Wallabies 31 Man Squad

[Richo]

I think this is exactly why Lilo was picked -- playmaking cover off the bench if JOC (James O'Connor) or Barnes goes down. Without one of those two, the playmaking is pretty limited.

 

[RoffsChoice]

Look, I'm no dirty turncoat, but McCaw is the kind of guy who I don't doubt. He does have his criticisms of Deans, but if it was all praise then it would be lying. What he does is praise his planning, man management, reading of players and communication/explanation with the team as a whole. What he criticises is his public mannerisms and lack of communication with the world outside the team.

I'm okay with this! If the coach is planning well, managing and reading his players and communicating/explaining his plan to the team, he's a good coach, even if he is difficult to understand in interviews. But hell, look at how he talked to Nick on Fox Sports after the Reds-Brumbies and Waratahs-Brumbies games! When he doesn't have a script, he's a man worth listening to because he knows what he's talking about.

(Link to one of the interviews here)

 

[Braveheart81]

Like everything, people latch onto a couple of quotes and go to town with them.

You look at the Richie McCaw interviews and book and most of the positive comments about Deans are ignored and one or two comments about not supporting him as being All Blacks coach become the narrative for people trying to bring down Deans.

Likewise with the radio interview yesterday, most of the comments Deans made were positive regarding Cooper and constructive in the analysis of his play. One comment is made about Tapuai not thriving outside him and suddenly Deans is being accused of blaming Cooper for Tapuai's form.

The reality of the situation is that very little has been said that anyone can really take issue with. People choose to pick up on something and run with it because it helps their argument.

 

[en_force_er]

Sport is a constant flow of information, yesterday's news is hard to dig up and rarely revisited.

So, there might have been an interview last week that my mate brings up to make a point (for example the point that Deans hates Cooper). If I haven't seen the interview all I'm going to do is quote the point my mate did, by which point it's probably heavily paraphrased because it's 3rd hand information.

That's why sports fans can have some very eloquent, very incorrect opinions.

 

[Lindommer]

Lindommer, I think that Horwill is a TH lock, not a LH lock. I would take Horwill as a TH lock ahead of Timani every day of the week.

Thanks for that, Ash, never quite sure where to put second-rowers. I checked the last Reds match and noted Horwill was 5 and Simmons 4. But with Timani in the squad surely Big Kev's a monte for the 4 jumper. IF I WAS A SELECTOR there'd be no doubt: Douglas at 4 and Horwill at 5.

There again, who'd be a selector.

 

[I like to watch]

Didn't Giteau, Tana Umaga and Andrew Merthens all have issues with Deans as well? Quade/Khoder were the only one's stupid enough to air the dirty laundry in the public.

So a flip on this "endemic" could be, players are putting up with Deans because they want to play for the Wallabies and have no other choice as he's here to stay.

All the players you quote were at the end of the careers.
people don't like being told their time is up.
Gits is a perfect example.
The very posters that were screaming that Gits was fucking hopeless,and had no right wearing gold,are now saying he was not treated with due respect in his final year/s.

 

[Cosmo Jones]

I think this is exactly why Lilo was picked -- playmaking cover off the bench if JOC (James O'Connor) or Barnes goes down. Without one of those two, the playmaking is pretty limited.

Much prefer to see lilo start over Horne, love the possibilities a 10/12 playmaking combo with JOC (James O'Connor) can create. They could seriously hurt the Lions back line (especially with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and the back 3 options we have available).

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Without doubt, Deans shouldn't have had his contract extended beyond the 2011 RWC prior to the event taking place. That was craziness from the ARU.

Quade Cooper seems to be the only player in Australian rugby who has a problem with the coach and vice versa. I think it is unrealistic that this issue is seemingly being extended to being a endemic problem when there is zero evidence to suggest that is the case.

When have you ever heard a national coach bag a potential player in this way?
I seriously believe his behaviour justifies a sanction from the ARU.
and I do not like QC (Quade Cooper).
Not only has this bloke lowered our standard of rugby but he has lowered the tone as well.
I am disgusted that he thinks he can behave like this - even if QC (Quade Cooper) is but one player - towards any player.
(Shaking head)
I'm not sure we should get over this as quickly as we should get over the actual selections.




