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Wallabies 2023

Froggy

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
I would expect Philip and Sio will be selected, and don't be surprised if Gleeson and Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) get a spot. I think Simone is unlikely, and as BH said, if Foketi is fit he is likely to be included.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Hasn't Simone been released already though and Sio hasn't. It's somewhat arbitrary as this is just a Rugby Australia rule but Simone would need to be pulled from his club under Reg 9 whereas Sio can just be selected normally.

Surely Foketi tours if he is healthy (which I have seen reported).
Maybe but I don't think not having RA contracts excludes them as local players. ie. when players sign to Aus clubs for the following year they're eligible for the current year despite not having RA contracts.

Banks same boat.
 
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upthereds#!

Peter Johnson (47)
Sio isn't OS yet, he played 2022 Super season. Same goes for Simone I believe. So you've only used 2 OS players there.

Having played Super Rugby in 2022 is irrelevant. It's about their current contract status

Scott Sio was released early and arrived as his new club Exeter on the 4th of October
Simone was playing in France weeks ago

They are both foreign picks.
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) seems to be the forgotten man? Played ok in the UK the other day. I would rather see him brought in than Skelton or Arnold. Can cover 6 as well and potentially play a Leota type role
Why is he forgotten? He's been in the Aussie picture for a while. Rennie clearly sees him and doesn't rate him. Don't know what went down between him and Thorn that caused his banishment.
 

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
UTR, I think you're close to the mark with your touring side. My own preferences would be to include Scott Sio who is probably our strongest LHP atm, include Philip in place of Skelton on the basis of better test match form over the last couple of years, include Foketi in place of Simone as reward for good performances against the ABs, and remove Beale as he is yesterday's man, a disruptive influence on just about every national team he's been in, and not currently in form to warrant selection.

Simone and Skelton are nearby as is LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and others and can be called upon if needed.

I would also like to see Gleeson included but not sure at whose expense.
 

upthereds#!

Peter Johnson (47)
UTR, I think you're close to the mark with your touring side. My own preferences would be to include Scott Sio who is probably our strongest LHP atm, include Philip in place of Skelton on the basis of better test match form over the last couple of years, include Foketi in place of Simone as reward for good performances against the ABs, and remove Beale as he is yesterday's man, a disruptive influence on just about every national team he's been in, and not currently in form to warrant selection.

Simone and Skelton are nearby as is LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) and others and can be called upon if needed.

I would also like to see Gleeson included but not sure at whose expense.
I agree with Foketi but Rennie suggested he wouldn't tour because of his injury. I thought Phillips was injured aswell but maybe that was a short term one.

If Phillips is fine I would be tempted to leave skelton out and use the foreign picks on Sio, Foley and Simone (Foketi injured)
 

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
Will that be the panacea? I think not. We've seen how difficult and disruptive it can be with just two or three overseas players coming into the squad. A majority team of overseas picks would be uncoachable.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
The Saffers seem to manage the challenge pretty well.
They get access to them much earlier and there's no will they won't they with the players. For example, Rory Arnold went to Croatia, now if he knew straight after his season he'd be selected for the Wallabies would he have done that? Maybe but he might've cut it short or at least kept in better shape.
 

PhilClinton

Mark Loane (55)
They get access to them much earlier and there's no will they won't they with the players. For example, Rory Arnold went to Croatia, now if he knew straight after his season he'd be selected for the Wallabies would he have done that? Maybe but he might've cut it short or at least kept in better shape.

That's just a mentality shift though for the players once the selection landscape becomes clearer. Things are pretty fluid at the moment, I can see more changes coming next year.

There are plenty of representative teams across various sports which come together on much less notice than the Wallabies and still manage to be competent and competitive. I don't think the issue with our squad is lack of time together either, it's at a much more base level.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
I think it's just poor communication, no one really at fault, since we had a quota of 3. Players didn't know where they stood.

The journalists were never reporting in absolutes who was going to be part of the overseas contingent leading up to the Test season.

And I've mentioned this before but players' clubs wouldn't be too happy with their Aus players getting released to play Test rugby. I'm sure they were paid overs on the basis they wouldn't be playing Test rugby. So there's the extra issue of keeping clubs onside.
 

Rob42

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
The Saffers seem to manage the challenge pretty well.
The Saffers are mostly recalling players who spent plenty of time playing together at home before they went overseas. It'll be interesting to see if that performance is sustained as those players drop out, and they start to select ex-pats who've never played together.
 

PhilClinton

Mark Loane (55)
And I've mentioned this before but players' clubs wouldn't be too happy with their Aus players getting released to play Test rugby. I'm sure they were paid overs on the basis they wouldn't be playing Test rugby. So there's the extra issue of keeping clubs onside.

Yes it would be interesting to know what Kerevi's next contract in Japan is worth, compared to the original 'pre-rule change' salary.

With the injury ward at the Wallabies this year I'm sure a few overseas clubs will be considering player value over the next few years.
 
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