Wallabies 2024

[rugbyAU]

This was odd but let’s not let it detract from the message.
We could be picking from Frost, Blyth etc plus Arnold Arnold Skelton and Phillip.
I’m not sure offshore picks offer us much outside locks tho?
McMahon barely played and has always been injury prone. He was good for sure but that’s ages ago
Liam Gill was always the great savior but never did it on the world stage for me.
Are either really going to be better than mcreight or Valetini?
No fly halves or 9s I’m aware of?
Centers? Kerevi who has been in the mix. Anyone else genuinely up there?
Wings? Fullbacks? Jack maddocks all that springs to mind.

I think you have a good point re. lock Skelton would come straight in but Richie Arnold and Matt Phillip aren't much better (if at all) than Frost and LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
Sio would have been great to have at the WC but he's getting a bit old and we have Bell and Kailea
Pete Same maybe for bench
Kerevi definitely for #12
Outside Backs there's nobody really much better than the domestic crop

 

[Joe Blow]

Maybe Staniforth in the second row ahead of the Arnolds would be a good pick. Gill and McMahon likely past it now. Last time McMahon came back he was not worth a spot in the 23.
Kerevi is 30 and still has some running in his legs if fit. MK has been disappointing this year. It might have been good to have QC (Quade Cooper) or Foley in and around the young 10s this year.
With most of these and other players leaving in their prime we need to be able to pick from overseas and then be very selective about it. Of course transporting them back and forth is not ideal.
It’s only getting worse with our domestic comp shrinking and struggling financially. There will be many more leaving as was the case this year.

 

[dru]

Maybe Staniforth in the second row ahead of the Arnolds would be a good pick. Gill and McMahon likely past it now. Last time McMahon came back he was not worth a spot in the 23.
Kerevi is 30 and still has some running in his legs if fit. MK has been disappointing this year. It might have been good to have QC (Quade Cooper) (Quade Cooper) or Foley in and around the young 10s this year.
With most of these and other players leaving in their prime we need to be able to pick from overseas and then be very selective about it. Of course transporting them back and forth is not ideal.
It’s only getting worse with our domestic comp shrinking and struggling financially. There will be many more leaving as was the case this year.

Literally for every 4 pro players who remain in Australia there will be 1 who has left. All levels from claimed "world class" to squad players.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

I could probably name a whole team but it's just entirely beside the point.

Who really gives a fuck if one overseas player makes us 3% better than horse piss? no one. The player drain doesn't matter on an individual basis. It's always been the cumulative effect.

For sure
Not the point tho which was overseas picks will help us massively right now and I’m not sure I see it
We are not going to stop overseas migration in the game. We can’t afford 5 pro teams. And it almost seems like we never could

 

[Joe Blow]

Literally for every 4 pro players who remain in Australia there will be 1 who has left. All levels from claimed "world class" to squad players.

So what are the powers that be going to do about it? What steps are being taken to strengthen our pathways. What exactly are RA planning to do in the face of a crumbling Super Rugby and now SA and NZ deleting the 26, 28 and 30 RC games?
They need to be seen to be taking action reasonably quickly. They were not and did not when the Rebels were shut down and we ended up losing several key players.

 

[dru]

So what are the powers that be going to do about it? What steps are being taken to strengthen our pathways. What exactly are RA planning to do in the face of a crumbling Super Rugby and now SA and NZ deleting the 26, 28 and 30 RC games?
They need to be seen to be taking action reasonably quickly. They were not and did not when the Rebels were shut down and we ended up losing several key players.

Joe, I am yet to be convinced that losing the Rebels was not actually an outcome that RA desired. I'll acknowledge the shit stick of self-inflicted Rebels financial mis-management, but behind closed doors I can still see Ra going "OK, blow the dust off that plan again".

 

[RebelYell]

Scott Sio?

 

[Strewthcobber]

Great piece by John Ferguson today showing the failures of our defensive structure, particularly Ikitau's issues on the weekend.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2024/09/11/analysis-wallabies-defensive-frailties-evident-well-before-disastrous-second-half-surrender/

RA and Stan, I assume you are reading this, please make it easier to share small clips of the game like this. It adds so much to the aport

 

[rugbyAU]

Scott Sio?

