Hooper, Dempsey, Naisarani, Hanigan, Timu, Valetini, Cottrell, McCaffrey (pick 5)
Halfbacks: Genia, Phipps, Gordon, Powell (pick 3)
Five eighth: Foley, Cooper, Leali'ifano (pick 2)
Centres: Beale, Kerevi, Kuridrani, Hunt, To'omua, Petaia, Meakes, Ashley-Cooper
Back three: Folau, DHP, Banks, Hodge, Maddocks, Naivalu, Koroibete (pick 9 between centres and back three with some players being interchangeable).
In 2015 we took a couple of risks having only two hookers (Sio was the emergency cover at hooker) and two halfbacks (Giteau was the third halfback).
The question for 2019 is whether we can get away with either of these and it will somewhat depend on whether there are any injury clouds over key players. The upside of being able to select more backrowers, centres or outside backs is potentially only an upside on paper.
The difference for 2019 is we don't need two separate teams as we have no short turnarounds so can essentially pick a best 23 with some backups to start against Uruguay and rest critical players.
We're going to take 5 props so I think he's very likely. I think there's a big drop off to the next player with Robertson out injured. Kepu can play both sides and is our most experienced ever prop.
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
good chat
Both Smiths are apparently eligible now too. They need game time of course, but Keps is under pressure to hold his spot in that top 5.
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