Waratahs 2012

[mark_s]

Does anyone seriously expect that Barnes is likely to be playing again next season? The latest articles on CTE are very worrying so I would be thinking long and hard if I were Berrick.

 

[fatprop]

Does anyone seriously expect that Barnes is likely to be playing again next season? The latest articles on CTE are very worrying so I would be thinking long and hard if I were Berrick.

Pop out and watch him play Saturday for Uni I guess

 

[Lee Grant]

excellent, links to confirmation would be the next goal.

It's always the way RR isn't it? Players are reportedly signed or there is confirmation, but the period of the contract is unclear - or often, especially in local papers, a contract for the pro academy is mentioned as a "contract" and we suppose that it is a Super contract, but it isn't.

Perhaps you could mention the players for whom you have positive information - definitely a Super contract and the length of such. Then we can help out with the gaps. Or are you starting from scratch?

Something to do on a rainy day.

(Talking of the rain: can somebody crack Morné Steyn across a knee cap with a cricket bat when he steps off the team bus tomorrow night? But I digress.)

 

[RugbyReg]

Lee, have a look at this link http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/forum/showwiki/Waratahs+Contracted+Players+-+2012?redirect=no

It has all the information as at the moment. The players with a "RV" on their contract year are those that need to be confirmed by a link. All the confirmed ones have a "HERE" next to their name pointing you to the media release of their signing.

 

[inthestands]

excellent, links to confirmation would be the next goal.

Sorry... just noted them all whenever press releases came out... don't have links to all announcements.

 

[inthestands]

Ryan - http://www.superxv.com/news/super15_rugby_news.asp?id=24930
Tilse - Can't confirm... but pretty sure
Douglas - http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...glas-celebrating/story-e6frexnr-1225841633005
Dennis - http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/s...two-more-seasons/story-e6frf4qu-1225919011605
McCaffrey - http://www.superxv.com/news/super15_rugby_news.asp?id=24930
McCutcheon - http://www.superxv.com/news/super15_rugby_news.asp?id=24905
Halangahu - http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/11/2843095.htm?site=sydney
Carter - http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ith-nsw-waratahs/story-e6frey4i-1225839187384
Kingston - http://www.waratahs.com.au/Waratahs/News/NewsArticle/tabid/157/ArticleID/1752/Default.aspx

 

[Lee Grant]

That's a great effort RR. One thing I am slack on is knowing just what Wiki resources we have yet clicking on the Wiki button makes it obvious. I'll have to do some more to contribute but I get a bit intimidated and fear making mistakes which can't be fixed. I'll try harder.

Thanks for that contribution too, in the stands.


Tilse is mentioned in his Tahs profile as securing "a contract which will keep him in Sydney until 2012."

http://www.waratahs.com.au/Waratahs/Team/PlayerProfiles/PlayerPage/tabid/182/playerid/24/Default.aspx

 

[Lee Grant]

RR

Perhaps there should be a sub-section for rookie contracts to be listed in. If I knew how to do it, I would.

In recent articles on the salary cap there is mention of :The money must be spread between 30 members of a "core playing squad" and five players on rookie contracts.

Bernard Foley would be one to be included in the rookie section - though I still haven't seen a link for this.

Anybody have a link - as opposed to a "somebody said something", or an "I know/am sure"?

 

[rugby_man]

If Horne gets injured, do we take AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to 13 and bring Paka on the wing and Lachie to Fullback, or do we put Foley or Hangas into 10, Barnes to 12 and Carter to 13?

I'd have no dramas in putting Tim Bennetts straight into the starting 13. I rate him higher than Tom Kingston as a 13.

 

[Lee Grant]

I read today that Ryan Cross might play for Perpignan during the World Cup as a back up.
After that he will go back down under to play with the Tahs.
Not official yet

He is also mentioned as being sought after by the Tigers and Newcastle rugby league teams.

I thought he was a good acquisition to cover for Horne whose injury profile was cloudy even then. He had a few good games for the Tahs and it is just as well that we had him.

 

[qwerty51]

I thought Cross had a decent season. Nothing special but he was a reliable player. He never got put on his arse in the tackle, always strong in contact and got a good recycle. Won us that Force game in the end.

 

[Gnostic]

Tim Lane in the frame to take over the coaching. A very good move IMO. With Brian Smith to take over the backs.


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...date-for-nsw-job/story-e6frg7o6-1226099331478

 

[Lee Grant]

Now that RR has the Tahs 2012 contract list up to date in the Wiki, and thumbs up to him, we can see the profile of the contracted players:

Props: Robinson, Kepu, Ryan, Tilse

Hookers: TPN, Ulugia*, Fitzpatrick

2nd row: Vickerman, Douglas, Mumm*,

Backrow 7: Alcock, McCutcheon

Backrow 6/8: Palu, Dennis, McCaffrey,

Scrummies: Pretorius, McKibbin

Flyhalves: Barnes*, Halangahu

Centres: Carter, Horne, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)*, Kingston*

Back 3: Mitchell, Pakalani, BKH*, Turner*

* Can play in other position categories.

