Wallabies 2021

[upthereds#!]

If they made Arnold an offer (which would be good ) but he turned it down, and one of our highest paid players DHP is NOT resigned, then they should have the cash to at least be competitive for 1 more star. (Butttttt Arnold did turn it down soooo.)

 

[Up the Guts]

An overseas lock would be nice but between Philip, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Hosea, Timani, Blyth, Neville, and Swain we should be alright.

 

[Dctarget]

An overseas lock would be nice but between Philip, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Hosea, Timani, Blyth, Neville, and Swain we should be alright.

We should be alright, and shouldn't throw the cheque book at Arnold, Coleman, Rodda who are upgrades on the current players we have but not wildly different. But Skelton is a different player, more like having a 2nd 8 running around. We have no one like him, I genuinely think he could be a game breaker like Dupont, Kolbe, Koroibete. A cheat code if you will.

 

[hifflepiff]

A combination of Tupou, Skelton and Valetini in the forward pack is tantalising to say the least.

That said though, I think we'd be better off keeping that money to ensure we can retain the young players we are developing and hopefully stop a few schoolboys going to league.

 

[TSR]

Do Valetini & Tupou already fill those roles though. If you pick those 3 together, everyone else in your forward pack needs to be a workhorse to balance and your number 8 needs to be a strong lineout option.

 

[Up the Guts]

Do Valetini & Tupou already fill those roles though. If you pick those 3 together, everyone else in your forward pack needs to be a workhorse to balance and your number 8 needs to be a strong lineout option.

Can’t speak for Skelton but why do you need workhorses to compensate for Tupou and Valetini? Not sure they have notably low workrates.

 

[Dctarget]

Someone's made a highlights video of Skelton's performance on the weekend, against essentially the main Irish XV. He brushes off Tadhg Furlong, who's supposed to be the best prop in Europe.

 

[Dctarget]

Kinda shits me all the comments surrounding him, praising Saracens' development of him and criticising Australia's development, saying atrocious systems here etc. Get bent, he was always incredible, yeah he lost a few kgs in England but he was young when he left Aus and he was always going to mature/improve where ever he went.

It wasn't a development failing, it was a failure to stump up a million quid. The English piss me off.

 

[Derpus]

He also had mental health issues I believe.

 

[RugbyReg]

I say stuff it - change the eligibility rules and let him play for Samoa.

 

[Braveheart81]

Skelton's physique changed noticeably over his time with the Waratahs as well. He started off at 140-150kg with a lot of flab. He gradually lost that fat and gained muscle albeit not losing a lot of mass overall. At Saracens he continued to get leaner and stronger and dropped mass making him more mobile and able to play more minutes etc.

He has said in various interviews that it took him a while to mature and get the discipline to eat and train right. As Derpus alluded to, he has said he had some mental health issues which left him prone to getting himself out of shape.

He won a Super Rugby title in 2014 and had a dominant test debut in the same year along with a number of other decent test appearances. People act like Saracens signed a guy who went from being a terrible player to being outstanding.

He's now played 80+ more professional games since leaving Australia 5 years ago, he's 29 and should be at his prime and for some reason people are surprised that he's a substantially better player than he was when he played in Australia.

 

[Joe Blow]

An overseas lock would be nice but between Philip, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Hosea, Timani, Blyth, Neville, and Swain we should be alright.

And Rodda

 

[Joe Blow]

Can’t speak for Skelton but why do you need workhorses to compensate for Tupou and Valetini? Not sure they have notably low workrates.

Did you see Valetini getting up at 2 on the weekend?

 

[Derpus]

Looks like McMahon is keen to come back, but unlikely to feature this year (no surprise there).

McMahon is brillo but backrow is one spot we arent short on talent. I think he'd have to do time at a Super Rugby club to get a look in.

 

[TSR]

Can’t speak for Skelton but why do you need workhorses to compensate for Tupou and Valetini? Not sure they have notably low workrates.

No - but neither are the workhorses, and neither is Skelton.

That isn’t to say their workrate is sub par, but their primary job isn’t to make mountains of tackles and hit high volume break downs.

Every forward pack needs balance.

 

[Dctarget]

Looks like McMahon is keen to come back, but unlikely to feature this year (no surprise there).

McMahon is brillo but backrow is one spot we arent short on talent. I think he'd have to do time at a Super Rugby club to get a look in.

When we're still considering Swinton, Dempsey etc for the squad I'd take McMahon in a heart beat. Don't forget he wasn't just a flash in the pan, he was consistently excellent.

edit: Does he want to be selected for the Wallabies through exemption or come home come home?

 

[Derpus]

When we're still considering Swinton, Dempsey etc for the squad I'd take McMahon in a heart beat. Don't forget he wasn't just a flash in the pan, he was consistently excellent.

edit: Does he want to be selected for the Wallabies through exemption or come home come home?

Wasnt really specified but this year at least it would have to be an exemption.

Who's considering Dempsey? Swinton may get a wider squad spot but he won't be in the team.

 

[Dctarget]

Wasnt really specified but this year at least it would have to be an exemption.

Who's considering Dempsey? Swinton may get a wider squad spot but he won't be in the team.

Well just that our no. 6 isn't really locked down. We don't know who it could be. But imagine a backrow of Hooper, McMahon & Wilson with Valetini on the bench for a big final 20. That's pretty tasty.

 

[Joe Blow]

Valetini has to be favoured to start, no? Hes been just crushing people on both sides of the ball and is getting up well in the lineout.

 

[upthereds#!]

No - but neither are the workhorses, and neither is Skelton.

That isn’t to say their workrate is sub par, but their primary job isn’t to make mountains of tackles and hit high volume break downs.

Every forward pack needs balance.

I think having Skelton and Valetini both starting is exactly what we need. Always need one 'enforcer' in the backrow and one in the 2nd row.

Slipper - Tupou (Whose running game is a bonus)
Rodda - Skelton (Who is doing plenty in NH)
Wilson - Valetini (who can jump)
Throw in the huge work rate of Hooper and Kaituu who is also being praised for not just workrate but being a large slab of human.

This seems very balanced to me.