Wallaby Watch 2014

[Pedrolicus]

To be honest i dont see a lot of upside in giving Carter a jersey - no offence to him, he's a great Super player for the brumbies but he never really stands out for me. Beside we already have Fardy, who is a similar type of lock.

Maybe he doesn't stand out because he's in the tight, doing the shit work.

He has nearly double the tackles of some other locking candidates and his aggression into contact has really improved this year.

I don't really think Fardy is that similar a lock but I would have as many Fardys as I could.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Simmons WILL be one run-on lock.

The other one is so up in the air - plenty of good options available. Horwill's experience will count for a lot but will it be enough ????

 

[Bullrush]

Simmons WILL be one run-on lock.

The other one is so up in the air - plenty of good options available. Horwill's experience will count for a lot but will it be enough ????

As an All Black fan, I really hope this is true

 

[Brumby Runner]

As an All Black fan, I really hope this is true

Says it all! Rob Simmons is a powder puff when it comes to top level locks and doesn't hold any fears for SH oppositions. Horwill is beginning to find form and IMO should be the incumbent retained with Jones immediately joining him in the second row.

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't see how you can rule Skelton out because he isn't a great lineout option. The upside he provides can't be replicated by any of the other candidates.

I'd be seriously worried about picking Horwill and Simmons with their current form. As a partnership, they've been outplayed in the loose in most games this year by far less credentialed opposition. Their lineout work has been really good but I think far more games are decided by the forward pack that wins the contact zone, not by which side has a slightly better lineout.

Right now, I'd probably pick a back 5 of:

Jones
Horwill
Fardy
Hooper
Palu

Res: Skelton, McCalman

I think it provides good balance between workrate and impact. Horwill is lucky to be there but I think we need to maintain some continuity in our locks.

I think McCalman's form shades Higginbotham and he is a bit unlucky to miss out. Higgers certainly hasn't recaptured his early 2013 form though.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I don't see how you can rule Skelton out because he isn't a great lineout option. The upside he provides can't be replicated by any of the other candidates.

I'd be seriously worried about picking Horwill and Simmons with their current form. As a partnership, they've been outplayed in the loose in most games this year by far less credentialed opposition. Their lineout work has been really good but I think far more games are decided by the forward pack that wins the contact zone, not by which side has a slightly better lineout.

Right now, I'd probably pick a back 5 of:

Jones
Horwill
Fardy
Hooper
Palu

Res: Skelton, McCalman

I think it provides good balance between workrate and impact. Horwill is lucky to be there but I think we need to maintain some continuity in our locks.

I think McCalman's form shades Higginbotham and he is a bit unlucky to miss out. Higgers certainly hasn't recaptured his early 2013 form though.

I really like that starting back 5 but I would prefer to have ahiggers on the bench rather than Ben McC, though his form at Super level has been very good this year.

 

[Braveheart81]

I really like that starting back 5 but I would prefer to have ahiggers on the bench rather than Ben McC, though his form at Super level has been very good this year.

Yeah, certainly much of a muchness between McCalman and Higginbotham. I just think that if you're not going to pick McCalman on his current form, you're probably never going to pick him.

The Wallabies have to find a balance between the lineout, scrum, and in the loose. In the loose we need balance between general workrate, dominant tackling, and strong ball running.

I think it's pretty clear that Jones is the form lock in Australia currently. His involvements are almost all strong whether it is in the lineout, defence or with ball in hand. To beat the All Blacks we need quality of involvements more than quantity of involvements.

If the quality isn't good enough, you end up with lots of quantity because you combine lots of pick and drives for no metres and tons of tackles because you can't win the ball back.

 

[fatprop]

Link dumped Robinson for poor form last season and he missed the Lions squad, I wonder if he will have the balls to do the same to either or both of Simmons or Horwill.

It may be made easier with Douglas going, but Luke Jones would have to be the first lock picked and Sam Carter looks a great match for him with his tight work with Douglas going.

