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Wallabies Squad - the Link Era

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Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I use that same site but I can't see any way of comparing specific players' stats over the entire season?

I think the only way is to click in each match, write down the relevant statistics and add them up yourself.

I don't think there are any shortcuts.
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
I wonder if anyone will ever thank Deans for having the balls to make QC (Quade Cooper) realise what he would be missing, a harsh lesson and hopefully it has gotten through.

Like QC (Quade Cooper) and JO'N, Dingo has been a very polarising figure in Wobs rugby, with most people rather entrenched in their views about him. The Dingo Fanboys club, which doesn't seem to have too many members on either side of the Tasman, will believe nothing bad about him, while the Dingo Haters will not believe that he did anything good for Australian Rugby.

The truth is somewhere in the middle. We probably need to start a Dingo Deans Positivity Thread to recall some of the positive contributions he made to Aus Rugby, to counter some of the drongo things he did in his time:

Drongo Deans:
Forgetting to empty his bench,
Not picking cover for Bam Bam at RWC 11,
Not picking a specialist #10 for BI Lions,
Not dealing with Prima Donnas (the Muppeteers)
Press Statement gobbledegook
Too loyal to certain players (many of whom happened to be on massive ARU salary top ups - financial pressures?)
Seemed to play favourites

Decent Deans:
Getting Wobs playing Club Footy
Getting rid of Nucifora
Turning up to Schoolboys Tournaments and Shute Shield/Brissie Premier footy games
Not panicing during Team Rehab crisis of 2012
Not continuing with the Coffs Harbour sheltered workshop for Team Wobs
Not afraid to "tell it like it is" with his "non-favoured" players
Fostered some young up and coming talent
No potential historical interstate conflict of interest

While he went a little Colonel Kurtz (Apocolypse Now)/Kurtz (Hearts of Darkness) towards the end, I really think history will look far more kindly on Dingo's reign after the healing process is over. In the early days of Dingo, who else should/could have done better.
 

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
I don't have a chip on my shoulder. I'm just right about nearly everything and that includes QLD having poor front row stocks. I think you'll find its you and your mates in Red who constantly get out the violin and complain there are too many Waratahs in the squad despite finishing "in the bottom half of the table".

Drop the provincial accusations, please. It's getting tiring. This is the Wallabies, not the "provincial cheap shot" thread. Take it to one of the hate threads, or get over it. The same thing has been said to the people who continually complained about the amount of Waratahs in the side. The same thing will be said to anyone who complains about the amount of Brumbies in the side (although I reckon they would have rocks in their head to complain).

Fair enough: Anae has improved quite a bit given more game time, but then when I first saw him he looked like a lazy funt who had not yet understood the requirements of professional rugby. Being on a lower level contract won't help that as the man has to make a living, but I hope he gets a chance to show his wares without the concerns of how to make ends meet.

Further comments - because I'm feeling generous: Daley is an ordinary LHP and always has been. If anyone feels I need to elaborate on that, then they should probably go watch league. Holmes had his day and was never really up to it beyond provincial level, despite having moments. That takes care of your other LHPs.

Slipper seems to be capable but hasn't gotten much better since everyone was amazed at his transition into senior rugby at a tender age playing 3. Kepu and Ryan are better THPs than him at scrum time, full stop.

Those are good objective comments, rather than a lazy troll (like the previous post, and the start of this one).

Holmes is a decent enough LHP for provincial level, agree not test level. Though, the fact that Anae is better than him should be significant. Anae's performances towards the end of year - particularly vs the Lions, and some cameos off the bench - were probably what earnt him a call up as much as anything.

Disgree that Ryan is better, Ryan has slipped right off in the latter part of this year. Slipper is still very young for a THP at just 24. Not sure how much he is technically lacking, but the most disconserting thing for me was how the whole Reds front row this year seemed to be inconsistent with their scrum - they could dominate, be solid, and be dominated, all in the same game, almost from scrum to scrum.

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with tight five coaching in QLD? I would have thought Link was the man to turn this around but its actually gone downhill since the days of Stiles and Pancho. It took a massive hit when Moore left (and his departure was understandable given the circumstances) and the less said about Simmons as a physical specimen, the better.

In my book, Stiles was never a good scrummager. Reds have struggled in the scrum for a long time, since Dyson and Panaho at least. Even then they weren't too great.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
@Pfitz - if you want to troll people, I suggest commenting on the articles on the front page.

The fish might be smaller, but they bite. every. single. time.


And for the record, Slipper is still much better than Ryan. The only facet of the game that Ryan dominates Slipper is in facial hair.
 

