Wallabies 2020

[Lyall]

Some random Wallaby thoughts after last night's game:
Uelese and Petaia are made of glass. Great talents, but we may never see how great due to their nasty case of Ben Tune syndrome
While a fan of AAA, Thor must be our starting loose head
LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) must be one of our locks, the other spot is still open
McReight is a real talent, will play a lot in the gold jumper, but right at the moment I still want Hooper there(I know I will cop the ire of BR and Bobby Sands for that, but I guess I'm just going to have to learn to live with that).
O'Conner at 10 and To'omua at 12 please, not the other way around.
Daugunu and Korobeite are the two best wingers in the country and should be in gold. Wright and Ramm (both who really impress me) will have to wait their turn.
Sorry Reds fans, but I'm not on the Campbell bus. He's a handy enough Super player, but for mine DHP, Banks, Maddocks and Hodge are all in front of him for Wallaby 15.

I'd be happy with 47 tests each from these guys.

 

[Lyall]

he's properly from NSW.

Izack Rodda was born in Lismore in Northern New South Wales,[1] around forty kilometres north of his home town of Evans Head.[2] He started playing junior rugby union on the Far North Coast for the Ballina Seahorses RUFC. Rodda was selected for NSW Country junior teams,[3] and also played some rugby league in his early years as a lock forward or prop.[4]
The young Rodda switched his focus to playing rugby union at the age of thirteen, initially as a number eight but later at lock as he grew in stature.[4] He attended Ipswich Grammar in Queensland for his final two years of high school and was selected for the Australian Schoolboys rugby team in 2014.[3]

It's all Queensland from Evan's Heads up........

 

[dru]

It's all Queensland from Evan's Heads up....

Works for me.

 

[Joe Blow]

It's all Queensland from Evan's Heads up....

Lies.......

 

[Bobby Sands]

Yep but we've picked a number of guys to potentially fill a couple of different positions (Pete Samu stands out in the back row), seems strange that the logic here is that Dempsey was only considered at 8.

Dempsey is incredibly ordinary.

We can’t just keep picking these same blokes, we suck?

We need to clear away Cheika’s Waratah dead wood.

 

[Slim 293]

Dempsey has been a standout in the few tests he’s played, and was arguably the form no 8 in the latter half of Super Rugby Au as Naisarani and Wilson’s form dropped off.........

 

[cyclopath]

Dempsey has been a standout in the few tests he’s played, and was arguably the form no 8 in the latter half of Super Rugby Au as Naisarani and Wilson’s form dropped off...

Agree about the Tests - a lot of posters rated his appearances in the past. He's been getting better as the Tahs season went on after a pretty slow start coming back from injury, but of course the Tahs came up short. I don't think he stood out well above those mentioned, so missing out not a massive surprise. Certainly less of one than Swinton getting in, IMO. Dempsey will probably get more chances down the track, as he gets further back to his best condition and form. But it's a crowded scene in the back row at the moment. Which is good.

 

[Up the Guts]

Dempsey is incredibly ordinary.

We can’t just keep picking these sane blokes, we suck?

We need to clear away Cheika’s Waratah dead wood.

This isn’t your best hot take. Dempsey was excellent in the Waratahs’ run home. More deserving than Swinton.

 

[Bobby Sands]

This isn’t your best hot take. Dempsey was excellent in the Waratahs’ run home. More deserving than Swinton.

He played one great game against The Rebs, but I believe Rennie is really trying to rebuild this side. Both the players and the culture.

Dempsey has been cruelled by injury, but players are going past him.

Samu on merit should have been selected ahead of him for the WC.

Why should we keep selecting these players who have consistently not delivered?

If Hooper, Dempsey, Horton, Hanigan, Simmons, Swinton etc are so good - why do the Tahs suck?

 

[TSR]

My recollection was that Dempsey was excellent in his first incarnation in gold and then so so in his second stint. He got dropped in the end didn’t he?

Likewise he’s found some form and had some great games, but he’s gone missing a few times too.

I figure Swinton has got the gig because he is the one deemed ‘on the up’. He’s rough but there is capability there.

Much of a muchness really but I can’t say I feel Dempsey has been overly hard done by.

 

[Up the Guts]

He played one great game against The Rebs, but I believe Rennie is really trying to rebuild this side. Both the players and the culture.

Dempsey has been cruelled by injury, but players are going past him.

Samu on merit should have been selected ahead of him for the WC.

Why should we keep selecting these players who have consistently not delivered?

If Hooper, Dempsey, Horton, Hanigan, Rob, etc are so good - why do the Tahs suck?

My recollection was that Dempsey was excellent in his first incarnation in gold and then so so in his second stint. He got dropped in the end didn’t he?

