Wallabies 2024

[SouthernX]

We have a goal kicking problem with Carter Gordon. All the other 10 options are fine.

someone said Carter kicking percentage is on par with Tom Lynagh. One of the other options at 10 being talked about.

unsure where I can track down super rugby statistics to confirm.

 

[Derpus]

We have a goal kicking problem with Carter Gordon. All the other 10 options are fine.

For pretty much every other player their time can be better spent training something else that will have a greater impact on their play as a rugby player.

His kicking is erratic across all facets IMO.

 

[dillyboy]

We have a goal kicking problem with Carter Gordon. All the other 10 options are fine.

For pretty much every other player their time can be better spent training something else that will have a greater impact on their play as a rugby player.

I see the opposite.

We all debate the options at 10 and the main thing alot here stress as the deciding factor is their goal kicking ability.

Surely if any of the potential locks, centres, wing and FB options we're debating were also known as a gun off the tee it'd also help their chances of getting into the 23.....

 

[Strewthcobber]

Goal kicking percentage is somewhat irrelevant. The Rebels don't take any difficult shots at goal from penalties.

Gordon has kicked 7 penalty goals total in his 52-game professional career. Lynagh kicked 12 last year alone

 

[Derpus]

I see the opposite.

We all debate the options at 10 and the main thing alot here stress as the deciding factor is their goal kicking ability.

Surely if any of the potential locks, centres, wing and FB options we're debating were also known as a gun off the tee it'd also help their chances of getting into the 23.....

BH's point is that in the age of ever increasing specialisation few of those other positions will get enough ROI on kicking practice when they could be practicing more beneficial skills for their preferred role like scrumming, lineout work or defensive positioning etc.

 

[SouthernX]

Goal kicking percentage is somewhat irrelevant. The Rebels don't take any difficult shots at goal from penalties.

Gordon has kicked 7 penalty goals total in his 52-game professional career. Lynagh kicked 12 last year alone

do you think northern hemisphere Les Kiss might have something to do with Lynagh 12 shots at goal?

the southern hemisphere style of rugby in my view is always kick for touch and take the lineout

 

[dillyboy]

Goal kicking percentage is somewhat irrelevant. The Rebels don't take any difficult shots at goal from penalties.

Gordon has kicked 7 penalty goals total in his 52-game professional career. Lynagh kicked 12 last year alone

Don't want to drag up the great old Quade vs Foley debate but this was often the argument on Foley's selection as he had the better kicking percentage.

What the stats didn't show was the options not taken as it was known he didn't have the distance a "better" kicker would have....

 

[Braveheart81]

Surely if any of the potential locks, centres, wing and FB options we're debating were also known as a gun off the tee it'd also help their chances of getting into the 23.....

They would essentially need to be the best option we have across the whole team. If Carter Gordon is the 10 option then that makes it a lower bar to surpass. If it's someone else then it's more difficult.

Ryan Lonergan is probably the only one where this is currently a potential thing (at least that I'm aware of).

 

[dillyboy]

BH's point is that in the age of ever increasing specialisation few of those other positions will get enough ROI on kicking practice when they could be practicing more beneficial skills for their preferred role like scrumming, lineout work or defensive positioning etc.

Both can be true.

We've all heard the stories of Wilkinson doing extras after training to nail his kicks from everywhere & it won him a world cup.

I know if I was a potential Wallaby selection and it was known we didn't have a solid option to take our place kicks I'd be spending every spare moment taking kicks to increase my chances.

It's a skill that can easily be worked on by yourself (also said from the guy who grew up right next to the school playing fields so I used to spend every afternoon not at training practicing my place kicking)

 

[eastman]

I am quite confident White's box kicking was within the game plan and a box kick will be within the new coaches game plan as well

Hopefully with a better focus on the chase and contestability

I’m confident coaches gave him the option to box kick or run on turnover ball based on his discretion. I’m confident he took the wrong option every single time.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

someone said Carter kicking percentage is on par with Tom Lynagh. One of the other options at 10 being talked about.

unsure where I can track down super rugby statistics to confirm.

Carter has made watching goal kicking fun. The anticipation for him to shank a shot from in front is phenomenal. Then he brains a kick from the sideline. It's U14s stuff

 

[Derpus]

Both can be true.

We've all heard the stories of Wilkinson doing extras after training to nail his kicks from everywhere & it won him a world cup.

I know if I was a potential Wallaby selection and it was known we didn't have a solid option to take our place kicks I'd be spending every spare moment taking kicks to increase my chances.

It's a skill that can easily be worked on by yourself (also said from the guy who grew up right next to the school playing fields so I used to spend every afternoon not at training practicing my place kicking)

Expecting professionals to do extras is not a sustainable basis on which to build a consistently performing national side.

 

[Wilson]

someone said Carter kicking percentage is on par with Tom Lynagh. One of the other options at 10 being talked about.

unsure where I can track down super rugby statistics to confirm.

Reds have generally backed the maul this year over taking penalties, resulting in tougher conversions and fewer easy penalty shots. Rebels do also take fewer penalties, but that appears to be because of a lack of confidence in Gordon's kicking at least in part. Lynagh hasn't been shanking or missing in kickable goals like Carter has.

It's a pity goalkickers.co.za isn't running anymore, their measure of kicker success that factored in difficulty of kicks was excellent.

 

[stillmissit]

We have a goal kicking problem with Carter Gordon. All the other 10 options are fine.

For pretty much every other player their time can be better spent training something else that will have a greater impact on their play as a rugby player.

We must disagree here BH, our history (based on watching not stats) is that we have lost a lot of tight games through poor kicking. There have been many close games where our goal kicking has been average and we end up hammering away at the line with 10 to go when a field goal should have been an option.

 

[Strewthcobber]

do you think northern hemisphere Les Kiss might have something to do with Lynagh 12 shots at goal?

the southern hemisphere style of rugby in my view is always kick for touch and take the lineout

I was padding that stat a bit -- Lynagh kicked 12 last year under Thorn, and only 3 so far under Kiss

 

[Strewthcobber]

I’m confident coaches gave him the option to box kick or run on turnover ball based on his discretion. I’m confident he took the wrong option every single time.

And then kept getting picked by his coaches for nearly 300 pro matches?

 

[stillmissit]

Expecting professionals to do extras is not a sustainable basis on which to build a consistently performing national side.

Why? They are paid to be professional and being professional means doing your base job to a high level consistently week in and week out. If you are poor in an area then additional work is the only option.

 

[Derpus]

Why? They are paid to be professional and being professional means doing your base job to a high level consistently week in and week out. If you are poor in an area then additional work is the only option.

Eh I can't really be bothered to explain why unpaid labour is not a sustainable model.

 

[stillmissit]

And then kept getting picked by his coaches for nearly 300 pro matches?

Very true. We are very critical of players who show some weaknesses ie his kick out of play in that test. He is professional in what he brings and I have never seen him going walk about during a game. He is on and going from the start until he's replaced, I wish we could say that about all our players.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

ah fuck, ere we go.