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
and he starts to beat defenders again, at his best he had spiders all over him - he hasn't been like that this year, his only breaks have generally been from dummies and goes - not giant steps and pace. That has let defenders line up his runners.

This is what has got me nervous about Cooper (ignoring the errors for now). I largely suspect it may be a hang over from his multiple knee operations.

The concern is that he just won't recover that running game, and if that happens, he will need to adjust his game (more than he has so this year) to compensate.
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
It would certainly make more sense than talking about it in a thread about Link's squad selection.
I reckon it would probably be a very short thread.

fatprop raised the issue about whether any credit for the QC (Quade Cooper) turnaround should be given to Dingo, so I took the ball and ran with it. Undoubtably Link, and Big Jim and all within Reds fraternity have also contributed to the QC (Quade Cooper) turnaround, but was Dingo the catalyst?

I just hope that he (Link and QC (Quade Cooper)) can live up to our expectations. Collectively we have invested a lot of emotion and energy in this turnaround. Early positive signs are desired.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
I reckon it would probably be a very short thread.

fatprop raised the issue about whether any credit for the QC (Quade Cooper) turnaround should be given to Dingo, so I took the ball and ran with it. Undoubtably Link, and Big Jim and all within Reds fraternity have also contributed to the QC (Quade Cooper) turnaround, but was Dingo the catalyst?

I just hope that he (Link and QC (Quade Cooper)) can live up to our expectations. Collectively we have invested a lot of emotion and energy in this turnaround. Early positive signs are desired.


And what expectations they are, clearly the only thing holding back the Wobs was shit selections and a shit coach o_O
 

Scoey

Tony Shaw (54)
Yeah clearly not picking him, and telling what he had to to to be picked, would have had no influence at all.

He has just been to the mountain and seen the light.


I didn't say he had no influence. I thought I had replied to your original post with a reasonable reply, but clearly I didn't.

It begs the question, what was the point of your original post?
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Wallabies and NSW Waratahs flanker Michael Hooper has won the Australia's Super Rugby player of the year award.

The awards on Thursday provided some consolation for the Waratahs - who missed the finals after finishing behind the Brumbies and Queensland Reds - as their fullback Israel Folau crowned a spectacular debut season in the code with the rookie of the year award.

Brumbies coach Jake White was named coach of the year after taking his team to the final.

Well... no one would have picked Hooper to win this year.

Folau and White were both obvious winners though.
 

I like to watch

David Codey (61)
Yep I saw that last night.

While the cynic in me says "Of course Quade's attitude will be much better with his preferred coach in place" there is something really positive and (dare I say it) humble about his recent media work.

I hope it extends to his on field play. This is his time to prove all the critics wrong by running a tight ship, playing the percentages, but unleashing his brilliance when the moment arrives.

yep it's easy to make the right noises when it's all going your way.
Quade don't tell me.
Show me.
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Slipper is still very young for a THP at just 24.


This has been trotted out for the last three years since he debuted. Are we going to be saying the same thing in another 3 years?

He's gathered 34 caps now, and is still being talked about for his work rate around the field. Now that is a great thing to have, but ultimately I want my THP to anchor the scrum first and foremost.

If he's going to continue the inconsistency there, then maybe he needs to rethink what he's about because, as Lee Grant pointed out elsewhere - the ability to play both sides of the scrum is of less value in the 8-man bench.

I'd definitely have him over Alexander (who I maintain is a LHP) but he and/or his tight five seems to lose concentration at critical times as you say.
 

GaffaCHinO

Peter Sullivan (51)
Well... no one would have picked Hooper to win this year.

Folau and White were both obvious winners though.
Yeah im abit like WHAT?? about Hooper.

on Folau he did have a great year in his Debut year in rugby but he is hardly a 'rookie' would have love it to go to someone like Godwin but no doubt that Folau had a great year.

White.........Nuff Said.
 
T

Tip

Guest
He's gathered 34 caps now, and is still being talked about for his work rate around the field. Now that is a great thing to have, but ultimately I want my THP to anchor the scrum first and foremost.

If he's going to continue the inconsistency there

I disagree wholeheartedly with this post. Slipper has only received 1 yellow card in his International Career, and that was last year against SA. He replaced Ben Robinson on his less favoured Loosehead side with Alexander at TH(note once again.. Deans picking players out of position... Alexanders preferred position = Loosehead, Slipper=Tighthead yet Deans believed it was better to play two people out of position than none)
Otherwise, at TH, Slipper has been exceptional in the Scrums and rarely concedes penalties.
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Otherwise, at TH, Slipper has been exceptional in the Scrums and rarely concedes penalties.

Who was talking about penalties? I'm talking about getting driven off your own ball

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I hate autocorrect ...
 
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