Wallabies 2023

[Derpus]

So if they give Edmed or Donaldson a chance, how many bad games until we bin them off too?

Neither of them are even remotely close. Madness. It's Hodge or Noah at this point.

JOC (James O'Connor) is just too old and injury prone.

 

[swingpass]

As I said above time has come to pick and stick, injuries aside, I’d go Lolesio at 10, I think more upside and another dozen tests will benefit him, Paisami at 12, until and if Kerevi returns, Ikitau 13, koroibete and Vunivalu on the wings and Kellaway at Fullback. Hodge on the bench + JOC (James O'Connor) if they go 5/3

 

[Dctarget]

As I said above time has come to pick and stick, injuries aside, I’d go Lolesio at 10, I think more upside and another dozen tests will benefit him, Paisami at 12, until and if Kerevi returns, Ikitau 13, koroibete and Vunivalu on the wings and Kellaway at Fullback. Hodge on the bench + JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) if they go 5/3

I like that Swing, pretty reasonable for me. Guess caveat over Vunivalu but everything else is good.

 

[Lightblue]

I like that Swing, pretty reasonable for me. Guess caveat over Vunivalu but everything else is good.

Only problem with that is that Vunivalu has only played a cracking ‘2’ solid minutes of Test footy!

 

[Rob42]

For those raging about our development process for 10s, when exactly has Australian rugby done this better? Seems to me it's been rare for us to have more than one top-class flyhalf available, going back as far as you like. Even in our glory years, Nathan Grey once had to front up in the 10 jersey...

 

[Joe Blow]

That's a nice theory, but that isn't what Rennie was doing. He dropped Lolesio to the bench for Reece Hodge, and then out of the 23 when O'Connor started. And he was left out of the 23 for all the tests Quade started last year even after leading them to a test series vs France. And now even after O'Connor might have played the worse game of his life vs England, he still gets picked and Noah isn't in the 23. You don't bring a young guy along by killing his confidence

With the way Rennie is treating the kid he may never reach his ceiling unfortunately

Why wouldn't Rennie start O'Connor vs South Africa? If he thinks O'Connor is the best, stick with him

You sound like an expert Tom?
I would guess that Rennie was not happy with the way Lolesio played in the second two England tests. Who knows why but surely DR does. He strikes me as a level headed coach who has been successful in building a team. He knows the ingredients he needs.
I’m also guessing that hes not pleased with the way JOC (James O'Connor) played on the weekend but he was behind a retreating pack. He may get another run, who knows?
DR knows and we will know soon enough

 

[swingpass]

Only problem with that is that Vunivalu has only played a cracking ‘2’ solid minutes of Test footy!

well he cant be worse than either Petaia, who has great athleticism, but not much of a rugby brain imo, or Wright who is not a test footballer. If we had a fullback then i'd have Kellaway on the wing.

 

[Joe Blow]

Just bosh Hodge in there and play 10 man footy. Don't think we are capable of much else.

He is our most successful candidate but it doesn’t solve the issue moving forward. At least we will have Paisami back at 12 you would think which makes playing Hodge or Lolesio more palatable from a creative viewpoint. Should be interesting

 

[Tomthumb]

You sound like an expert Tom?
I would guess that Rennie was not happy with the way Lolesio played in the second two England tests. Who knows why but surely DR does. He strikes me as a level headed coach who has been successful in building a team. He knows the ingredients he needs.
I’m also guessing that hes not pleased with the way JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) played on the weekend but he was behind a retreating pack. He may get another run, who knows?
DR knows and we will know soon enough

The blind faith in Rennie is puzzling but I hope you're right

Dont know why O'Connor gets the excuse of his pack strugging and Noah doesnt? England smashed us upfront

Either way, I hope you are right in believing in Rennie

 

[Derpus]

The blind faith in Rennie is puzzling but I hope you're right

Dont know why O'Connor gets the excuse of his pack strugging and Noah doesnt? England smashed us upfront

Either way, I hope you are right in believing in Rennie

I doubt another coach would achieve much different even if they were significantly better than Rennie. Only so much you can achieve with the cattle we have.

There are a thousand different issues holding the Wallabies back - and very little interest in addressing them.