That's 15 forwards and 12 backs. As mentioned in another thread it is probably best to have a 17/13 split given the competition profile next year. In that regard two more forwards and one back should get full contracts.

Forwards
Timani is said to be returning to the Tahs after his Japan gig and there's even unsubstantiated talk that he may be able to stay. He or some other lock should be the 16th forward This forward spot may have gone to a 5th prop but Ulugia can cover that, short term.

Elsom is another player involved in rumour. Mowen's rejection didn't make sense unless Elsom had been nailed down. Regardless, the 17th forward should be a 6.

Backs
Room for only one more back. B. Foley is rumoured to have a rookie contract and, if true, a flyhalf need not take the spot. A specialist fullback would be good and nobody has played better in the Shute Shield than Ben Batger. I know he has not grabbed his chances in the past but it could be time to re-hire him.

Rookies
10: B. Foley – let's assume this rumour is true.

4/5: Peterson – hasn't had the best of seasons in his 2nd year out of school by all accounts, but he has enormous promise. Has recently had a shoulder reconstruction due to injury in the IRB U/20 tournament.

13/Wing: Bennetts – The Tahs don't need outside centres but he is a keeper. Is nearly 21 now and is playing his best footie this season and should be ready to go at 13 or wing next year.

9: Possibilities are Schwager, Bredenhann and Roos. Hart can't be categorised as a rookie having played Super14 before

Prop: Unfortunately LHP Faulkner has been nabbed. King of Uni is promising and Aholelei of Manly is a possible as a hardhead no frills prop.

Professional Academy
1. Sio – upgrade from the amateurs; scrummaged well in the U/20 comp.
4/5 Cummins/T.Alexander/Gower
7. Jenkins/M.McCaffrey
8. L.Timani (repeat)
9. Those not picked as a rookie
10/15 Saifoloi – upgrade from the amateurs
10 B.Seymour (repeat)
Back 3: Woodhouse (repeat)/Hartman/Sills

 

[Ash]

Lee - McCaffrey was just signed for the Force, according to the Force 2012 thread.

 

[Lee Grant]

Strange, a report last year had him (and Ryan) signing for 2 years:

Tooheys New Shute Shield Rookie of the Year Locky McCaffrey and Sydney University premiership-winning prop Paddy Ryan have both been elevated from the Junior Waratahs professional squad on deals which will take them through to the end of the 2012 season.

 

[RugbyReg]

Lee as I found out undertaking this excercise its not uncommon. Both Franky Fainifo and Julian Salvi had another year on their Brumby contracts, but neither will be there next year. I'm pretty sure it was the same with Kimani at the Reds. I guess some players have been released to ensure coaches get their preferred squad, but perhaps also to get squad sizes down to 30?

 

[Gnostic]

I would think that the Tahs would be holding off contracting until they find out who will be coach, if they don't know already. I would also think many players would be holding back until the coaching issue is sorted, though the NH teams would have pretty much fixed their sides and there would be few spots left at the other Super teams by now I would guess.

 

[Lee Grant]

Lee as I found out undertaking this excercise its not uncommon. Both Franky Fainifo and Julian Salvi had another year on their Brumby contracts, but neither will be there next year. I'm pretty sure it was the same with Kimani at the Reds. I guess some players have been released to ensure coaches get their preferred squad, but perhaps also to get squad sizes down to 30?

That makes sense RR though Super teams can't cut players willy-nilly. Sometimes it's win/win: a player maybe has lined up another gig already and it suits his current employer to release him too - or perhaps it happens the other way around. Also the player might think that there is a better chance to get on the park at another Super outfit or to make a bomb overseas.

I'm sure the 5 Super teams talk amongst themselves on these kinds of things whilst keeping their cards close to their chests.

In the case of McCaffrey though, there is nothing official, nor anything in the press, which are two different things as we have found out many a time.

The late emergence of Dennis as a backup 8 this year makes recruitment in that position by itself less critical but if Lachie is leaving, and Mowen already gone, they need two in the 6/8 area. Hugh Perrett played in both positions from the bench this year but if a local 8 is to be chosen I would go for the brutish Metuisela of Manly, who the Force don't seem to want to retain.

Lopeti Timani is another possibility but he is probably still another year away.

We have no idea what is going on behind the scenes, though one hopes that something is.
.

 

[#1 Tah]

Dont forget Ducka Caldwell is coming back next year.

 

[SuperGrover]

Dont forget Ducka Caldwell is coming back next year.

Is this confirmed? I would dearly love for it to be so, but my understanding was that his disease was long term.