Wallabies 2021

[KOB1987]

Ab initio.

 

[Rebels3]

The new season should be focused on the following hashtag

#takethepoints

 

[dru]

Let’s hope that Hooper does not complete WB 2021 as he has WB 2020 - discussing the team‘s desperation to achieve something in a competition that is actually over. <palms forehead>

With a bit of luck and planning, younger players who made the squad but either not used much, or just not used, build enough in Rennie’s eyes to play in 2021.

God knows something has to give.

 

[RugbyReg]

Will Harrison, Noah Lolesio and Carter Gordon become key development tools.

Wish Reesjan Pasitoa could get some game time somewhere....

Need to unearth a fullback. Reds have a couple of good colts coming through, but do we trial Petaia there?

Liam Wright, Rob Valetini, Fergus Lee-Warner and Lachie Swinton to battle it out for the 6 jersey and Naisirani needs to do whatever he needs to do.

Blyth, Hosea, Swain and Frost need to step up (Neville too).

Ikitau, Stewart and Simone the centres with the microscope on them

 

[Derpus]

Need to unearth a fullback. Reds have a couple of good colts coming through, but do we trial Petaia there?

Wright looks like a possible solution. Can catch, kick, pass and is decent against a broken defensive line. Not sure how his positional play would be.

Agree we desperately need one, though. Hodge fielded a kick on about the halfway line, uncontested and with players inside and outside him last night, and he just lumped up a limp kick directly to his Argie counterpart. All Blacks score from that position 50%+.

 

[dru]

Will Harrison, Noah Lolesio and Carter Gordon become key development tools.

Wish Reesjan Pasitoa could get some game time somewhere..

Need to unearth a fullback. Reds have a couple of good colts coming through, but do we trial Petaia there?

Liam Wright, Rob Valetini, Fergus Lee-Warner and Lachie Swinton to battle it out for the 6 jersey and Naisirani needs to do whatever he needs to do.

Blyth, Hosea, Swain and Frost need to step up (Neville too).

Ikitau, Stewart and Simone the centres with the microscope on them

I’ve been pretty down in the dumps with performance in the tri nations. But Reg, your post perks me up again. There is certainly opportunity.

 

[Up the Guts]

I’ve been pretty down in the dumps with performance in the tri nations. But Reg, your post perks me up again. There is certainly opportunity.

I guess we've got to remember that for a lot of the young up and comers named by Reg it was their first season of professional rugby and not just first test season so that it was a steep learning curve. I don't think playing in front of empty stadiums in SuperAU would have helped them prepare for the pressure of test match rugby either. It probably felt more like an elevated NRC match.

 

[Cancelled Account]

I’m not quite ready to rain on Rennie’s parade yet but for Christ sakes there were some poor player combination decisions in the backs. We all know training performance is not the tell tale to a the result on the field, but there were some 101 rugby coaching laws not followed with the results proven. Wasn’t Rennie a flyhalf?
I keep telling myself that he was using this year to give some players a run and to try different positions, and that he wasn’t too concerned with the final result. Let’s hope his experiment is over and he has gained the information he needs. It’s time to get serious.

 

[Highkicks]

I don't want to be too critical because I understand he is the best coach we could have got but that's a less than impressive first year. Did anyone see much of a positive change in the way we played? We certainly seemed to kick a lot more ball away but it didn't really pay dividends aside from the 1 try off Hodges kick.

Plenty of selection woes but that's pretty subjective. I think most will agree Tate should have been given a lot more time though.

Here's hoping some of the young players can keep the good form up and get chances next year.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Wright looks like a possible solution. Can catch, kick, pass and is decent against a broken defensive line. Not sure how his positional play would be.

Agree we desperately need one, though. Hodge fielded a kick on about the halfway line, uncontested and with players inside and outside him last night, and he just lumped up a limp kick directly to his Argie counterpart. All Blacks score from that position 50%+.

If that was all Hodge did wrong it would be harsh calling him out for it. Truth is that he was pretty woeful. Out of position, poor under the high ball, poor ball retention in contact, poor line kicking and poor decision making. Low light was catching a misdirected penalty kick by the Pumas right on his own tryline when it was destined to go dead in goal. Result a mediocre kick for touch giving the Pumas possession near the 22m line when it should have been a scrum to the Wallabies near halfway.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I’ve been pretty down in the dumps with performance in the tri nations. But Reg, your post perks me up again. There is certainly opportunity.

