Wallabies 2021

[barbarian]

Latu got done for passing out in his car again a few weeks ago (this time having crashed into a number of parked cars). I think that's a HARD pass from us. .

May be a little off topic, but is drink driving a blacklist offence? It's obviously dangerous and his track record isn't great, but if push comes to shove I'd still be happy to have him back for the Waratahs.

Easy to forget he was one of our best players at the World Cup in 2019.

 

[Zero_Cool]

Once, or twice if it's not too bad and I'm probably okay with it, but passed out on the car while driving is far too much, let alone twice. He easily could have killed someone!
I also think everyone needs to keep Latu's performances in mind... He had ONE good World Cup campaign, and has otherwise been fairly average, he's got major disciple issues both on and off the field. Sure he's probably a really nice Super Rugby player, but I'm not sure he'd have sustainable performances at Test level his on field discipline is just too poor. Maybe if he was Tupou level dominant (I think if Tupou isn't the best propcl in World Rugby he's pretty bloody close!), but Latu even at his best is not Tupou good.

But in short, drinking until you pass out while driving is a black list offense at least until you see some kind of change. Fuck O'Connor was drink flying and he was blacklisted for more than a decade and there no one was in any danger like both Latu's drink driving.

 

[Braveheart81]

Once, or twice if it's not too bad and I'm probably okay with it, but passed out on the car while driving is far too much, let alone twice. He easily could have killed someone!
I also think everyone needs to keep Latu's performances in mind. He had ONE good World Cup campaign, and has otherwise been fairly average, he's got major disciple issues both on and off the field.

Your position seems to be heavily swayed by being desperate to select BPA who is also heading overseas and has played a handful of tests with only a few of them being better than average.

He's hardly got a mortgage on the jersey.

 

[Zero_Cool]

So you think we should just ignore that a player was so drunk he was passed out behind the wheel! But not only did that once, but twice?! Seriously? Like seriously? I get it if it's once on a low range drink driving charge, where he's only just over the limit. But he was passed out drunk, while behind the wheel, not once but twice! You can't seriously suggest that is behavior that merits a Wallabies call up on the back of unknown form...
I'd sooner the resurrection of the corps of Stephen Moore and play him 80 min then bringing back Latu after this latest incident.

 

[Merrow]

So you think we should just ignore that a player was so drunk he was passed out behind the wheel! But not only did that once, but twice?! Seriously? Like seriously? I get it if it's once on a low range drink driving charge, where he's only just over the limit. But he was passed out drunk, while behind the wheel, not once but twice! You can't seriously suggest that is behavior that merits a Wallabies call up on the back of unknown form.
I'd sooner the resurrection of the corps of Stephen Moore and play him 80 min then bringing back Latu after this latest incident.

Agreed. It’s one of the bigger dickhead acts. Gotta draw a line in the sand somewhere.

 

[Braveheart81]

So you think we should just ignore that a player was so drunk he was passed out behind the wheel! But not only did that once, but twice?! Seriously? Like seriously? I get it if it's once on a low range drink driving charge, where he's only just over the limit. But he was passed out drunk, while behind the wheel, not once but twice! You can't seriously suggest that is behavior that merits a Wallabies call up on the back of unknown form.
I'd sooner the resurrection of the corps of Stephen Moore and play him 80 min then bringing back Latu after this latest incident.

No, I'm not arguing for Latu to be selected. I just think your moral high horse argument is more focused around wanting a particular player to be selected rather than making a stand against Latu's bad behaviour.

For the record I don't think any overseas based players are likely to be selected outside of Rugby World Cups at this stage.

I also think it's highly unlikely we bring back BPA or Latu for the 2023 RWC if they're based overseas at that point as neither are good enough to warrant that.

We'll get more of an idea when the test team is selected but we may not even see BPA selected when he's locally based knowing that he's going overseas at the end of the season.

Hooker is just about our weakest position. We have a bunch of players who are all pretty average by global standards with no one really standing out as an elite player.

 

[Joe Blow]

Bring him back and give him a Super Rugby contract if he wants one and then see what happens.
Of course his contract will have the standard behaviour clauses. Could be good for him?

 

[barbarian]

I also think everyone needs to keep Latu's performances in mind. He had ONE good World Cup campaign, and has otherwise been fairly average.

But in short, drinking until you pass out while driving is a black list offense at least until you see some kind of change. Fuck O'Connor was drink flying and he was blacklisted for more than a decade and there no one was in any danger like both Latu's drink driving.

He's only had one good World Cup campaign, but it's one more than pretty much every player we have at the moment.

And remember JOC (James O'Connor) got done for possession of cocaine while in France as well, which you could argue is just as bad as drink driving. But that's not what this thread is about.

I don't know Latu's form, and I'm not advocating he be picked in this squad. But as Joe Blow suggests, if he signed a deal with a Super team I wouldn't be unhappy.

 

[Slim 293]

What if Latu signed with the Reds?

Does he start or come off the bench for BPA/Mafi against the All Blacks?

