Waratahs 2011
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Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
It's good to see the first list of Academy players out. The one I want to see is the Rebels' list.
Instead of the Tahs calling them Junior Waratahs split into amateurs and professionals, they are now calling the professionals the Super Training Squad and the amateurs, the Tahs Academy. This makes a bit of linguistic sense because some of those Juniors were bloody old.
I see that there's only 8 players in the pro group but I suppose they can rope in the 7s players if needs be.
I was pretty sure that 4/5 Sitaleki Timani was in the group but it was a good trick to get him there because these guys don't get paid a lot as topo advised a while back. I had no clue that his 'little" brother Lopeti Timani was in from the Bulldogs. Tahs HPU manager Bowen was accused last year of letting him go when the Tahs could have got him, just as he has been accused of spurning Lindsay Crook this year. That is probably not here nor there as it could be that Timani Jr. is too old for the Toyota Cup and not deemed good enough to make the Bulldogs senior squad or their feeder team.
It's odd that two similarly built players as the brothers have both been offered professional training contracts but let's see how the younger ones goes back in rugby union before we tar him with the "great athlete but not a footie player" brush.
I knew that 4/5 Greg Peterson was back in the pro squad and reported it earlier. He has been well mentored by his connections. I expect him to be promoted for 2012 at the expense of the likes of O'Connor or Jowitt. Surely one of them ends their contract in 2011 as part of the succession planning for Greg.
15. Jacob Woodhouse is back in the pro group and makes one suspect that talk of a 3 year contract from the Tahs when he left school last year was correct. What we are not told when these things end up in the local papers is that the type of professional contracts to be offered year by year is at the discretion of the Tahs. I haven't seen him this year except for cameos with the JWs and for part of a game for the Beasts Twos playing 13 with the likes of Zipper in the team against the Rats. It's no disgrace for a young fullback to be in the Twos the season after leaving school when Dellit and DeBart are in the Ones.
The mystery of 7. Chris Alcock is solved. It's a bloody good trick to have him available in the Training Group at low pay. Why this fellow isn't down at the Rebels is anybody's guess because they don't have a specialist back up for Lipman, but it could have been as simple as not wanting to leave town.
13. Tim Bennetts is back in the pro group. I don't think he did enough to be promoted and it looks like no other outfit thought so either.
It's good to see that young Kiwi 10. Ben Seymour from Manly has been promoted from the 2010 amateur group (and he's the only one). He missed a lot of the season because of injury but showed his class at the end of the 2009 season and earlier this year.
Another mystery solved is the hiring of John Ulugia to be the 3rd string hooker and dogsbody prop. The name of Ofa disappears from the list.
The only pro JW from 2010 who hasn't been promoted, gone elsewhere (as far as I know) or is still with the Training Group is Ed Jenkins.
A very well balanced recruitment effort from the Tahs methinks.
The appointment of the Academy guys, the amateurs, is less significant because often times promising players don't offer themselves in the interests of study or earning a living. In fact some don't accept the professional spots either because they are lowly paid. [lily reported that 2010 U/20 prop Salesi Manu did not offer himself in 2010 for this reason.]
Some of them are repeats from last year, or straight out of school, like Apo, but it's good to see a name like Faulkner in there as topo mentioned. It would be good to see him being offered a pro gig next year; also 1. Sio who played some for the Pirates Ones this year in his first season out of school.
Instead of the Tahs calling them Junior Waratahs split into amateurs and professionals, they are now calling the professionals the Super Training Squad and the amateurs, the Tahs Academy. This makes a bit of linguistic sense because some of those Juniors were bloody old.
I see that there's only 8 players in the pro group but I suppose they can rope in the 7s players if needs be.
I was pretty sure that 4/5 Sitaleki Timani was in the group but it was a good trick to get him there because these guys don't get paid a lot as topo advised a while back. I had no clue that his 'little" brother Lopeti Timani was in from the Bulldogs. Tahs HPU manager Bowen was accused last year of letting him go when the Tahs could have got him, just as he has been accused of spurning Lindsay Crook this year. That is probably not here nor there as it could be that Timani Jr. is too old for the Toyota Cup and not deemed good enough to make the Bulldogs senior squad or their feeder team.
It's odd that two similarly built players as the brothers have both been offered professional training contracts but let's see how the younger ones goes back in rugby union before we tar him with the "great athlete but not a footie player" brush.
I knew that 4/5 Greg Peterson was back in the pro squad and reported it earlier. He has been well mentored by his connections. I expect him to be promoted for 2012 at the expense of the likes of O'Connor or Jowitt. Surely one of them ends their contract in 2011 as part of the succession planning for Greg.
15. Jacob Woodhouse is back in the pro group and makes one suspect that talk of a 3 year contract from the Tahs when he left school last year was correct. What we are not told when these things end up in the local papers is that the type of professional contracts to be offered year by year is at the discretion of the Tahs. I haven't seen him this year except for cameos with the JWs and for part of a game for the Beasts Twos playing 13 with the likes of Zipper in the team against the Rats. It's no disgrace for a young fullback to be in the Twos the season after leaving school when Dellit and DeBart are in the Ones.
The mystery of 7. Chris Alcock is solved. It's a bloody good trick to have him available in the Training Group at low pay. Why this fellow isn't down at the Rebels is anybody's guess because they don't have a specialist back up for Lipman, but it could have been as simple as not wanting to leave town.
