Wallabies 31 Man Squad

[No4918]

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.

The crux of my point is that why is Dingo the only person to come to this conclusion? Also, Tapuai was in very good form at the start of the season and Cooper is arguably playing better now I can see what you are saying but i don't get the logic behind Deans comments. Edit: you have addressed this now. Thanks.

Yes players have changed but i will be very surprised if the style changes, I really hope it can. Example, Folau has been playing well running the ball back in space and i hope Deans isn't selecting him to play him on the wing with Barnes at the back who is best suited to a territory game from the back. The players selected could attack very well if given the instruction and plans. I have little faith that this will be the case though.

 

[USARugger]

They had 20 points of try denied by the TMO last week. Quade is getting the backs moving, even when Genia had a bad game.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

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?

i'll leave unacceptable alone for now, but why is it completely wrong? how is the form of the backs outside cooper (ioane aside)? are faainga, CFS, Taps (when on), and morahan lighting it up?. the only players i see lighting it up lately for the reds are ioane and davies.
i am relatively impartial either way on quade. i am not surprised he wasn't selected and i wouldn't have been surprised if he was. he is 50/50 for me and i can see the arguments either way
but i've watched his last few games and mate, he hasn't been that impressive. his self imposed error rate (forward passes, passes into touch or to know one, missed tackles) is pretty high.

i would bet that the cheetahs game sealed it. that miss tackle was woeful. and don't say he slipped. he was running one direction and slipped back on his ass which is a sign he is uncertain and not confident in contact, he got near it and went back on his heels.

if this was 2011, i'd understand the anger of his non-selection, but he is nowhere near that and for all the maturity he's shown in some aspects of his game management, he's also carved out a lot of his x factor which was what set him apart - to be clear, i think he's over compensated toning down his attack too much while not fixing the crucial issue of defense. and i think that is what deans, is in an unclear way, trying to say.

 

[No4918]

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.

Agree, and all indications are that he was asked to change the way he played the game by Deans and work on things. Is it really a massive surprise that this will result in less opportunity for other players?

 

[Richo]

if deans picks MacCabe and leaves out Cooper in the next six
View attachment 3570

On Deans? Then join the club.

On supporting the Wallabies? Then don't let the door hit you as you go.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

personally i think that even if deans wins the lions series he will be gone. i think he'll have to win both the RC and the lions series and do well on the spring tour to remain.

i think the ARU will gun for a change.

if they wait another couple years to change however, i think link will have a significant challenge from cheika.

 

[Ash]

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.

Regardless of the number on Horwill's back, I can confirm that Horwill definitely packs at TH and Simmons at definitely LH (actually, I can't really imagine Simmons packing at TH). Not sure why Horwill wears number 5; maybe it's a throw back to the John Eales, maybe Horwill just prefers number 5.

 

[en_force_er]

Idea for a new weekly G&G piece: The Nick Cummins quote of the week.

Jeez, I hope he becomes a coach just so I can listen to his press conferences.

 

[Ash]

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.

Sorry Braveheart, but I call rubbish on those two statements. Cooper stopped doing that about 7 - 8 rounds ago.

Cooper has been dying with the ball in contact surrounded by static players for a while now.

 

[Ghibli]

if deans picks MacCabe and leaves out Cooper in the next six
View attachment 3570

It's all McCabe's fault.

 

[Cosmo Jones]

On Deans? Then join the club.

On supporting the Wallabies? Then don't let the door hit you as you go.

Not a second of my life did i question my support for the wallabies. I have gold blood, its deans im protesting

 

[Cosmo Jones]

It's all McCabe's fault.

Not saying at all its McCabe's fault, he's a hard working and respected player and I get that, i just don't think his skill set warrants him a gold jersey

 

[fatprop]

Not saying at all its McCabe's fault, he's a hard working and respected player and I get that, i just don't think his skill set warrants him a gold jersey

Wouldn't that depend on what coverage is needed?

We need 12/13 coverage in the squad, we have enough 10s (JOC (James O'Connor) & Barnes & Lilo at a pinch)

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I reckon the other things that's wrong with what Deans said is that he named a player who had missed out: he implied that the reason he missed out was cooper.
He could have made his point by leaving it at "those outside QC (Quade Cooper)" - maybe I'd still be incensed but i wouldnt be left with the feeling that this was a ham fisted attempt to split Tapuai and QC (Quade Cooper) and isolate QC (Quade Cooper).
Even Braveheart81 accepts that Tapuai has no one to blame but himself.

 

[Ghibli]

Not saying at all its McCabe's fault, he's a hard working and respected player and I get that, i just don't think his skill set warrants him a gold jersey

Can't see why not. McCabe's performance at 10 have been exceptional this year.

On a more serious note, why would you think that McCabe's selection would preclude QC (Quade Cooper)'s selection? They play in different positions, QC (Quade Cooper) will be selected if Deans wants another option at 10, as McCabe will be if Deans wants a type of centre like McCabe.

If Deans wants another player in the squad with the skill set of a number 10, he would centainly not pick McCabe.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

QC (Quade Cooper) will be selected if Deans wants another option at 10

scapegoat

 

[Braveheart81]

Sorry Braveheart, but I call rubbish on those two statements. Cooper stopped doing that about 7 - 8 rounds ago.

Cooper has been dying with the ball in contact surrounded by static players for a while now.

I just went through the first half of the Cheetahs game and it is still pretty prevalent.

5 minutes into the game he throws a forward pass attempting to offload. This situation there was probably something on but it was a pretty low percentage pass.

28.50 in he steps through a few tackles and then just dumps the ball on the ground behind him when being tackled. This one Quirk managed to pick up cleanly but it was unnecessary.

15 seconds later Cooper has the ball again and flings a pass back when he's going into a tackle that is picked up on the bounce by Holmes well behind the advantage line.

29.45 he shovels the ball back to Holmes while being held in a tackle and it just results in the Reds breakdown being 5m back from where it could have been.

10 seconds after this he throws a flick pass to Davies who is marked with nowhere to run and he has no choice but to fling it back in.

I think this is a major weakness of his game. You look how many excellent passes he threw in the Cheetahs game and how many people he put through gaps but he keeps trying to keep the ball alive at all costs far too often. I agree that he is taking the ball into contact more often than he used to but shoveling the ball out the back when he is under pressure or being tackled still happens too often.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Sorry Braveheart, but I call rubbish on those two statements. Cooper stopped doing that about 7 - 8 rounds ago.

Cooper has been dying with the ball in contact surrounded by static players for a while now.

Agree. IMO the Reds attack has been poor over the last few rounds. Not enough bodies in motion and players far too static. As a result Cooper has been forced to stand a little deeper than he probably would've liked.

Some of Genia's erratic play hasn't helped either.

 

[No4918]

He did push the passes more this more this game than the last few. The improvement though is evident and acknowledged by most punters and commentators.

 

[scaraby]

Its Paul Mclean V Mark Ella all over again except this time the Red is the Flashy one .....I love a good debate