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Wallabies 2024

Tomthumb

Peter Fenwicke (45)
meh, changing one average player continually for another average player doesn't work either
Only if you're certain they are all average and will always remain average

I'd say the improvement Donaldson made at Super level since getting extended time at 10 for the Force may be evidence there is more in there if given an extended chance
 

stillmissit

Peter Johnson (47)
Only if you're certain they are all average and will always remain average

I'd say the improvement Donaldson made at Super level since getting extended time at 10 for the Force may be evidence there is more in there if given an extended chance
TT any half decent club player would get better if playing regularly at a higher level, it doesn't mean they have the talent or drive to play for the Wallabies.
BTW this is a general comment and I don't care who plays 10 ATM I am not a fan of any of them.
 

Tomthumb

Peter Fenwicke (45)
TT I think you highlight a major problem in Aus that I thought would change with Schmidt and that is young talent ID.
It's the inconsistency from coaches that shits me. Guys like Noah and Paisami get constant chances no matter how poorly they play, yet a guy like Toole has to work on this and that and basically prove he's the worlds greatest winger at training before he gets a sniff
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
It's the inconsistency from coaches that shits me. Guys like Noah and Paisami get constant chances no matter how poorly they play, yet a guy like Toole has to work on this and that and basically prove he's the worlds greatest winger at training before he gets a sniff
We have quite a few decent wingers and we do not have quite a few decent halves/centres. It's not the coaches that are inconsistent its the garbage players.

Our players are garbage. Noah is pretty garbage and Donaldson is also pretty garbage. How is that so hard to understand?
 

Tomthumb

Peter Fenwicke (45)
We have quite a few decent wingers and we do not have quite a few decent halves/centres. It's not the coaches that are inconsistent its the garbage players.

Our players are garbage. Noah is pretty garbage and Donaldson is also pretty garbage. How is that so hard to understand?
I wouldn't call what Koroibete and Kellaway have dished up this year decent

It's a cop out to always just say the players aren't good enough

At a certain point it's up to the guy getting paid bloody good money to coach them to improve them. If not, we might as well hire the groundman to be the coach, save a bit of money
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
I wouldn't call what Koroibete and Kellaway have dished up this year decent

It's a cop out to always just say the players aren't good enough

At a certain point it's up to the guy getting paid bloody good money to coach them to improve them. If not, we might as well hire the groundman to be the coach, save a bit of money
Bro if you think rotating in Donaldson will make us not suck you are genuinely fucked in the head.
 

Tomthumb

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Bro if you think rotating in Donaldson will make us not suck you are genuinely fucked in the head.
I didn't say that, but given the time he very well could be better than Noah

You're basically saying we suck so nothing matters. In that case, why not pick Blake Schoupp at 10 and have Rob Penny as coach?

Where was this complete apathy last year? I miss Eddie for the sole reason he actually brought expectation out of the Australian rugby public

And don't see the need for that language but good on ya
 

Yoda

Cyril Towers (30)
We have quite a few decent wingers and we do not have quite a few decent halves/centres. It's not the coaches that are inconsistent its the garbage players.

Our players are garbage. Noah is pretty garbage and Donaldson is also pretty garbage. How is that so hard to understand?
Der Pus… that’s just a ‘garbage’ comment. There are no real stand out players in any position, apart from Valetini imho. Taniela is appallingly unfit but is picked as our scrum needs him. I‘d never describe him as ‘garbage’ though. Tom Thumb has a point. A good coach such as Craig Bellamy from the NRL Storm is able to improve all his players and so Joe Schmidt needs to do this. It is early days. I believe we aren’t as far off as sideline Neville’s carry on about.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Donaldson has looked good in his cameos and had the attack humming in the first half vs Argentina. Would be good to see him get 3 starts in a row to build something

Noah has not shown anything to deserve this continued preferential treatment

Did he? It was pretty broadly accepted that he didn't really grasp his opportunity against Georgia which is the weakest team we've played this year. We scored two tries in that first half against Argentina in the second test and I think Donaldson was fine. I would hardly describe the attack as "humming" as a result of his play though.

