Waratahs 2011

[Ash]

Peterson is the guy I expect will push Douglas to the bench, unless the Tahs keep/move Mumm at/to blindside. If I was to pick a long term young TH lock, it'd be Peterson I reckon. We'll see how he develops, though.

 

[fatprop]

Peterson is the guy I expect will push Douglas to the bench, unless the Tahs keep/move Mumm at/to blindside. If I was to pick a long term young TH lock, it'd be Peterson I reckon. We'll see how he develops, though.

In an interview before this years club semis Peterson said that he wasn't ready for Super rugby physically for 2011. I don't expect to see him next year until we are decimated with injuries.

We have Pat O'Conner (who looked pretty good in the NPC) and Jowett and Dennis as cover for Mumm and Douglas.

Damn fine depth I reckon

 

[Hawko]

Peterson is the guy I expect will push Douglas to the bench, unless the Tahs keep/move Mumm at/to blindside. If I was to pick a long term young TH lock, it'd be Peterson I reckon. We'll see how he develops, though.

I reckon we are at least one, probably two full seasons away from this happening. Peterson has great promise but he's not yet 20 and not fully physically developed. To my eyes towards the end of Shute playing for Manly he was not as effective at lock he had been earlier in the year. This, I would think, is normal for a tight five player of his age, nothing to get down on. I hope Peterson will be partnering Douglas in our championship teams in 2012/13, 2011 is a year too early. But its just a hope. For all I know Jowitt could have a blinder in the trials and become our first choice lock for years to come. Let's see who steps up.

I suppose if you can get Smith, Waugh and Pocock in a decade you can get another Eales in a lifetime, but I don't think labelling him the next Eales-type lock helps at all. Plus there's a whole swag of up-coming locks who may well end up better than him.

 

[Lee Grant]

Yeah - let's stop talking about the young bloke and just give his connections kudos for bringing him on in an appropriate way - and to him for being willing to following that way.

 

[topo]

Yeah - let's stop talking about the young bloke and just give his connections kudos for bringing him on in an appropriate way - and to him for being willing to following that way.

I hear Peterson having a good pre-season and is training his arse off. I also hear that Pat O'Connor looks like the real deal. I'd be surprised if Peterson got much game time next year, but he might get a bench spot here and there with the rotation that's likely to go on with the extended comp.

 

[Lee Grant]

He doesn't have a Super Rugby contract; so hopefully he will not be playing Super Rugby in 2011. I say "hopefully" because if he does play it means there have been too many injuries.

I was not too impressed when O'Connor was playing for the Rats, nor for the Force, but let's see.

 

[TOCC]

He doesn't have a Super Rugby contract; so hopefully he will not be playing Super Rugby in 2011. I say "hopefully" because if he does play it means there have been too many injuries.

I was not too impressed when O'Connor was playing for the Rats, nor for the Force, but let's see.

is he not a academy player at least?

 

[fatprop]

He doesn't have a Super Rugby contract; so hopefully he will not be playing Super Rugby in 2011. I say "hopefully" because if he does play it means there have been too many injuries.

I was not too impressed when O'Connor was playing for the Rats, nor for the Force, but let's see.

I didn't see too many games, but he looked OK for Northland. More a toiler than a star, but effective and direct

 

[tranquility]

I didn't see too many games, but he looked OK for Northland. More a toiler than a star, e and but effectivdirect

Sounds like just the bloke we need.

 

[Lee Grant]

is he not a academy player at least?

Peterson is in what we used to call the Pro Academy colloquially or the Junior Waratahs (Professional Group) officially. It's now called the Super Rugby Training Squad. They usually don't use these players unless the fellows they are shadowing are injured; so it's unlikely he will be called upon - and Timani is in the SPTG also and will be used first. It's a good group for the 19 y.o. to be involved with; he will be learning heaps from them and opposing them every day.

But Kane Douglas was plucked out of the Academy to be on the bench for R1 against the Reds this year in front of 2 contracted players; so who knows what the policy is now?

 

[Hawko]

But Kane Douglas was plucked out of the Academy to be on the bench for R1 against the Reds this year in front of 2 contracted players; so who knows what the policy is now?

That's one decision that with the benefit of hindsight I absolutely endorse.

 

[topo]

He doesn't have a Super Rugby contract; so hopefully he will not be playing Super Rugby in 2011. I say "hopefully" because if he does play it means there have been too many injuries.

Neither did Kane Douglas last year and he got his start before Caldwell was ruled out.
Whoops, sorry Lee. I didn't read down far enough. I see you've made that point.