 

[Derpus]

Moore's corpse would probably give our current hookers a run for their momey

 

[fatprop]

So you think we should just ignore that a player was so drunk he was passed out behind the wheel! But not only did that once, but twice?! Seriously? Like seriously? I get it if it's once on a low range drink driving charge, where he's only just over the limit. But he was passed out drunk, while behind the wheel, not once but twice! You can't seriously suggest that is behavior that merits a Wallabies call up on the back of unknown form.
I'd sooner the resurrection of the corps of Stephen Moore and play him 80 min then bringing back Latu after this latest incident.

He has gone through the courts and paid the price for his bad decision required by the state

Unless he has habitually continued that bad behaviour a reasonable society thinks has has already paid the price

What has happened to redemption and mercy?

 

[Ignoto]

Hard pass on Latu. His failure again to learn from his mistakes in his personal life speaks volumes to his playing career.

One good season doesn't make up for the poor ones he had.

More importantly, I can't in good faith support any notion of parachuting a guy into a Wallaby set up who has repeatedly been so drunk that he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed.

He needs to spend time at Rehab before any Australian team touches him. What happens next time if he kills someone which is all too common on Australia roads.

 

[eastman]

Bring him back and give him a Super Rugby contract if he wants one and then see what happens.
Of course his contract will have the standard behaviour clauses. Could be good for him?

Latu's priority should be to focus on himself and his rehabilitation. Now obviously Sydney, where he has a strong family and social network, would be the best location to do this.

As for blacklisted offences; domestic violence and homophobia seem to be where Rugby Australia actually draws the line.

 

[Ignoto]

He has gone through the courts and paid the price for his bad decision required by the state

Unless he has habitually continued that bad behaviour a reasonable society thinks has has already paid the price

What has happened to redemption and mercy?

He hasn't appeared in front of the French courts yet.

If he receives a conviction which impacts his ability to get a visa in France, I'd imagine it will make this whole argument moot, yeah?

 

[formerflanker]

More importantly, I can't in good faith support any notion of parachuting a guy into a Wallaby set up who has repeatedly been so drunk that he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed.

"Repeatedly....crashed" may be an exaggeration.
police found the 12-Test Wallaby motionless behind the wheel of his car while stopped at a set of traffic lights on Cleveland Street

 

[Ignoto]

"Repeatedly..crashed" may be an exaggeration.
police found the 12-Test Wallaby motionless behind the wheel of his car while stopped at a set of traffic lights on Cleveland Street

You're taking the piss right?

https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/...y/news-story/cfc7655a4c764511619f13a7a59db8d3

Or are you trying to distinguish that because he didn't crash the first time that somehow it's not repeated (but if being being pedantic, he crashed into multiple vehicles on the second DD incident).

 

[Derpus]

He has gone through the courts and paid the price for his bad decision required by the state

Unless he has habitually continued that bad behaviour a reasonable society thinks has has already paid the price

What has happened to redemption and mercy?

We do generally expect sports stars to be held to a higher standard. There is obviously still room for forgiveness and understanding. There's a lot to unpack and we have none of the information.

For example, Slipper got done multiple times with cocaine in his system. That's pretty bad, but it's a lot more understandable and forgivable when you note that he was struggling with mental health issues following the death of his mother. We don't really know what's going on and so it's hard to judge one way or the other definitively.

I'd add that most professions treat substance abuse as a mental health issue these days.

If he came back, agreed to a contract with behavioral clauses in it and proved his form in a season of Super Rugby I'd be happy to have him.

Obviously he's not going to be selected for the Wallabies this year.

 

[Zero_Cool]

I don't think Latu is really anywhere near coming back to Australia right now. Maybe the Waratahs are in a position that the have to take a risk on him, that's up to then, but until then I think there really isn't any point talking about it.
We are actually pretty good in terms of hookers right now, BPA, Mafi, and Fainga'a all playing very well just to mention a few. We don't NEED to bring back Latu.
But I think this line of discussion isn't very profitable.

 

[TSR]

I get there is an issue with double standards - but I am surprised of the ambivalence here of some on a player who had regular discipline issues as a player, (including being banished from Tahs training if my memory serves me correctly) and has two major drink driving offences.

To be fair I don’t really get the fuss on Latu anyway - but regardless the general posting tone of Zero Cool I feel like some of you are rallying against him specifically rather than the substance of his argument.

At this time my main concern around Latu is that he is okay. The nature of his offences seems to indicate to me either poor character or other issues. In either case he is first and foremost a person and I’d want to know he is okay, and then that he is in the right head space.

Beyond that - well, I wouldn’t rush to pick him anyway even before his latest incident, so unless he is back in Australia playing well I wouldn’t personally have him in front of anyone.

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't think Latu is really anywhere near coming back to Australia right now. Maybe the Waratahs are in a position that the have to take a risk on him, that's up to then, but until then I think there really isn't any point talking about it.
We are actually pretty good in terms of hookers right now, BPA, Mafi, and Fainga'a all playing very well just to mention a few. We don't NEED to bring back Latu.
But I think this line of discussion isn't very profitable.

Latu is someone who would be worth pursuing.

This is the only line that was said about Latu that then launched into you discussing him at length.