Wallabies 2020

[Braveheart81]

Nic White doesn't seem like a bad option. Of course you would question whether his starting position is rock solid for the longer term which I think is a key requirement particularly when naming a new captain. He's also 30 so the decline could come fairly rapidly at some point in the next few years.

I'm not sure pointing out his leadership role on the field necessarily means he should be captain. We need more players outside of the captain being leaders on and off the field. It's part of what makes champion teams.

I'd say there are only a handful of players in the mix for the role and White would be one of them.

 

[Wilson]

Nic White doesn't seem like a bad option. Of course you would question whether his starting position is rock solid for the longer term which I think is a key requirement particularly when naming a new captain. He's also 30 so the decline could come fairly rapidly at some point in the next few years.

His age may end up being an advantage, particularly if Rennie is looking for someone to give the C to while he gets his head around the team and works out what he wants it to look like going forward. Much easier to choose a long term captain a year or 2 down the track. If you Hooper is out as captain because of his sabbatical, then White and To'omua are the 2 obvious choices for that sort of transitional captain.

 

[Braveheart81]

If you Hooper is out as captain because of his sabbatical

Why would that be the case though? He's going to be available for selection for every test.

Seems highly likely To'omua will also take the sabbatical option in the near future too.

 

[dru]

I'd say there are only a handful of players in the mix for the role and White would be one of them.

Yep.

Bishop's article though was full of "White is very good at xyz" but everything quoted was historical. Is should be was and what we have seen of him is two 30 min sessions off the bench. A much smaller opportunity to demonstrate his selection let alone captain.

However, the choices are challenging.

Ala'alatoa: Can't guarantee selection and we would want the opportunity for Tupou to remain open.
Hoker: no real candidates for now
The row: Simmons?
Anyone in the back row: one of the most competitive selection decissions for the WBs and you'd want to leave all three open for selection so:
Hooper: possible but do we want to lose a 7 selection?
Wright: Not now, hasn't moved past Hooper and will need to lock down 6. In a couple of years? Talk about it then.
Jake Nic White: Form currently unproven, in form he is international quality, proven leadership. But locks out other 9s - this is a competitive position in selection. Knocking out Tate would not feel good.
To'omua: As a 10/12 could avoid the selection issues at 10 which is also competitive.
DHP: ?

Jake Nic White is a completely reasonable choice. But I really want to see more of him before making him a lock as the 9 selection let alone captain. Hopefully he gets this time as SRau goes through the finals. If his form is demonstrably superior to Tate, fair enough.

My choice right now would be To'omua.

 

[KOB1987]

^^^^ That'd be Nic White. Jake's a bit past it.

 

[dru]

^^^^ That'd be Nic White. Jake's a bit past it.

oops.

 

[Braveheart81]

To'omua would seem to be the next most likely choice after Hooper in my view.

 

[dru]

To'omua would seem to be the next most likely choice after Hooper in my view.

Personally I'd prefer White and To'omua. You are not wrong on likelihood though.

 

[Wilson]

Why would that be the case though? He's going to be available for selection for every test.

Seems highly likely To'omua will also take the sabbatical option in the near future too.

Will he be available for tests outside the reg 9 window? For wallabies camps throughout the season? It's not unreasonable to suggest that the Australian captain should be playing for an Australian super side. I don't think Rennie is going to take that position, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

I'd like to see either of the young blokes (Lolesio & Harrison) getting a run with To'omua outside of them.

 

[Up the Guts]

White is not a bad option imo but I’m not sure the article built that convincing a case for him. There was one gif of him talking to the team last year and the rest was about how he was a good 9.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Will he be available for tests outside the reg 9 window? For wallabies camps throughout the season? It's not unreasonable to suggest that the Australian captain should be playing for an Australian super side. I don't think Rennie is going to take that position, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

He'll be away for Jan to Jul 2021. He'll only miss time for the tahs.

 

[Adam84]

Well, Rennie introduced joint captains during his time at Glasgow, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see something similar done at the Wallaby level.

 

[Braveheart81]

Will he be available for tests outside the reg 9 window? For wallabies camps throughout the season? It's not unreasonable to suggest that the Australian captain should be playing for an Australian super side. I don't think Rennie is going to take that position, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

He's in Japan from January to June next year so won't miss any tests.

He would miss any camps held over that period but Rennie has currently said that he isn't planning on holding camps. Former coaches haven't named actual squads or a captain for those camps, just invited players.

Obviously Hooper going to Japan could count against him when Rennie chooses a captain but I doubt it will be a significant factor. I would be surprised if Rennie is picking his captain now thinking that he is locking that person in for July next year as well.

 

[RugbyReg]

you can't pick yappy scrumhalves as captain. Never really worked for Gregan nor Genia.

You can have statesmen as halves, ala NFJ.

Or everyone's mate, such as Slatts for QLD.

White is a yapper, ipso facto, not a captian.

I'd have Hooper, To'omua, AAA and Wright (playing 6) ahead of him as a candidate. Even Simmons, who I think has done a reasonable job this year.

 

[Up the Guts]

Yeah, I don't think an Australian half could get away with it like TJP does for the 'Canes.

 

[qwerty51]

I wouldn’t make Hooper captain again. It’s not ideal to have your captain overseas next year for 6 months even if it’s not during Test season.

Nic White then To'omua for me.

 

[qwerty51]

Well, Rennie introduced joint captains during his time at Glasgow, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see something similar done at the Wallaby level.

Yep at Chiefs the captains were Clarke and Messam.

 

[barbarian]

Nic White should be the next Wallabies captain:

https://www.theroar.com.au/2020/05/13/why-nic-white-should-be-the-next-wallabies-captain/

This is genuinely one of the dumbest articles I've read in a long time.

So Bishop posits that White should be captain. His evidence for such a claim:

1. We've had good halfback captains in the past.
2. Halfback is well suited to captaincy as a position.
3. There was a huddle in the Perth Bledisloe where White was doing a lot of talking. We scored immediately after that huddle.
4. Because he played for Exeter and the Brumbies he 'knows what a winning culture feels like'
5. He's a good kicker.
6. He's a smart rugby player.

I don't dispute points 1,2,5 and 6.

But it's point 3 that carries the weight of this argument and unfortunately for Nick it's a pretty dumb one. He says "In Perth versus the All Blacks, the man the Wallabies turned to for guidance and inspiration was Nic White". The basis for this claim is one clip from just after halftime in a huddle, where Nic White is clearly giving some sort of rev up speech. He attributes the result of the whole game to that speech. Logically you could argue the actual captain for that game (one M.Hooper) could also take credit, but that is not addressed.

He doesn't mention that White (to my knowledge) has never been captain at any point in his professional career. He doesn't mention that White isn't guaranteed a starting spot. He doesn't mention that White hasn't played meaningful rugby in Australia for about a year. Or, as Reg so eloquently put it, he's just a yappy halfback.

I'm not even against White as captain, I'm just against dumb arguments that take way too much from one clip from one match in one huddle.

But more than that, I just think arguments about captaincy are a bit stupid, because unless you are in the dressing room, in the camp, in the huddle under the goalposts, then you really don't know who the good leaders are.

So stop making shit guesses based on half-baked analysis.
.

 

[Mr Pilfer]

I wouldn't mind seeing a backrow this year of 6. Wright 7. Hooper (c) 8. Naisarani with Wright being groomed to take over as Wallaby captain next year. Wilson or Samu on the bench