 

[Lee Grant]

I do that all the time myself. Douglas trialled the house down earlier in the year and took the Tahs by surprise. You couldn't blame them because a year before in Newcastle, so nearly 2 years ago now, he was sucking in seagulls at a trial v. Fiji and didn't look to me that he would ever cut the mustard. But he had a skinny backlog of S & C behind him and it was no wonder.

Then came R1 at Suncorp and Mumm was suspended and Jowitt got a long term injury. The Tahs were that impressed with Douglas that they started him in R2 with Caldwell in Capetown, as Ducker was still able to play then. Dud Roodt was on the bench and Thomson left at home. Thus started 13 consecutive run-on games for the lad.

That was sheer serendipity: the injury, the suspension, the dudness of Roodt and the realisation that Thomson was not really great S14 material.

 

[I like to watch]

Isn't Dud only just a pup?

 

[Lee Grant]

He turned 23 last month.

 

[topo]

I do that all the time myself. Douglas trialled the house down earlier in the year and took the Tahs by surprise. You couldn't blame them because a year before in Newcastle, so nearly 2 years ago now, he was sucking in seagulls at a trial v. Fiji and didn't look to me that he would ever cut the mustard. But he had a skinny backlog of S & C behind him and it was no wonder.

Then came R1 at Suncorp and Mumm was suspended and Jowitt got a long term injury. The Tahs were that impressed with Douglas that they started him in R2 with Caldwell in Capetown, as Ducker was still able to play then. Dud Roodt was on the bench and Thomson left at home. Thus started 13 consecutive run-on games for the lad.

That was sheer serendipity: the injury, the suspension, the dudness of Roodt and the realisation that Thomson was not really great S14 material.

And that's the point that Langthorne's rotation blog piece missed. Which of the young untried players will step up this year? There's usually one or two and I think any successful side needs them.

 

[Lee Grant]

I thought we had another piece of serendipity in the 2010 S14 - but it went by the board. It ties in nicely with the two Tahs lads going to Chicago as mentioned on post #973 on the previous page.

Waugh missed one game this year, versus the Cheetahs; so Chris Alcock was elevated to start. He had a rookie blinder and a few of us thought we had Waugh's eventual successor in the stable. But it turned out that McCutcheon, not Alcock, got a contract for 2011/12.

Nothing against the Oz 7s captain of the time, an eventual Wallaby tourist on the EOYT, and a fine Joeys lad to boot, but I was disappointed for Alcock who accepted a demotion to the SRTG instead.

 

[Langthorne]

And that's the point that Langthorne's rotation blog piece missed. Which of the young untried players will step up this year? There's usually one or two and I think any successful side needs them.

I suspect I missed more than one point.

I would think that a policy of rotation would have a better chance of unearthing burgeoning talent than a policy of avoiding rotation. Maybe by the end of the season the first choice XV will have changed, but unlike the rotation ideas I put forward, it can't be planned or anticipated. If we agree that rotation (particularly for the purpose of getting the best from the first choice 2, 3, 8 and 13) is necessary - maybe it is not widely agreed - then some kind of system needs to be put into place (although not one that is totally rigid).

 

[Lee Grant]

I would think that a policy of rotation would have a better chance of unearthing burgeoning talent than a policy of avoiding rotation.

This is right and since we are all expecting players to be rotated more in a longer season it would follow that there would be more chances of finding a few unexpected stars.

But as Sportin' Life said : "It ain't necessariy so." The difference between 13 pool games in 2010 and 16 in 2011 is not a lot and there are 2 bye weeks to rest up, not one. And at most a team will play 3 games in the finals instead of two. The league guys and the European rugby guys would smirk at being paid money for such a short season.

The increased amount of rotation because of the new competition may not be as noticeable as we think and I'm guessing that fans of some teams won't notice the difference.

 

[Rob42]

This is right and since we are all expecting players to be rotated more in a longer season it would follow that there would be more chances of finding a few unexpected stars.

But as Sportin' Life said : "It ain't necessariy so." The difference between 13 pool games in 2010 and 16 in 2011 is not a lot and there are 2 bye weeks to rest up, not one. And at most a team will play 3 games in the finals instead of two. The league guys and the European rugby guys would smirk at being paid money for such a short season.

The increased amount of rotation because of the new competition may not be as noticeable as we think and I'm guessing that fans of some teams won't notice the difference.

Agree Lee - and a few injuries will undoubtedly throw a spanner in the works of any prospective rotation policy.


Is this post 1000 on this thread? Excellent. Achieved something at work today.