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[thierry dusautoir]

Like everything, people latch onto a couple of quotes and go to town with them.

You look at the Richie McCaw interviews and book and most of the positive comments about Deans are ignored and one or two comments about not supporting him as being All Blacks coach become the narrative for people trying to bring down Deans.

Likewise with the radio interview yesterday, most of the comments Deans made were positive regarding Cooper and constructive in the analysis of his play. One comment is made about Tapuai not thriving outside him and suddenly Deans is being accused of blaming Cooper for Tapuai's form.

The reality of the situation is that very little has been said that anyone can really take issue with. People choose to pick up on something and run with it because it helps their argument.

The comment was a criticism though, and a strange one at that.

Tapuai came to prominence outside of cooper, why would it suddenly be a problem now? Players go out of form all the time its strange to blame this on another player.

I do understand that players chemistry can affect each other but tapuai and cooper have had a solid playing rapport for the last 3 years, so its hard to say that cooper is the difference in tapuai's game.

Personally i have thought tapuai doesnt look as fit as he has looked last year when he was in career best form and before deans' comment thats what i had chalked it up to. Mckenzie has mentioned previously that Tapuai's problems as a player come from his conditioning

 

[Ignoto]

The reality of the situation is that very little has been said that anyone can really take issue with. People choose to pick up on something and run with it because it helps their argument.

This is nothing new. Think back a couple weeks ago about Genia being asked about Cooper. People sharpened the pitchforks and ran with the idea that Genia was trying to undermine the selection policy etc.

 

[BigSteve]

my six-pack to come

1. Dan Palmer
2. James Hanson
3. Hugh McMeniman
4. Nic White
5. Quade Cooper
6. Jesse Mogg

Its that F*cking simple, but there is no way deans is going to pick this. im expecting the favourites to come in and deans will have all his boys back in town McCabe, Barnes, Horne, Burgress, Dennis..... ahh how i pray that the six i have listed are picked.

 

[Braveheart81]

When have you ever heard a national coach bag a potential player in this way?
I seriously believe his behaviour justifies a sanction from the ARU.
and I do not like QC (Quade Cooper).
Not only has this bloke lowered our standard of rugby but he has lowered the tone as well.
I am disgusted that he thinks he can behave like this - even if QC (Quade Cooper) is but one player - towards any player.
(Shaking head)
I'm not sure we should get over this as quickly as we should get over the actual selections.

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Amongst many other comments, most of which were positive but talking generally about where he saw Cooper needing to improve his game, this was said:

‘‘Benny Taps is evidence of Quade not quite getting that balance right. He’s not thriving outside him. He’s got to be prepared to allow others to do some of the playmaking as well as himself.’’

When he's making the point that he thinks Cooper needs to try and do less himself and hold onto the ball more when there is nothing on, making a comment about the 12 next to him doesn't seem out of line to me.

What do people expect him to say? We expect people like Deans to be available to the press and to answer questions in regards to his selections and non-selections.

I really don't think Deans has said anything inappropriate at all. I think this is far better than the ARU taking the approach of saying that they won't discuss reasons behind selections which seems like the only alternative.

 

[No4918]

Then why select a team and game plan for the RWC and his few games last year that had Quade as the only playmaker. Wasn't a problem then.

 

[Cosmo Jones]

if deans picks MacCabe and leaves out Cooper in the next six

 

[No4918]

When he's making the point that he thinks Cooper needs to try and do less himself and hold onto the ball more when there is nothing on, making a comment about the 12 next to him doesn't seem out of line to me.

What do people expect him to say? We expect people like Deans to be available to the press and to answer questions in regards to his selections and non-selections.

I really don't think Deans has said anything inappropriate at all. I think this is far better than the ARU taking the approach of saying that they won't discuss reasons behind selections which seems like the only alternative.

