Wallabies 2023

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

You don't think Wright can feel hard done by Donaldson Suli and Jorgensen have been selected in front of him.. Jorgensen not even fit yet and hasn't played in months .

Jorgensen is the oddest selection in my mind followed closely by Donaldson.
All the rest I’m ok with. I think leota is better / more upside than jed
Jorgensen very contradictory at first glance but I suppose he’s good now whereas len and hooper are not good yet and might not be?
Donaldson - man. Bring in Noah??

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

I have no problem replacing Wright, but the time to do it was last season, not immediately prior to the RWC. You can't just select multiple guys that have never played a test match AND don't even appear all that good in the first place. If they are knocking the door down, sure, but they are not.

All of these seemingly insane changes are mostly a result of picking a new HC immediately prior to a RWC. Teams don't do this for a reason.

Even look at Carter Gordon, who at least IS knocking the door down. He played great, considering the circumstances, in his first start at #10. But objectively speaking, for a test#10, he was horrible. Cost his team the game with horrible kicking. Can you imagine Richie Mounga or Owen Farrell having a kicking display like that? It's unthinkable. Now imagine that with Jorgenson, Vunivalu or Donaldson in a RWC quarter-final. It's non-sensical.

Disagree
He was great in super and looked to have put his issues behind him

 

[Dan54]

Can you perform at 100%? No.

ok you can be replaced.

Yep , but I don't think you can be replaced for injuries you already carry going into cup. I do actually think there is a lot of red tape, you have to wait at leats 48 hrs after a game to get assessed, and any replacement has to be there 48 hrs before a game? I think it's something like that, I do know they are fairly harsh on teams trying dodgy things to bring in players. I sure Eddie has no intention of doing that anyway, and has picked players he wants.

 

[Dctarget]

I love the squad, fuck the haters.

Jorgensen’s a gun, outplayed Wright this season.

Donaldson is not really taking Cooper’s position, he’s taking Hodge’s. Also think Donaldson would have the best starting record of any aus 10

Vuni is a head scratcher but watch him break the try record against Portugal. He’s like the 5th winger and 33rd man in the squad, nothing to get upset about.

the rest are lineball calls. Play on.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Jorgo - good enough your old enough I suppose

 

[KOB1987]

I love the squad, fuck the haters.

Jorgensen’s a gun, outplayed Wright this season.

Donaldson is not really taking Cooper’s position, he’s taking Hodge’s. Also think Donaldson would have the best starting record of any aus 10

Vuni is a head scratcher but watch him break the try record against Portugal. He’s like the 5th winger and 33rd man in the squad, nothing to get upset about.

the rest are lineball calls. Play on.

I’m with you on this. There are probably other reasons e.g. Jorgensen needs time with the squad whereas Ikitau could walk in and get up to speed pretty quickly. Maybe the reason we haven’t sighted Gleeson yet is he is not quite yet back to 100%. Etc, etc. I still think we will see some changes between now and Aug 26th, I’ll predict 3. Most of the blokes cut from the squad were 30+ so it seems in a lot of those 50/50 calls he’s gone with the younger guy, one eye on the now, the other eye on the future.

 

[Tomthumb]

I have no problem replacing Wright, but the time to do it was last season, not immediately prior to the RWC. You can't just select multiple guys that have never played a test match AND don't even appear all that good in the first place. If they are knocking the door down, sure, but they are not.

All of these seemingly insane changes are mostly a result of picking a new HC immediately prior to a RWC. Teams don't do this for a reason.

Even look at Carter Gordon, who at least IS knocking the door down. He played great, considering the circumstances, in his first start at #10. But objectively speaking, for a test#10, he was horrible. Cost his team the game with horrible kicking. Can you imagine Richie Mounga or Owen Farrell having a kicking display like that? It's unthinkable. Now imagine that with Jorgenson, Vunivalu or Donaldson in a RWC quarter-final. It's non-sensical.

He was horrible?

And I don’t have to imagine Mounga or Farrell having a bad test, because I can just watch the bad tests they actually played

 

[Sam Old]

EJ (Eddie Jones) no doubt has reasons but I feel for several of the boys who were omitted for strange calls on players despite outplaying the replacements for most of the year. One that came to mind that hasn’t really been mentioned is Gibbons who had a solid season, has generally played well when selected for the Wallabies but has paid the price for the Aus replacement scrum being demolished against South Africa. He got dropped out of site but his fellow tighthead then got another go against the ABs with similar results ( i.e reversing at a rate of knots) and is on the plane……and meanwhile the reserve loosehead from the Brumbies also has a ticket to France (apparently based on a few scrums against NSW). This from a coach who played hooker and should understand the front row doesn’t appear to make sense.

 

[RugbyReg]

At least he's been part of a winning team unlike everyone else

What a Sydney centric view. Might want to have a look at the likes of at least Carter Gordon and James Slipper if we are going back to school days.

 

[RugbyReg]

So unless he selects an entirely young and inexperienced squad - all 33 players have to be relatively new - then you can't think he isn't focused on the future?

Rarely has their been a New Zealand supporter so angry at a wallaby squad.

 

[RugbyReg]

Who would Gordon be talking to?

It's like the Year 9 boys on camp talking about sex...

Berrick Barnes not a bad start.

 

[LeCheese]

Mandatory listening for true Wallabies fans today

 

[RugbyReg]

Yep , but I don't think you can be replaced for injuries you already carry going into cup. I do actually think there is a lot of red tape, you have to wait at leats 48 hrs after a game to get assessed, and any replacement has to be there 48 hrs before a game? I think it's something like that, I do know they are fairly harsh on teams trying dodgy things to bring in players. I sure Eddie has no intention of doing that anyway, and has picked players he wants.

Can you find verification of this because it sounds like you’ve just made it up.

 

[Tomikin]

Players were better off being injured then actually playing

Naming Skelton captain makes me think Eddie has not decided whether he will start Tate or White in the big games, otherwise wouldn’t he have just made Tate captain after last week? Or he might be thinking each of them suits different oppositions better

My big concern is that Donaldson is basically guaranteed the #22 jersey which doesn’t fill me with confidence.

And kemeny picked because he can play wing better than Samu

Maybe he has decided his going forward Captian's currently injured and might as well just pick someone who's not around next year and select AAA next year. I don't know seems straight.. or maybe he just doesn't care too much about Captain, and it will be just the best players selected and then a C put next to one of them

 

[KOB1987]

Players were better off being injured then actually playing

Maybe he has decided his going forward Captian's currently injured and might as well just pick someone who's not around next year and select AAA next year. I don't know seems straight.. or maybe he just doesn't care too much about Captain, and it will be just the best players selected and then a C put next to one of them

Or maybe its all part of a bigger plan to free Willy from the NH and bring him home. He will be 35 in 2027, that's doable for a tight 5 player.

 

[wamberal]

Or maybe its all part of a bigger plan to free Willy from the NH and bring him home. He will be 35 in 2027, that's doable for a tight 5 player.

Skelton looks as though he could play until he is 40.

 

[Adam84]

I like the squad

 

[molman]

agree, don't know why Lonergan was with the squad for the TRC if he wasn't going to be there for the WC

We can only assume that Eddie has his reasons. I'm sure there are aspects that we don't see, nor never will.

The only people who deserve and hopefully get some clarity are the players who didn't make it.

 

[molman]

They can’t just replace them unless there’s an injury though…

I suspect up until the 28th (or whatever the offical date is) they can change players, but I really doubt this is part of the plan unless someone gets injured in the France game.

 

[dru]

View attachment 17209

You'd think he'd be a bit happier about being WC captain

The face on big Will says "WTAF" better than I can.