Wallabies 2023

[Marce]

The pool of players England have to choose from is unequivocally better than ours.

I don't think so. At the best, both squad are at the same level. They don't have a top class centre like Kerevi, they are looking for cause Tuilagi is an injury prone. They have too many foreigners in their national competition and they always poach overseas

 

[Tah Man]

Nelson Asofa-Solomona would make Darcy Swain look like a saint with how Rugby is officiated.

Sua'ali'i & Pennisi would be great pick ups but the cost would be prohibitive to retaining current talent. I think players like Jojo Fifita and Murray Tuilagi would have been high on a list previously but with how well Mark N (Nawaqanitawase) (Nawaqanitawase) played on the EOYT and Marika always being our best there is no need to break the bank on a Winger.

I do think Crichton and Cam Murray would be able to play Rugby at a high level pretty quickly. They aren't Sam Burgess. Ben Te'o performed quite well IMO.

Agree he would be able to play at a high level but it annoys me when Cam Murray gets referenced as someone who was lost to Rugby.

He's an out and out leaguie, whose Dad played for the Rabbitohs as well and only played a bit of union because he was on a full scholarship at Newington.

It's really hard to see him being interested in Rugby, particularly as he has resigned at the Bunnies until 2026 and is being touted as the next NSW Blues and Kangaroos skipper

 

[PhilClinton]

1. Joseph Sua'ali'i - Yes
2. Will Pennisi - interesting, I rate him, but I think we already have depth at centre and they're young. Aside from the obvious Kerevi, Ikitau and Foketi, guys like Flook are coming through who look good
3. Nelson Asofa-Solomona - I reckon this would be a mistake.

 

[Dctarget]

I don't watch league but Joseph is a fullback yes? Throw the book at him. Haven't had a proper fullback since the last league convert.

 

[Tah Man]

I don't watch league but Joseph is a fullback yes? Throw the book at him. Haven't had a proper fullback since the last league convert.

Yes and better yet the Roosters have Tedesco (current Aus fullback/captain) and Joey Manu (current Kiwi fullback) locked away on long term deals so barring injury he's going to have to move somewhere if he wants to play fullback

 

[Dctarget]

Yes and better yet the Roosters have Tedesco (current Aus fullback/captain) and Joey Manu (current Kiwi fullback) locked away on long term deals so barring injury he's going to have to move somewhere if he wants to play fullback

So is he starting games? Or playing on the wing? Silly management by them.

 

[Marce]

I don't watch league but Joseph is a fullback yes? Throw the book at him. Haven't had a proper fullback since the last league convert.

Fullback/centre/wing or whatever you want

 

[Tah Man]

So is he starting games? Or playing on the wing? Silly management by them.

Played on the wing last year and tore it up. Would be odds on to play origin this year

I don't think even they predicted he would be this good at 19. Were probably thinking he'd play on the wing for at least 4-5 years before taking over at fullback.

 

[Marce]

2. Will Pennisi - interesting, I rate him, but I think we already have depth at centre and they're young. Aside from the obvious Kerevi, Ikitau and Foketi, guys like Flook are coming through who look good

Kerevi is the only top class centre, Pennisi could match and overcome any other. He's young, fast and strong enough

 

[Derpus]

I don't watch league but Joseph is a fullback yes? Throw the book at him. Haven't had a proper fullback since the last league convert.

Was Folau a proper fullback? Couldnt kick and had no distribution game. I suspect Sua'ali'i would be exactly the same.

 

[Marce]

So is he starting games? Or playing on the wing? Silly management by them.

Why? He can't compete as fullback with guys like Tedesco, a kind of a modern Chris Latham and Joey Manu, a Ben Smith clone

 

[Slim 293]

Kerevi is the only top class centre

Ikitau...

 

[Derpus]

I don't think so. At the best, both squad are at the same level. They don't have a top class centre like Kerevi, they are looking for cause Tuilagi is an injury prone. They have too many foreigners in their national competition and they always poach overseas

No one has Kerevi except us. But hes just one player whos available 1/3 of the time.

Their pack in particular shits on ours. I would take their entire tight five over ours. And lawes at 6. Valetini is the only clear improvement with not much lost between Hooper and Curry.

They've also got a world 15 contender for 10 in Farrell (his best position IMO). Steward an improvement over anyone we have at 15.

Thats their entire spine stronger than ours.

 

[Marce]

Was Folau a proper fullback? Couldnt kick and had no distribution game. I suspect Sua'ali'i would be exactly the same.

Folau was one of the greatest X-factor in RA in the last years. He was a freak athlete, he didn't need to kick the ball away, he was the best jumper in the world.
60 tries in 96 Super Rugby games
37 tries in 73 international caps
That's speak for itself. If he would have played for ABs he would have scored like 100 tries in 50 caps

 

[Tomikin]

Big question is what happens to the assistants? Brumbies will be pissed if they are dumped with nowhere to go except overseas.

You mean Dan, the other Laurie is still at the Brumbies.

 

[Thalium]

No one has Kerevi except us. But hes just one player whos available 1/3 of the time.

The fun one here is Kerevi's Japanese Club Suntory is a club that Eddie Jones has worked with since the 90's - Its where he currently is working.

We might see Kerevi in Aus a bit more often

 

[rodha]

Yeah i was saying Rennie should go but bringing in Jones leaves a bit of a sour taste.

He's literally just been sacked for doing shite with a way better squad than ours.

Exactly! It's like everyone is disregarding his recent results... with a superior talent pool.

England won 5/14 matches in 2022 (5/15, if you include the embarrassing Barbarians loss).

Rennie won 5/15 in 2022 with a much worse talent pool & over 2/3rd's of his best team unavailable!

Borthwick appears half the reason for England's success. With Borthwick as assistant, Jones won 78% of matches (2016-2020).

Post-2020, Eddie's England have lost to Argentina, France (x2), Wales, Scotland (x2), Ireland (x2) & South Africa, a win-rate of 41%.

How is this appointment anything but the old-boy's club reasserting itself? Eddie is 63 & is past his expiry date. A huge gamble IMO...

 

[Knuckles]

My bet is McKeller will walk.
He was being groomed to take over from Rennie next year but now will have to wait for 5 years before the top job becomes available and I am not sure he wants to wait that long.

See ya

 

[Knuckles]

Also this:

Absolutely brutal. Misses out on the experience of a world cup. Can't even jump on board with a smaller team.

I thought gardening leave was not legal anymore. Restraint of trade and all that!

 

[wamberal]

I thought gardening leave was not legal anymore. Restraint of trade and all that!

Maybe he agreed to it? He deserves a bit of a break, the poor chap has had a tough few years.