I would stick Fardy at 6 & Higgers @ 8 and you have great lineout options, a worker and a guy with "x" factor (McCalman & Cottrell on the Bench)

 

[Pfitzy]

Not bad fp but I might start McCalman to take the edge off the opposition, then put Higgers on when things open up a little.

Provided the latter promises to stop being a dickhead.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Link dumped Robinson for poor form last season and he missed the Lions squad, I wonder if he will have the balls to do the same to either or both of Simmons or Horwill.

It may be made easier with Douglas going, but Luke Jones would have to be the first lock picked and Sam Carter looks a great match for him with his tight work with Douglas going.

I would stick Fardy at 6 & Higgers @ 8 and you have great lineout options, a worker and a guy with "x" factor (McCalman & Cottrell on the Bench)

don't disagree at all BUT McKenzie seems to have a high opinion of Simmons work load around the park and obviously his line - out calls. He is the incumbant and reckon he is a certainty. Its the other spot, I reckon, thats up for grabs.

 

[tigerland12]

I really do hope Luke Jones is picked, at LEAST on the bench for the first few games. His form has been too good to ignore.

Jones
Horwill/Simmons

At this stage, although it's hard to warrant the Reds boys selections right now, but not too much on offer.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Tiger,

worked well for the Waratahs a couple of seasons ago

 

[Moono75]

I really like that starting back 5 but I would prefer to have ahiggers on the bench rather than Ben McC, though his form at Super level has been very good this year.

McCalman has added 5 to 10kg this year which I think has contributed to his good form. The extra bulk would help him contest at international level.

 

[fatprop]

don't disagree at all BUT McKenzie seems to have a high opinion of Simmons work load around the park and obviously his line - out calls. He is the incumbant and reckon he is a certainty. Its the other spot, I reckon, thats up for grabs.

Yeah, I thought Simmons was simply excellent in November, I didn't think he could be that good

 

[fatprop]

Not bad fp but I might start McCalman to take the edge off the opposition, then put Higgers on when things open up a little.

Provided the latter promises to stop being a dickhead.

I thought McCalman & Fardy would be a bit too workman like. Higgers can do that special stuff

 

[barbarian]

At this stage, although it's hard to warrant the Reds boys selections right now, but not too much on offer.

It's funny there was outrage from some Reds fans a few years ago when the Waratahs made up a portion of the Wallabies despite being low on the Super ladder.

With the Reds could get 5 of the starting Wallaby 15, I wonder if anyone will cry 'too many Reds' when the team is announced

Of course the Reds in the side would deserve their place, as the Tah players did a few years back, but still.......
.

 

[Pfitzy]

QUEEEEEEEENSLANDAAAAAAH!

 

[Pfitzy]

I thought McCalman & Fardy would be a bit too workman like. Higgers can do that special stuff

I think against the ABs you need to minimise your mistakes and basically grind them down, then have the capability to open them up in the last 15-20. We've seen how far ahead they are on fitness and experience.

Higgers' has X-factor, but sometimes has Y-the-fuck-did-you-do-that! factor.

 

[Train Without a Station]

As a Queenslander I really see only Horwill, Simmons, QC (Quade Cooper) and Slipper as players that should be in the starting team. Genia likely will be, but I don't think he should be.

 

[gel]

It's funny there was outrage from some Reds fans a few years ago when the Waratahs made up a portion of the Wallabies despite being low on the Super ladder.

With the Reds could get 5 of the starting Wallaby 15, I wonder if anyone will cry 'too many Reds' when the team is announced

Of course the Reds in the side would deserve their place, as the Tah players did a few years back, but still...
.

No.

The waratahs made up the majority if the wallaby line up, even though they were quite low on the ladder.

The reds will not make up the majority of the squad now and didn't back then.

Edit. - and on form I don't think any of the reds deserve to be in the wallaby squad.