Wallabies 2024

[capalaba]

Well shit easily the best player in Super Rugby did not get selected for the All Blacks. How Hoskins missed out after out playing Sititi is mind-blowing.

Schmidt selected based on form with a vision of the Lions Tour. Will be interesting what game plan he will use.

 

[Derpus]

That’s fine. I never actually said we should only pick from the domestic comp. But you still haven’t named the players you thing were better who were available to be selected. No doubt you have some and I’m not trying to diminish your opinion - but I can’t think of any who were hands down better in their spot.

People are criticising Schmidt because he did, and he made a point of that, but he also said he never ruled anyone out. But where he had to make a choice he picked the player staying in Australian rugby.

- Skelton, Sio, Koroibete etc aren’t available for selection
- Guys like Holloway, Swinton, Canham, Rodda etc are all comparable but none of them are clearly better than the alternatives. Surely if it’s 50/50 you can see the logic of picking the player who you will have access to 100% of the time
- Nawaqanitwase & Gordon were possible also on contention but again neither were clearly the best option, even if they were staying. So again - like above why not go with who is staying. It would only be petty if they were clearly better choices, which they aren’t IMO
- the very thing people are complaining about - the leakage of players OS - is going to get far worse if we pick those guys on line ball choices. It also makes it much harder to build cohesion. If the best players on a piece of paper made the best team, NSW would’ve won far more State of Origin games

Not the forum for it but this is... nah.

 

[TSR]

Not the forum for it but this is... nah.

I’m guessing I’m a decent amount older than you. I can assure you some of the Qld teams that won along the way were very heavy underdogs.

Even a couple of years ago people were saying it was the worst Qld team ever before they won the series 2 - 1

Edit: it was 2020

 

[wamberal99]

What's wrong with my eyebrows?

They are better than your coaching. That's about it.

 

[Brumby Runner]

That’s fine. I never actually said we should only pick from the domestic comp. But you still haven’t named the players you thing were better who were available to be selected. No doubt you have some and I’m not trying to diminish your opinion - but I can’t think of any who were hands down better in their spot.

People are criticising Schmidt because he did, and he made a point of that, but he also said he never ruled anyone out. But where he had to make a choice he picked the player staying in Australian rugby.

- Skelton, Sio, Koroibete etc aren’t available for selection
- Guys like Holloway, Swinton, Canham, Rodda etc are all comparable but none of them are clearly better than the alternatives. Surely if it’s 50/50 you can see the logic of picking the player who you will have access to 100% of the time
- Nawaqanitwase & Gordon were possible also on contention but again neither were clearly the best option, even if they were staying. So again - like above why not go with who is staying. It would only be petty if they were clearly better choices, which they aren’t IMO
- the very thing people are complaining about - the leakage of players OS - is going to get far worse if we pick those guys on line ball choices. It also makes it much harder to build cohesion. If the best players on a piece of paper made the best team, NSW would’ve won far more State of Origin games

Of the players you've named above TSR, I would be arguing for only two of them. I think our locks are a bit thin on for grunt and a bit of controlled violence, so I'd have liked to see Holloway get a spot, and for the future I'd also include Canham. Josh really has all the skills required of a top notch lock, and he is one who can break the line in close. Plus he never stops. I think in a year or two he will be a top class lock with plenty of aggression in his play. I would rather see that available to the Wallabies than to England or Japan or wherever he might end up.

 

[rugbyAU]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2024/06/24/gatland-rejects-players-disrespect-claim-as-he-prepares-wounded-welsh-for-australia-tour/

Wales seem to have their own injury concerns

 

[DropGoal]

Joe is building a team for the 2025 Lions tour. This is the perfect time to prove new players

Like that young Kurtley Beale

 

[DropGoal]

That’s fine. I never actually said we should only pick from the domestic comp. But you still haven’t named the players you thing were better who were available to be selected. No doubt you have some and I’m not trying to diminish your opinion - but I can’t think of any who were hands down better in their spot.

People are criticising Schmidt because he did, and he made a point of that, but he also said he never ruled anyone out. But where he had to make a choice he picked the player staying in Australian rugby.