For sure - should have been there at the World Cup, but probably won't come back considering his age and wouldn't be a big priority with Bell there

 

[Tomthumb]

Great piece by John Ferguson today showing the failures of our defensive structure, particularly Ikitau's issues on the weekend.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2024/09/11/analysis-wallabies-defensive-frailties-evident-well-before-disastrous-second-half-surrender/

RA and Stan, I assume you are reading this, please make it easier to share small clips of the game like this. It adds so much to the aport

It's an outdated system, and it isn't fit for purpose with the playing group we have

Lord Bucket Hat either needs to change his spots or we need a defensive coach from this century

 

[Adam84]

I said it elsewhere, but it speaks volumes of the defensive alignment the team is trying to implement when players like Koroibete, who was previously quite good in defence, are struggling. Maybe it's the right system and it's just taking time for players to adapt, or maybe it's the wrong system.

That and the cohesion factor/lack of confidence in the defence of the man inside/outside of you, which occurred a few times on the weekend.

 

[Wilson]

I said it elsewhere, but it speaks volumes of the defensive alignment the team is trying to implement when players like Koroibete, who was previously quite good in defence, are struggling. Maybe it's the right system and it's just taking time for players to adapt, or maybe it's the wrong system.

That and the cohesion factor/lack of confidence in the defence of the man inside/outside of you, which occurred a few times on the weekend.

It's particularly dire when a guy like Ikitau who has played it for the Brumbies and Rennie's wallabies is making these mistakes. Defence absolutely takes time to bed down and get right, but for quite a few of these guys this should be the most familiar part of the whole wallabies setup.

 

[Dctarget]

I watch a lot of NH rugby so feel marginally qualified to call for players from there:

Kerr-Barlow, was named in the TotW for last week's opening round of Top 14.
Staniforth is consistently voted best player at Castres and rated higher than Richie Arnold/Kane Douglas/Rob Simmons. That's a lot of Wallabies caps.
Skelton's already proven.
Then there's a bunch of centres like Simone and Perese who aren't superstars but provide depth in an area where we have none.
But tbh beyond that, that's all I'd take. Maybe Sio too. So 5-6 players from France/England.

 

[Brumby Runner]

For sure but outside those locks who are we talking about?

I'd suggest Irae Simone would be a noticable step up on last week's offerings.

 

[Tomthumb]

I'd suggest Irae Simone would be a noticable step up on last week's offerings.

I still have nightmares from his debut. Everyone's a world beater when we don't pick them I guess

 

[Derpus]

I'd suggest Irae Simone would be a noticable step up on last week's offerings.

I always thought he got shafted a bit by Rennie. One spanking against NZ and then one bench appearance against Argentina (in which he actually looked pretty good). Never to be seen again.

 

[Slim 293]

I still have nightmares from his debut. Everyone's a world beater when we don't pick them I guess

It was four years ago, rushed into the starting team through injuries after one full season with Lolesio debuting at flyhalf in the same game against the All Blacks...

I would put forward he was in his best form two years ago just prior to leaving Australia and on that form alone would easily be a step above the current domestic options.

 

[Tomthumb]

It was four years ago, rushed into the starting team through injuries after one full season with Lolesio debuting at flyhalf in the same game against the All Blacks...

I would put forward he was in his best form two years ago just prior to leaving Australia and on that form alone would easily be a step above the current domestic options.

It always seems to be the same story with players

Excuses why they sucked when they played for the Wallabies, and then pointing out they were in their best form when either leaving or having left Australia

 

[Slim 293]

It always seems to be the same story with players

Excuses why they sucked when they played for the Wallabies, and then pointing out they were in their best form when either leaving or having left Australia

Yes, that one time they sucked in their test debut early in their career should be their defining moment...

 

[Tomthumb]

Yes, that one time they sucked in their test debut early in their career should be their defining moment...

No, but we don't have to make excuses simply because he happened to play for your Super Team either

The question we should be asking is why cant any of these guys just step up when given the chance