Wallaby 31 players for 2015 RWC

[Braveheart81]

I wonder what will be Cheks selection criteria when it comes to those players fucking off after the RWC

Wuill he pick the best guys available or support those players remaining loyal to Australian rugby.

IMO he will stick with Kepu because he is so much better than the next bloke.
Horwill will not make the team and I suspect the same fate will happen to Nic White and Higgers

Thoughts?????

I think he'll pick who he thinks the best players are for the Wallabies in 2015 and won't care who won't be there in 2016.

Why would you plan for the future in a RWC year?

 

[Scrubber2050]

Understand that but surely the ARU is shitty and the only carrot they have holding players is playing for Australia

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I think Cheika will be very focused on trying to win the RWC this year and will want to get his best possible 23 out there. If we do poorly I don't think he'll get a second crack at it.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Understand that but surely the ARU is shitty and the only carrot they have holding players is playing for Australia

Ordinarily I'd say yes, but in a World Cup year they'd be crucified for not picking blokes just to make a point.

 

[Braveheart81]

Understand that but surely the ARU is shitty and the only carrot they have holding players is playing for Australia

... and if we adopt that policy and don't make it out of our group at the RWC it isn't the best advertisement for the ARU to keep players in Australia.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Snap (well, sort of).

 

[Scrubber2050]

Personally I DO want the best players to give the best opportunity of bringing Bill here

 

[qwerty51]

The RWC is so significant I would have no problems picking players overseas purely for it as well. I'd also like to see Cheika/ARU change their minds on this too.

Although I can see the issue being then pick them for the TRC too as preparation and then it just becomes almost too similar to picking foreign players overall.

Currently, for the RWC, the only overseas players who IMO are good enough for the squad would be Ma'afu and Douglas. Possibly Ioane but he's been in shit form but probably would play better in the Aus environment. Mowen depending on injuries.

 

[Scrubber2050]

That'll take years I reckon

 

[Braveheart81]

I can't imagine they'll contemplate picking overseas players for the RWC.

There are only one or two players who'd be an option and I just can't see them making that massive change in policy just on the off chance those players make a difference.

Maybe if there is a glut of injuries in certain positions where one of those foreign players plays they'll look at it more closely. I imagine if Simmons, Carter and Horwill were all unavailable, the call to bring Kane Douglas into the fold would get pretty loud. That's a huge hypothetical though that is unlikely to play out.

There's no way they'd make that call if those players are available and there is just the perception that he might improve our squad slightly (same goes for any other foreign player in any position).

 

[Brendan Hume]

Not sure of Timani's stats exactly but it may be worth reconsidering the lock position. I know he's around 194cm. Perhaps that's talk enough now with modern lifting, etc. as long as a player has the required skill level in the scrum, the strength to be a ball carrier and shift a ruck, and be tall enough to be a first class line out option, 200cm locks may not be necessary. His apparent work rate off the ball has been most impressive to me. The current locks are hard workers, but lack the class of the worlds best at the moment. No side's ever won a RWC without a world class lock - maybe it's time to shift the paradigm.


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[Ash]

Brad Thorn was about 192cm, but the guy was a freak and a workaholic. Brad Thorn may be the exception, but smaller locks can prosper at international level.

 

[Brendan Hume]

Couldn't think of where to put this. I thought Forcefield's analysis of the Refs defensive ruck work was interesting. Any trends emerging in play or refereeing in Super Rugby or 6N that might effect selections for the RWC? Are refs favouring attacking teams (seems to me the off side line has been very grey)?


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[BDA]

Given that we only really have 4 available locks with test experience Cheika might be forced to blood a lock during TRC so we at least have options. Timani could be worth a look. Lets see where he is at after another 7 or 8 rounds

 

[hammertimethere]

I'd prefer Coleman but let's see if his hip comes right.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Brad Thorn was about 192cm, but the guy was a freak and a workaholic. Brad Thorn may be the exception, but smaller locks can prosper at international level.

I think he's 196cm, but you're right that he was (and is) a freak. You need his work ethic to make up for the relative lack of size. Have any of our blokes got it?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Couldn't think of where to put this. I thought Forcefield's analysis of the Refs defensive ruck work was interesting. Any trends emerging in play or refereeing in Super Rugby or 6N that might effect selections for the RWC? Are refs favouring attacking teams (seems to me the off side line has been very grey)?


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It's certainly a pivotal position in a RWC winning team, along with THP, openside, five-eighth, at least one world class centre and someone at the back with tremendous gas and skill (wing or fullback, take your pick).

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Another thought: does Steve Mafi qualify? I know he's played for Tonga, so does that preclude him? He could be a smoky for the RWC if his NH form is anything to go by.

 

[qwerty51]

Locked in to Tonga.

 

[ChargerWA]

Maybe we do need to have one lock that is just a workrate beast like Luke Jones who will make a tonne of tackles and take some of the workload off some of our other forwards who are more effective with ball in hand etc.

And the real issue is the work rate lock should be Simmons if he is an automatic pick. He just isn't effective enough to be our enforcer. I think this is the crux of why our locking pairs are so unbalanced.