Wallabies 2024

[The Ghost of Raelene]

High intensity contact work is one thing but and can be understandable at times. It's the phoning it in skills work I think can be where the top training is lost. Some of these guys that are so naturally gifted can cruise through this training. We then come unstuck when under fatigue and pressure in a game and they haven't been exposed to executing fine skills in this situation.

Can also defend them and say they only rise to level of the team mates and there is a lack of depth across the board.

 

[LeCheese]

Again it doesn't dispute the overall point, but the 'train like you play' applies perhaps in a different way to an ultra-physical forward like Tupou or LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) than it might to a Tom Wright or Corey Toole.

Agreed - and that's where some common sense and management needs to come in.

For Wright, it sounds as though the biggest change was increasing the tempo at which he was doing drills, as opposed to the physicality - which makes sense given speed, agility, and decision making are all central to his role in the team. For those doing more grunt work, where physicality is key, it's understandably less sustainable.

 

[LeCheese]

High intensity contact work is one thing but and can be understandable at times. It's the phoning it in skills work I think can be where the top training is lost. Some of these guys that are so naturally gifted can cruise through this training. We then come unstuck when under fatigue and pressure in a game and they haven't been exposed to executing fine skills in this situation.

Can also defend them and say they only rise to level of the team mates and there is a lack of depth across the board.

To be honest, all you need to do is look at some of the training footage coming out of camps. It's pretty easy to see quite a few going through the motions at a reasonably low intensity - particularly in backs drills (yes I was a forward, why do you ask?)

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

After playing a long time (nowhere near this level but high enough) the teams I was in that were successful had hard training and you were generally flogged for the first half of training and then did skill work/team runs whilst fatigued and not thinking as sharp as you are when fresh, not covered in sweat and have the shits with half your team mates.

 

[Braveheart81]

Any news on Gibbon? Injured? I'm surprised by his absence.

Pone should be called up, surely we can call on him from MP (Moana Pasifika) (Moana Pasifika).

I saw this photo on the Wallabies facebook page a couple of weeks ago and my first thought was the aggressive head shaving was a bad idea heading into Summer in Queensland.

Out with heat stroke and sunburn?

 

[The Red Baron]

That's true, though it's worth pointing out none of those guys play a physical contact sport like rugby.

With various changes to player safety rules, player union demands and high performance data professional rugby teams do way less contact training than they might have in the past.

Again it doesn't dispute the overall point, but the 'train like you play' applies perhaps in a different way to an ultra-physical forward like Tupou or LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) than it might to a Tom Wright or Corey Toole.

You could argue that Jordan was playing a physical contact sport whenever he played the Pistons though...

 

[Bullrush]

You could argue that Jordan was playing a physical contact sport whenever he played the Pistons though...

Basketball was definitely a contact sport in those days. And Jordan would play all 82 regular season games + play-offs....

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

The execution of motor skills under fatigue in the NBA at his level is incredible. The ability to think and maintain focus is very applicable regardless of the level of contact.

 

[Ignoto]

Any news on Gibbon? Injured? I'm surprised by his absence.

Pone should be called up, surely we can call on him from MP (Moana Pasifika) (Moana Pasifika).

He's in Japan with the Reds - https://www.instagram.com/p/DBukFLsTXI1/?igsh=MThpZno4bDJtM3I4cw==

Unaure why he's not getting the game time though?

 

[stillmissit]

Without Swain, who would you have?
I still have a soft spot for Rodda and Arnold but they are not in the squad.

In a game like England, I'd want the Rory Arnold assuming he is still OK. A game like this would wind him up.

 

[Wilson]

On-top of missing the first test for the birth of his child it looks like Paisami has picked up a calf injury. Unclear if he will still join the squad later.

Troubling number of calf injuries lately, but I guess it's better than Achilles ones.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Assume Stewart will come up from the Aus XV squad.

 

[Cole]

Perese maybe gets called into either XV or Wallabies

 

[stillmissit]

It will be interesting who Schmidt goes with but I don't think it will be Stewart after watching the ABs v England game we need a finisher with speed and power.

 

[stillmissit]

What has happened to Foketi? At 29 he should be good to go.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Didn't he miss the tour through injury?

 

[Wilson]

Assume Stewart will come up from the Aus XV squad.

That's certainly the most likely outcome, but it probably depends on whether or not Paisami will be fit to join the squad, given they weren't pulling anyone in to cover him while his kid was being born. They might wait until after the first test/Aus xv game to decide

 

[Wilson]

Didn't he miss the tour through injury?

Foketi is serving a ban at the moment. Feliuai is the most likely call up from outside given he has been in the squad already this year, but that assumes the "family reasons" that saw him miss out is something like the birth of a child that is only a temporary block.

 

[stillmissit]

Didn't he miss the tour through injury?

Just checked and it was due to suspension. Wonder when that finishes.

 

[Overtime]

I am really looking forward to watching Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i play. He might take a little bit to reapply his trade at the international level however he is exactly what we need in the backline. I big body who can get over the advantage line. It doesn't matter if he is full back or inside center he can swap and change as needed with Tom Wright who finally has shown his potential and has been the best so far this year in an under per forming backline. I am on record as saying a number of years back that I thought Wright could of made a terrific fly-half though it is to late for that now. I still however stick to what I said back then it is a shame that he was never given the opportunity there as he could of also been exactly what the Wallabies needed now.