I assume you have watched a fair bit of rugby and the Reds. At any time have you looked at Tapuai's form and thought, "you know what, Cooper is holding him back." Not only do i think the comment inappropriate, it just seems out of touch. Deans must be so good that he is the only one that can see the truth.

 

[Braveheart81]

Then why select a team and game plan for the RWC and his few games last year that had Quade as the only playmaker. Wasn't a problem then.

Form changes and other people become better options in various positions.

Quade Cooper had just won a Super Rugby title and in the form of his life in 2011. His form in 2013 is quite different. He's playing a more solid, mature game but he's also failing to get the Reds backline really firing.

At that time, our options at 12 were really McCabe and Fainga'a. Barnes had been injured, Horne was playing 13 and not very well etc.

First choice players in other positions have changed from 2011 and Cooper is no longer considered the best option to play at 10 with those people. I don't think this makes the fact that he has been selected 38 times in the past by Deans inconsistent.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Amongst many other comments, most of which were positive but talking generally about where he saw Cooper needing to improve his game, this was said:



When he's making the point that he thinks Cooper needs to try and do less himself and hold onto the ball more when there is nothing on, making a comment about the 12 next to him doesn't seem out of line to me.

What do people expect him to say? We expect people like Deans to be available to the press and to answer questions in regards to his selections and non-selections.

I really don't think Deans has said anything inappropriate at all. I think this is far better than the ARU taking the approach of saying that they won't discuss reasons behind selections which seems like the only alternative.

Funny that this is the only time he's seen fit to say something any of us can understand.



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[Scotty]

Amongst many other comments, most of which were positive but talking generally about where he saw Cooper needing to improve his game, this was said:



When he's making the point that he thinks Cooper needs to try and do less himself and hold onto the ball more when there is nothing on, making a comment about the 12 next to him doesn't seem out of line to me.

What do people expect him to say? We expect people like Deans to be available to the press and to answer questions in regards to his selections and non-selections.

I really don't think Deans has said anything inappropriate at all. I think this is far better than the ARU taking the approach of saying that they won't discuss reasons behind selections which seems like the only alternative.

How could you not see an issue with what he has said? There is a pretty obvious implication that Tapuai has lost form because of Cooper. That is unacceptable and completely wrong.

Do you get sick of being the Deans apologist and defender all the time?

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

When have you ever heard a national coach bag a potential player in this way?
I seriously believe his behaviour justifies a sanction from the ARU.
and I do not like QC (Quade Cooper).
Not only has this bloke lowered our standard of rugby but he has lowered the tone as well.
I am disgusted that he thinks he can behave like this - even if QC (Quade Cooper) is but one player - towards any player.
(Shaking head)
I'm not sure we should get over this as quickly as we should get over the actual selections.

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please. everyone jumps and screams that quade isn't picked and demands to know why if its not personality. the coach comes out with a very frank explanation as to why he hasn't picked him recently and people want deans hung and quartered.

read two posts above re wanting gits gone now hollering that he was poorly treated.

 

[Braveheart81]

I assume you have watched a fair bit of rugby and the Reds. At any time have you looked at Tapuai's form and thought, "you know what, Cooper is holding him back." Not only do i think the comment inappropriate, it just seems out of touch. Deans must be so good that he is the only one that can see the truth.

I watch the Aussie games almost every week. I would say I've only missed one or two Reds games this year.

Tapuai has certainly been responsible for his own form slump, but at the same time I don't think he's been helped by Cooper's form. Cooper is still offloading to stationary players behind the advantage line rather than being tackled. This puts people like Tapuai under pressure.

Defences have also got better at shutting down Cooper. They know more what he is going to do and expect that flat passes are going to be thrown to runners. I think this has caused Tapuai to be marked more heavily and often get smashed when he receives a pass. When he is getting a flat pass close to the defence and is heavily marked it also makes him more error prone.

Certainly Tapuai has made plenty of errors this year which have absolutely nothing to do with anyone else. I don't think he can blame anyone else for his form slump.

I guess when you compare this season to 2011, Cooper was making players around him look like superstars because of how well he was playing and the opportunities he was creating for teammates.