We keep being told a succesful Wallabies is the key to rescuing Australian rugby but all the evidence is that this is back to front.

 

[Doublecut]

Instead of Hodge being on the bench and coming on to plug a gap late in the game I’d start him at 5/8, play a disciplined game plan in the 1st half and bring Lolesio/O’Connor/Foley on in the 2nd half to play a more expansive style and shift Hodge to the gap that needs filling.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I wouldn't be opposed to that. Play a tight no frills game and keep the scoreboard ticking over.

 

[Joe Blow]

Instead of Hodge being on the bench and coming on to plug a gap late in the game I’d start him at 5/8, play a disciplined game plan in the 1st half and bring Lolesio/O’Connor/Foley on in the 2nd half to play a more expansive style and shift Hodge to the gap that needs filling.

That would work and we could have a bigger body in that channel and attempt to play in their quarter.

 

[wamberal]

I reckon we should play 10 man rugby and strangle the Saffers to death before spinning the pill out. No speculators, please.

 

[PhilClinton]

We keep being told a succesful Wallabies is the key to rescuing Australian rugby but all the evidence is that this is back to front.

I definitely believed that - but now I think it's somewhere in the middle.

Speaking purely from a QLD perspective, I think engagement at club rugby level is still quite strong.

People start dropping off when it comes to watching Super Rugby, that is a combination of the product not really engaging with them, or their team being shit.

Then once the Wallabies season kicks off, I think a lot of those 'casual' fans who still play/support rugby jump back on the bandwagon. The problem is they jump back off quickly once the results don't go our way.

 

[Rugby Head]

The returns of Angus Bell (foot), Dave Porecki (concussion), Hunter Paisami (concussion), Scott Sio (shoulder), Folau Fainga’a (concussion), Andrew Kellaway (hamstring), Allan Ala’alatoa (personal reasons) and Rob Leota, who wasn’t considered for San Juan due to a skin infection.

I would like to see:

1 Slipper
2 Porecki
3 Ala'alatoa
4 Phillip
5 Arnold
6 Holloway
7 Hooper (Hopefully he is back?) If not, would prefer Samu over McReight
8 Valetini
9 McDermott
10 JOC (James O'Connor)
11 Koroibete
12 Paisami
13 Ikitau
14 Vunivalu
15 Kellaway

16 Fainga'a
17 Bell
18 Tupou
19 Frost
20 Samu/ (If Hooper is out get Leota in)
21 White
22 Hodge
23 Petaia

 

[cyclopath]

Grim is picking Foley ahead of players waiting in the wings…

I'm not advocating picking Foley, but I can see the argument, given the issues I mentioned above.
With our current trajectory, grim will be playing the Bokke and ABs with someone waiting in the wings. I suspect. Not looking great.

 

[Dctarget]

The returns of Angus Bell (foot), Dave Porecki (concussion), Hunter Paisami (concussion), Scott Sio (shoulder), Folau Fainga’a (concussion), Andrew Kellaway (hamstring), Allan Ala’alatoa (personal reasons) and Rob Leota, who wasn’t considered for San Juan due to a skin infection.

Didn't know Leota was out with a skin infection, interesting.

After Leota/Leota/Wilson/Holloway/Holloway, what are our thoughts?

IMincrediblybiasedO Jed hasn't set the world alight nor done more than Leota.

 

[Derpus]

Didn't know Leota was out with a skin infection, interesting.

After Leota/Leota/Wilson/Holloway/Holloway, what are our thoughts?

IMincrediblybiasedO Jed hasn't set the world alight nor done more than Leota.

Still think Jed is basically out of position at 6.

Leota would be my pick too.

 

[Tomthumb]

Didn't know Leota was out with a skin infection, interesting.

After Leota/Leota/Wilson/Holloway/Holloway, what are our thoughts?

IMincrediblybiasedO Jed hasn't set the world alight nor done more than Leota.

Apparently Leota was the one that knocked Folau out at training too

Yeah agree, I really scratch my head with all rave reviews he gets. He doesn't really have the pace at 6 to be a link man and doesn't make many tackles. Pretty stock standard lock playing 6 imo

Wilson has the highest ceiling out of the three of them