Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[qwerty51]

125kg, you're having a laugh there.

 

[Braveheart81]

We all like big mobile blokes blah blah..I've said it before that Skelton at his current size is too big. The only way he will EVER become a serious international is to get down to 125kg (and fit) and improve the technical aspects. He SEEMS to be a slow learner. A body that big just will not have the physiology to perform at the highest level over a considerable time.

On what basis is he a slow learner?

His rise from a guy who'd never played a 1st grade game to Super Rugby to test rugby has been phenomenally quick.

I tend to think his ultimate playing weight will be somewhere around 135-140kg. He has some flab still to lose but he also has some muscle bulk to gain.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Qwerty, he's still only 203cm. That would be a BMI of 30.3. Compare that to Horwill & Simmons 28.8, Carter 27.5, Brad Thorn 29.9, Retallick 29.1, Etzebeth 29.7, and Botha 30.4.

Palu is 31.1 as he is really on the high end of weight for a loose forward. Vermulen is 29.0

Getting down to 125kg would still have him as one of the heaviest players in top tier rugby and with a high mass to height ratio.

Looking at him there's plenty of wasted weight that he doesn't need to carry that he, as a professional athlete training full time, could easily lose through diet.

Nobody is saying he needs to be a bodybuilder, but he's clearly carrying around 10-15kg of weight that serves no function to his athletic performance. Imagine how much quicker he would be with the same power, but less mass to propel? What about how much more endurance he would have with the same level of fitness but was being pushed about 8% less each time he had to move his body?

 

[Scrubber2050]

On what basis is he a slow learner?

His rise from a guy who'd never played a 1st grade game to Super Rugby to test rugby has been phenomenally quick.

I tend to think his ultimate playing weight will be somewhere around 135-140kg. He has some flab still to lose but he also has some muscle bulk to gain.

Are you serious ??? - just fell off my barstool

 

[TOCC]

GAGR is really lucky to have so many S&C experts on the forum...

 

[Braveheart81]

Qwerty, he's still only 203cm. That would be a BMI of 30.3. Compare that to Horwill & Simmons 28.8, Carter 27.5, Brad Thorn 29.9, Retallick 29.1, Etzebeth 29.7, and Botha 30.4.

Palu is 31.1 as he is really on the high end of weight for a loose forward. Vermulen is 29.0

Getting down to 125kg would still have him as one of the heaviest players in top tier rugby and with a high mass to height ratio.

Looking at him there's plenty of wasted weight that he doesn't need to carry that he, as a professional athlete training full time, could easily lose through diet.

Nobody is saying he needs to be a bodybuilder, but he's clearly carrying around 10-15kg of weight that serves no function to his athletic performance. Imagine how much quicker he would be with the same power, but less mass to propel? What about how much more endurance he would have with the same level of fitness but was being pushed about 8% less each time he had to move his body?

BMI isn't the be all and end all.

Skelton has a massive frame. Losing weight doesn't make his shoulders and hips narrower.

Skelton and let's say Brodie Retallick would look substantially different at the same body weight in terms of appearing fat or skinny etc. even though they're almost the same height.

Much like James Horwill will always have a heavier playing weight than Sam Carter. They've got different builds.

 

[Scrubber2050]

BMI isn't the be all and end all.

Skelton has a massive frame. Losing weight doesn't make his shoulders and hips narrower.

Skelton and let's say Brodie Retallick would look substantially different at the same body weight in terms of appearing fat or skinny etc. even though they're almost the same height.

Much like James Horwill will always have a heavier playing weight than Sam Carter. They've got different builds.

OMG - He's even got fat legs

 

[Train Without a Station]

BMI isn't the be all and end all.

Skelton has a massive frame. Losing weight doesn't make his shoulders and hips narrower.

Skelton and let's say Brodie Retallick would look substantially different at the same body weight in terms of appearing fat or skinny etc. even though they're almost the same height.

Much like James Horwill will always have a heavier playing weight than Sam Carter. They've got different builds.

No it's not. But for the purposes of this it's actually a pretty good measure as it's a weight to height ratio.

Yes him and Retallick would look different, Skelton wouldn't likely look more athletic.

 

[Biffo]

GAGR is really lucky to have so many universal experts on the forum.

i hope you don't mind my edit.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Sometimes its hard to be humble. Everyone is an "expert".

The old saying remains true:

"Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one"

 

[TOCC]

I'm one of the worst for it..