13. Tim Bennetts is back in the pro group. I don't think he did enough to be promoted and it looks like no other outfit thought so either.
It's good to see that young Kiwi 10. Ben Seymour from Manly has been promoted from the 2010 amateur group (and he's the only one). He missed a lot of the season because of injury but showed his class at the end of the 2009 season and earlier this year.
Another mystery solved is the hiring of John Ulugia to be the 3rd string hooker and dogsbody prop. The name of Ofa disappears from the list.
The only pro JW from 2010 who hasn't been promoted, gone elsewhere (as far as I know) or is still with the Training Group is Ed Jenkins.
A very well balanced recruitment effort from the Tahs methinks.
The appointment of the Academy guys, the amateurs, is less significant because often times promising players don't offer themselves in the interests of study or earning a living. In fact some don't accept the professional spots either because they are lowly paid. [lily reported that 2010 U/20 prop Salesi Manu did not offer himself in 2010 for this reason.]
Some of them are repeats from last year, or straight out of school, like Apo, but it's good to see a name like Faulkner in there as topo mentioned. It would be good to see him being offered a pro gig next year; also 1. Sio who played some for the Pirates Ones this year in his first season out of school.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
I think all in all the Tahs have done nicely.
Damn shame, if Ulugia was to be a pro academy player I would have hoped it would be in Victoria as he IS a Victorian product and Frier will be out pretty regularly so he may get opportunities. Damn shame.
Ofa does pose a question doesn't he. Any rumours?
Damn shame, if Ulugia was to be a pro academy player I would have hoped it would be in Victoria as he IS a Victorian product and Frier will be out pretty regularly so he may get opportunities. Damn shame.
Ofa does pose a question doesn't he. Any rumours?
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
You're thinking of Samisoni Latinupulu the energiser bunny and Tomiki type of player. He was in the Oz Sevens team earlier this year and was another fellow we were talking about maybe going down to Melbourne as a 7.
Apolosi was the gun Newington 12 this year who was in the starting Oz Schools team and was pilloried for not passing the ball in that game against the Kiwis on TV.
Apolosi was the gun Newington 12 this year who was in the starting Oz Schools team and was pilloried for not passing the ball in that game against the Kiwis on TV.
T
TOCC
Guest
I like the look of this squad, pending the other teams release of there squads, it looks as though the tahs have potentially the most depth
Yeah he looked solid playing 12 for West Harbour in 1st grade as well, big unit agressive unit. We will see how he trains and works
Bennetts looks too static to me, he defends well, but doesn't cause enough damage in attack for Eastwood as he never seems to take the ball at pace and/or at different angles
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
Bennetts might be better suited to 12 - he is a good ensemble player, he was part of some very good tries this year for the Ws. More of a link man than a classic 13 should be.
inthestands
Sydney Middleton (9)
If the No.1 pack is Robinson, TPN, Baxter, Mumm, Douglas, Mowen, Waugh, Palu...
Then how strong is the 2nd XV pack: Tilse, Fitzpatrick, Kepu, Jowitt, O'Connor, Dennis, McCutcheon, McCaffrey
Third string would be: Ryan, Ulugia, Faulkner, Peterson, S.Timani, L.Timani, Alcock, Latekefu...
I'm surprised Ulugia, Sitaleki Timani, Greg Peterson and Alcock aren't in anyone's Super squads, so not bad for the Tahs to hold on to that sort of depth
Then how strong is the 2nd XV pack: Tilse, Fitzpatrick, Kepu, Jowitt, O'Connor, Dennis, McCutcheon, McCaffrey
Third string would be: Ryan, Ulugia, Faulkner, Peterson, S.Timani, L.Timani, Alcock, Latekefu...
I'm surprised Ulugia, Sitaleki Timani, Greg Peterson and Alcock aren't in anyone's Super squads, so not bad for the Tahs to hold on to that sort of depth
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
I agree with your first pack being the blue chip option but really the 6 could go to Mowen, Dennis or McCutcheon. They all were shuffled around at each other's expense last year.
Personally I like Dennis.
#1 Tah
Chilla Wilson (44)
Ditto, he's quick, breaks tackles and can offload well.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
As well as his loose play he bring a line-out skill set to the table which can really help you dominate games. His time at lock certainly serves him well in this regard.
I'd have him start a 6 and be moved to lock early in the 2nd half when tiring bodies means size in the tighties isn't as big of a deal.
I'd have him start a 6 and be moved to lock early in the 2nd half when tiring bodies means size in the tighties isn't as big of a deal.
inthestands
Sydney Middleton (9)
Agreed. My feeling is that Mowen's defensive lineout skills are arguably the best in the whole comp... definitely top five... and that would be my reason to have him in there.
If Palu and Polota-Nau are there, I'd go for him first. If either is not, I think Dennis has showed his ball-running is probably superior to Mowen, although Mowen can sniff a try when it's on offer.
McCutcheon went well at the end of last year, but would have to outplay those two in a trial to get the nod, I think, rather than the reserve 7 slot.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
I agree with you rationale.
Mowen is certainly more a 6 then an 8 in my eyes. I would go McCaffrey at 8 over him any day of the week.
S
Spectator101
Guest
Ofa does pose a question doesn't he. Any rumours?[/QUOTE]
He has been picked up by the Tongan National Team to tour Europe as there was no interest from a super 15 team.
He has been picked up by the Tongan National Team to tour Europe as there was no interest from a super 15 team.
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