- Skelton, Sio, Koroibete etc aren’t available for selection
- Guys like Holloway, Swinton, Canham, Rodda etc are all comparable but none of them are clearly better than the alternatives. Surely if it’s 50/50 you can see the logic of picking the player who you will have access to 100% of the time
- Nawaqanitwase & Gordon were possible also on contention but again neither were clearly the best option, even if they were staying. So again - like above why not go with who is staying. It would only be petty if they were clearly better choices, which they aren’t IMO
- the very thing people are complaining about - the leakage of players OS - is going to get far worse if we pick those guys on line ball choices. It also makes it much harder to build cohesion. If the best players on a piece of paper made the best team, NSW would’ve won far more State of Origin games

For starters, I think last 2 men you mentioned should have been picked in the squad … there is obviously a big reason why they’re weren’t..

 

[Marce]

Like that young Kurtley Beale

It's not perfect. Maybe he's for the mentor rol. I wouldn't pick him

 

[Tomthumb]

For starters, I think last 2 men you mentioned should have been picked in the squad … there is obviously a big reason why they’re weren’t..

Yes there is an obvious reason, they both didn’t play well enough this season

 

[Wilson]

Interesting comparison of test caps between us and the Welsh on twitter:

x.com

x.com

Both squads very inexperienced but surprisingly close in caps across the board.

 

[stillmissit]

we are a nation of losers and the ABs are the ABs

SX, I think it has more to do with politics than losers.
We are too slow to change direction, for example, it took our scrum ages to get over EJ (Eddie Jones)'s 'just get it over' stupidity in 2002-3. Another is that long after NZ had started to compete at the breakdown both theirs and the opposition we were still playing 'put max of 2 in our breakdown, pillar and post the rest' 'don't over commit to the breakdown'.
I would prefer to see us as innovators as McQueen did not slow copiers.

 

[Homer]

Interesting comparison of test caps between us and the Welsh on twitter:
View attachment 19646

x.com

x.com

Both squads very inexperienced but surprisingly close in caps across the board.

What happens if Sam Costelow gets injured?

 

[Wilson]

What happens if Sam Costelow gets injured?

Ben Thomas and Jacob Beetham are seen as the cover, but it's a risky proposition for them - neither have much time there in the professional game. That said I'm not sure the game plan requires a particularly creative or elusive flyhalf, Gatland is on record saying he wants a big body there.

 

[Mick The Munch]

This series is less important for Wales - Gatland is secure in his job, end of season tour so can blood new players with a view for the next 6N and WC - Much more important to the Wallabies who haven't beaten a tier 1 teams since '22 and have the Bled coming up.

We should win - if we don't the pressure is going to ramp quickly especially with the potential starting players leaving Gordon, Rodda, Marky, Uelese, Hanigan)

 

[Tomthumb]

This series is less important for Wales - Gatland is secure in his job, end of season tour so can blood new players with a view for the next 6N and WC - Much more important to the Wallabies who haven't beaten a tier 1 teams since '22 and have the Bled coming up.

We should win - if we don't the pressure is going to ramp quickly especially with the potential starting players leaving Gordon, Rodda, Marky, Uelese, Hanigan)

I don’t think Gatland is that secure, between a winless 6 nations and players walking out of camp he’s not exactly setting the world alight

 

[Mick The Munch]

I don’t think Gatland is that secure, between a winless 6 nations and players walking out of camp he’s not exactly setting the world alight

He tried to hand his resignation in after the 6N, it was rejected byu the board

 

[Tomthumb]

He tried to hand his resignation in after the 6N, it was rejected byu the board

That was solely face saving PR move in the wake of being beaten by Italy. If they don't improve he's not making the World Cup

 

[Mick The Munch]

That was solely face saving PR move in the wake of being beaten by Italy. If they don't improve he's not making the World Cup

So he is secure for 3 more years then?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I wonder if Gatland will make it to the RWC anyway. He's left the job previously and answered the emergency call last year. I don't know that he wants the job long term.

None of that makes any difference to us. We need to win these games, not only to build momentum, but also to get the public on side.