I was once told if you're not the person who knows everything then you need to be prepared to listen to people who do know..

Well I don't like listening, so I just went out and learnt everything

 

[Scrubber2050]

I'm one of the worst for it..

I was once told if you're not the person who knows everything then you need to be prepared to listen to people who do know..

Well I don't like listening, so I just went out and learnt everything

Remember TOCC
There is a reason why we all have 2 ears, 2 eyes and only 1 mouth.

Trouble is nowdays, with the computer age we have 8 fingers and 2 thumbs -

 

[tragic]

The old saying remains true:
"Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one"

My opinions are more like farts - so hard to hold 'em in and when they slip out it usually results in at least one person leaving the room.

 

[Biffo]

I'm one of the worst for it..

I was once told if you're not the person who knows everything then you need to be prepared to listen to people who do know..

Well I don't like listening, so I just went out and learnt everything

did you really have to go out and learn it all?
poor you, having to do all that hard work

i was born knowing it all

 

[tragic]

did you really have to go out and learn it all?
poor you, having to do all that hard work

i was born knowing it all

Shit - what happened then....??

 

[It is what it is]

Remember TOCC
There is a reason why we all have 2 ears, 2 eyes and only 1 mouth.

Trouble is nowdays, with the computer age we have 8 fingers and 2 thumbs -

And before computers?

 

[tragic]

And before computers?

You had to take the piss in person and risk getting smacked in the chops by said fingers for your troubles...

 

[Hawko]

I doubt there will be a huge amount of changes from players who are current Wallabies. 2015 is not a long way away and I doubt many players who currently aren't getting game time for the Wallabies (aside from those who are injured) will get much of a look in.

I wonder if we will have 30 man squads again or whether they will be increased by one or two given that we now have 23 man teams with four props?

I think we'll see something like (I've picked 31 players with an extra prop):

Moore, Polota-Nau, Fainga'a
Robinson, Slipper, Kepu, and two out of Alexander/Ryan/Sio
Horwill, Simmons, Fardy, Douglas/Carter/Pyle/Skelton
Pocock, Hooper, Mowen, Higginbotham, Palu, McCalman/Gill/Dennis
Genia, White, Phipps
Cooper, To'omua
Leali'ifano, Kuridrani, Ashley-Cooper,
Cummins, Speight, Tomane
Folau, Beale

JOC (James O'Connor) and Ioane would clearly be in the mix if they return to Australia. Godwin, Foley, CFS, Horne, Crawford could all be there or thereabouts if they play well in the next two years.

I think a matchday 23 would with everyone available look very close to:

Slipper
Moore
Kepu
Horwill
Simmons
Higginbotham
Pocock
Palu
Genia
Cooper
Cummins
To'omua
Ashley-Cooper
Speight
Folau

Robinson, Ryan/Alexander, Polota-Nau, Fardy, Hooper, White, Beale, Kuridrani.

BH posted this just one year ago. Of his 31 man squad we've lost Douglas, Pyle, and Cummins for the RWC and the 23 looks very different to that which we are starting on Saturday. Which only goes to prove that a year is a long time in Aussie rugby.

If we had done the same for NZ there would have been many more similarities and much more certainty. This is one reason why they are so strong and we are where we are.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Lots of talk about trying out combinations prior to the RWC. Not many games left to do it in.

I'd like to see a couple of Possibles vs Probables games held in conjunction with Wobs training camps, where they can try out all sorts of combinations in a competitive environment, without risking losing a test to try out the combination.

Might even turn a quid or two if they charged admission to the trial games.

 

[emuarse]

With Cheika now the Waratahs Wallaby coach, have had to change my selection of who I predict will be the RWC 23:

Paddy Ryan
Tatafu Polota Nau
Sekope Kepu
Will Skelton
Jed Holloway
Dave Dennis
Michael Hooper
Wycliff Palu
Nick Phipps
Bernard Foley
Taqele Naiyaravoro
Kurtley Beale
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Rob Horne
Israel Folau

Tolu Latu
Benn Robinson
Jeremy Tilse
Stephen Hoiles
Pat McCutcheon
Brendan McKibbin
Ben Volavola
Matt Carraro

This will give the Warat Wallabies an extra advantage for the RWC, in that they will be able to train & play all year as a team under the watchful eye of the Wallabies coach, who will be able to give them extra preparation.