I especially like the way Gordon has carved up at Super level. A must for every future Wallaby team.

 

[dru]

Comprehension issues?

Will Harrison, Noah Lolesio and Carter Gordon become key development tools.

Does not equal:

I especially like the way Gordon has carved up at Super level.

 

[Up the Guts]

Wright looks like a possible solution. Can catch, kick, pass and is decent against a broken defensive line. Not sure how his positional play would be.

Agree we desperately need one, though. Hodge fielded a kick on about the halfway line, uncontested and with players inside and outside him last night, and he just lumped up a limp kick directly to his Argie counterpart. All Blacks score from that position 50%+.

The biggest obstacle for Wright is he's behind Banks and probably won't get much time at 15 for the Brumbies. Even if Banks is injured or rested they've got Mack Hansen who is a fine player in his own right.

Regardless, if I was involved in the Wallabies setup I'd be telling Canberra that I wanted to see Wright spend some time at 15. He's the best in Australia at standing his man up and creating space on the outside. I can really see him creating the sort of havoc Ben Smith did in channel between 13 and the winger.

 

[TSR]

Wright really has had a cracking year. A smart footy player who has a well rounded skill base.

I’m a big fan of Daugunu but I hope he has taken notes on the value of mixing your game up with some well placed kicks.

 

[Adam84]

If that was all Hodge did wrong it would be harsh calling him out for it. Truth is that he was pretty woeful. Out of position, poor under the high ball, poor ball retention in contact, poor line kicking and poor decision making. Low light was catching a misdirected penalty kick by the Pumas right on his own tryline when it was destined to go dead in goal. Result a mediocre kick for touch giving the Pumas possession near the 22m line when it should have been a scrum to the Wallabies near halfway.

Disagree and to say Hodge was woeful is an overstatement. I thought his positioning and presence under the highball was solid, and I’m pretty confident that his handling in contact was as good as any of the other fullback candidates given the conditions.

 

[lpd]

Not really a new thing, but our blokes don't seem to have the same upper body strength a lot of test match teams do now (boks and argies spring to mind). Seems to be even important in defence these days

 

[Brumby Runner]

Comprehension issues?



Does not equal:

Ah, come on. Has nothing to do with comprehension but all to do with suggesting a player who hasn't yet debuted at Super level should be a special development option for the Wallabies. Seems a consistent thing with Reds fans lately. Others mentioned include Vunivalu and one or two prospects at 15 who are either still at or are just completing school. Let's just all be a bit realistic.

 

[TSR]

Ah, come on. Has nothing to do with comprehension but all to do with suggesting a player who hasn't yet debuted at Super level should be a special development option for the Wallabies. Seems a consistent thing with Reds fans lately. Others mentioned include Vunivalu and one or two prospects at 15 who are either still at or are just completing school. Let's just all be a bit realistic.

Interesting from the bloke who has been talking Darcy Swain up for 3 years.

Funny how you take exception to being accused of bias towards the Brumbies but are pretty keen to throw accusations at everyone else.

Vunivalu was signed to a significant contract and was called straight into a Wallaby camp for experience, so he is clearly highly rated by those who matter.

I must have missed the post talking up any future Qld fullbacks - but if there were I’m guessing they came from one, maybe two, Individual posters. Kind of like your Darcy Swain posts.

 

[RugbyReg]

Where were Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight, Angus Bell, Hunter Paisami, Will Harrison, Noah Lolesio one year ago?

 

[Adam84]

Ah, come on. Has nothing to do with comprehension but all to do with suggesting a player who hasn't yet debuted at Super level should be a special development option for the Wallabies. Seems a consistent thing with Reds fans lately. Others mentioned include Vunivalu and one or two prospects at 15 who are either still at or are just completing school. Let's just all be a bit realistic.

Carter Gordon doesn’t play for the Reds, although I noticed you have no issue with Pasitoas name been mentioned? I must admit the irony of you dismissing others opinions because of ‘parochialism’ isn’t missed