Lolesio continues to be the most consistent at Super Rugby level and that's why he is getting more opportunity at test level.

I don't think either of them are the long term option but I think there's no real evidence to suggest that Donaldson is a better player and should be preferenced to Lolesio.
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
I didn't say that, but given the time he very well could be better than Noah

You're basically saying we suck so nothing matters. In that case, why not pick Blake Schoupp at 10 and have Rob Penny as coach?

Where was this complete apathy last year? I miss Eddie for the sole reason he actually brought expectation out of the Australian rugby public

And don't see the need for that language but good on ya
100% what I am saying. Until we fix the underlying issues picking shit player (a) or (b) won't change anything.

And we will never fix the underlying issues as becomes more apparent by the day.
 

Yoda

Cyril Towers (30)
Did he? It was pretty broadly accepted that he didn't really grasp his opportunity against Georgia which is the weakest team we've played this year. We scored two tries in that first half against Argentina in the second test and I think Donaldson was fine. I would hardly describe the attack as "humming" as a result of his play though.

Lolesio continues to be the most consistent at Super Rugby level and that's why he is getting more opportunity at test level.

I don't think either of them are the long term option but I think there's no real evidence to suggest that Donaldson is a better player and should be preferenced to Lolesio.
You’re missing the point Braveheart. Lolesio has had numerous consecutive Tests throughout his career to show us his Test abilities. Donaldson hasn’t had that same luxury.
 

stillmissit

Peter Johnson (47)
Der Pus… that’s just a ‘garbage’ comment. There are no real stand out players in any position, apart from Valetini imho. Taniela is appallingly unfit but is picked as our scrum needs him. I‘d never describe him as ‘garbage’ though. Tom Thumb has a point. A good coach such as Craig Bellamy from the NRL Storm is able to improve all his players and so Joe Schmidt needs to do this. It is early days. I believe we aren’t as far off as sideline Neville’s carry on about.
Agree with this. I heard a comment on the radio about a highly regarded League centre who was injured and he was 23. On this site and others we all jump up and down about they are too young to play top level rugby.
I am with you regarding the responsibility of coaches. We need an Aus A to test out more young talent, not give old players a run to impart their knowledge, I always thought that could be done on the training paddock or via their coaches.
I read today that Teddy Wilson a talented 9 who has had 3 years at the tahs and has not started one game!
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
You’re missing the point Braveheart. Lolesio has had numerous consecutive Tests throughout his career to show us his Test abilities. Donaldson hasn’t had that same luxury.

I'm not missing the point.

Donaldson hasn't shown he's clearly a better option and Schmidt has determined that he thinks Lolesio is his best option available at this time and will persist with that.

He has seen a lot of both of them in training and enough on the field from Donaldson to tell him that his verdict is correct.

Your position is that Donaldson should get a lot more opportunity so Schmidt can then determine whether after reaching the same level of experience Donaldson is ahead of Lolesio. Schmidt's position is that Lolesio is slightly ahead now and the best potential outcome is to stick with that so they can build cohesion and hopefully end up in a better overall position after the next x number of tests.

There's undoubtedly an element of bad luck for Donaldson. Lolesio isn't obviously a much better player than Donaldson. There's clearly very little between them. Schmidt could have decided Donaldson was his first choice and invested the bulk of the opportunity there but he went with Lolesio.
 

stillmissit

Peter Johnson (47)
100% what I am saying. Until we fix the underlying issues picking shit player (a) or (b) won't change anything.

And we will never fix the underlying issues as becomes more apparent by the day.
Let's just all abandon rugby union as a lost cause in AUS and watch the 6 tackles and kick game? Comments like this really piss me off, no idea about building anything just basic puss and nonsense.
 
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