Likewise he’s found some form and had some great games, but he’s gone missing a few times too.

I figure Swinton has got the gig because he is the one deemed ‘on the up’. He’s rough but there is capability there.

Much of a muchness really but I can’t say I feel Dempsey has been overly hard done by.

Dempsey outplayed Wilson in the second round of SuperAu, CMV.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Dempsey outplayed Wilson in the second round of SuperAu, CMV.

Yep he’s a real gun.

Wilson got in on QLD bias because Rennie lives on the Gold Coast.

Do Waratahs supporters still think their players are good? Honestly?

 

[Kenny Powers]

Pfft Beauden Barrett couldn't tackle a one-legged child.

10 is the one spot on the field where your defensive ability is just about irrelevant.

Do you also believe props don’t need to know how to pass, centres don’t need to know how to kick or that only forwards should know how to join a rolling maul?

 

[Derpus]

Do you also believe props don’t need to know how to pass, centres don’t need to know how to kick or that only forwards should know how to join a rolling maul?

Obviously, they need to be able to defend. It's just way down the list of priorities. No 10 will ever get selected over another 10 because he's a better defender.

Just like i wouldn't pick a prop because he has a good pass and i wouldn't pick a centre because he enjoys sticking his head in a maul.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Yep he’s a real gun.

Wilson got in on QLD bias because Rennie lives on the Gold Coast.

Do Waratahs supporters still think their players are good? Honestly?

I think people are forgetting that Dempsey early in the season was a bench player for the Waratahs.

Have to say that given family connections with his uncle being the players association president when Rugby turned professional in the mid 90’s, he has been afforded more opportunities than most and kinder treatment from the ex player media than others.

 

[TSR]

Dempsey outplayed Wilson in the second round of SuperAu, CMV.

So? I assume Swinton did too. Look I don’t want to get in some stupid argument with you or get childish, but thats pretty much the poorest evidence you could offer me. The Reds were rotten that day.

Honestly UTG I’m not going to get in a slinging match with you - but that’s a childish response. If you can’t see why Wilson is in the squad then that’s your issue.

If you refer back to my comments over the last few weeks I specifically mentioned I thought Dempsey would be a decent shot, not just at the squad but for a starting jersey. I’m not trying to slam the guy. But I am trying to guess the logic, and that’s my take on it.

But if you think Dempsey should be there on the basis of one specific game, good luck to you.

 

[Up the Guts]

So? I assume Swinton did too. Look I don’t want to get in some stupid argument with you or get childish, but thats pretty much the poorest evidence you could offer me. The Reds were rotten that day.

Honestly UTG I’m not going to get in a slinging match with you - but that’s a childish response. If you can’t see why Wilson is in the squad then that’s your issue.

If you refer back to my comments over the last few weeks I specifically mentioned I thought Dempsey would be a decent shot, not just at the squad but for a starting jersey. I’m not trying to slam the guy. But I am trying to guess the logic, and that’s my take on it.

But if you think Dempsey should be there on the basis of one specific game, good luck to you.

I'm talking about the whole of the second round. Not that one match.

I'm a big supporter of Wilson and have him as my starting 8 based on the performances he's put together season wide. My point is that Rennie has been quoted as saying he's picked the side on form, Dempsey has come into top form in the second half of the competition and should be there if that's the criteria for selection. A lot more than Swinton, imo.

FWIW, I've watched Swinton since he's been a schoolboy and I understand the arguments about his 'mongrel' but he has always had a penchant for doing stupid shit. He should have been red carded in the Rebels vs Tahs match for a shoulder to the head when the Tahs had a chance to close it out.

Edit: I just checked and given Dempsey is the starting 8 in the cumulative GAGR TOTW for the 5 final rounds of the comp, I don't think it's even controversial to say Dempsey outplayed Wilson in the second round. Still, looking at the season as a whole, particularly what Wilson did before COVID, I would have him playing over Dempsey.

 

[TSR]

Dempsey has had some good games, but he is inconsistent. Personally I don’t see his non-selection as being incompatible with Rennie’s statement.

 

[Up the Guts]

Dempsey has had some good games, but he is inconsistent. Personally I don’t see his non-selection as being incompatible with Rennie’s statement.

Agree to disagree then. Personally, a bit of a head scratcher when he has chosen a guy in the squad with one bench appearance all year.

 

[Adam84]

Timing of the announcement was a bit poor IMO, should have waited until the day after the GF to make it public and just let the media focus on the Super Rugby GF.
If they were concerned about forewarning the players, its a bit of a moot point since they’ve been naming the PONI squad on a regular basis.