Waratahs 2013

[kiap]

Apart from Robinson at LHP and Palmer at THP we do not have a prop capable of destroying a good scrum in Australia. We should have moved heaven and earth to keep Palmer at the Tahs, but management then had other priorities.

Correctamundo.

Although Fatprop doesn't quite rate Palmer.

 

[It is what it is]

Everybody says Tilse is a lousy scrummager, and he has played some poor games at LHP in Shute. But in his favour, he has had to step in after injuries to Robinson and others in previous years and has never EVER let the side down. He didn't blow the oppostion off the park but, to my recollection, he never once got pushed around when the scrums were called. Why do I remember that? Because I spent most of those games with my heart in my mouth waiting for it to happen; happily it never did.

To back up Fatprop: Apart from Robinson at LHP and Palmer at THP we do not have a prop capable of destroying a good scrum in Australia. We should have moved heaven and earth to keep Palmer at the Tahs, but management then had other priorities.

Cheika would only use Tilse off the bench in a Super game.
He would replace Robinson with Kepu and bring in Ryan before elevating Tilse.
Is there any other Super rugby, one-team 8-9 season player like Tilse, who still wouldn't be considered as a starter by their coach?

 

[Braveheart81]

Cheika would only use Tilse off the bench in a Super game.
He would replace Robinson with Kepu and bring in Ryan before elevating Tilse.
Is there any other Super rugby, one-team 8-9 season player like Tilse, who still wouldn't be considered as a starter by their coach?

Surely that's the advantage the Tahs have with Tilse. What other Super Rugby side can boast a 4th or 5th choice prop that has that much experience?

 

[wamberal]

Surely that's the advantage the Tahs have with Tilse. What other Super Rugby side can boast a 4th or 5th choice prop that has that much experience?

Experience? What use is experience, per se?


I still remember Tilse and the whole Corporation front row being overwhelmed by Eastwood in the 2011 GF. Man-shamed, to quote a phrase. That was experience, I suppose.

 

[JSRF10]

Long time lurker here, just moved to Aus and the ball and chain has set me up with a Tahs membership so thought i better get involved! Looking forward to this season, hoping Cheks can repeat his Leinster heroics here. Look forward to getting involved in the chat this season!

 

[qwerty51]

Experience? What use is experience, per se?


I still remember Tilse and the whole Corporation front row being overwhelmed by Eastwood in the 2011 GF. Man-shamed, to quote a phrase. That was experience, I suppose.

1. Kieran Longbottom, 2. Damien Fitzpatrick, 3. Barry Fa’amuasili vs
1. Sam Talakai, 2. Sam Roberson, 3. Jeremy Tilse

Anyone could've told you the result that day

 

[cyclopath]

1. Kieran Longbottom, 2. Damien Fitzpatrick, 3. Barry Fa’amuasili vs
1. Sam Talakai, 2. Sam Roberson, 3. Jeremy Tilse

Anyone could've told you the result that day

Or even 18 months later. I'm no expert, but reckoning the ability / performance of one player from the variables that come from 6, or even 16 would seem fraught with problems. I think they call it "confounding". I'm sure Tilse keeps getting contracted on the basis of being shit, what other explanation could there be?

 

[Lee Grant]

Latu has been training as a reserve hooker since the season ending injury to Fitzpatrick

Correct - threw to the lineout better than Ulugia at one practice I saw - and whilst we are at it Lopeti looked better than big brother did taking the ball - he's good.

One practice session is a small sample though.
.

 

[Dave Beat]

Correct - threw to the lineout better than Ulugia at one practice I saw - and whilst we are at it Lopeti looked better than big brother did taking the ball - he's good.

One practice session is a small sample though.
.

Ulugia throws it in like a prop

 

[Ruggo]

Long time lurker here, just moved to Aus and the ball and chain has set me up with a Tahs membership so thought i better get involved! Looking forward to this season, hoping Cheks can repeat his Leinster heroics here. Look forward to getting involved in the chat this season!

Welcome to the forum and to Australia.

 

[Hawko]

Correct - threw to the lineout better than Ulugia at one practice I saw - and whilst we are at it Lopeti looked better than big brother did taking the ball - he's good.

One practice session is a small sample though.

Still it lifts my spirits. If he can reach his brother's destructive level in the loose and jump in the lineout that will do me just fine. Only risk then is that he goes to France with his brothers.

 

[Ruggo]

Falou should make a fine fullback. Plenty of those AFL skills can be transfered into the position.

 

[jay-c]

i really hope falou gets a decent run
i always felt mckenzie wasted tahu by not jus leaving him on the field- he could have been anything
i know rewarding hornes form was important at the time but at the end of the day tahu was a wasted opportunity> word on the street he still dominates the league

 

[Hawko]

1. Kieran Longbottom, 2. Damien Fitzpatrick, 3. Barry Fa’amuasili vs
1. Sam Talakai, 2. Sam Roberson, 3. Jeremy Tilse

Anyone could've told you the result that day

Didn't remember Tilse played THP that day; this was one of the bad Shute games I alluded to in my post. Didn't remember he was playing out of position, which strengthens my case that for Super Rugby he's not a bad LHP back-up.

 

[JSRF10]

Falou should make a fine fullback. Plenty of those AFL skills can be transfered into the position.

He has all the basic tools to be a top quality full back however something he needs to always keep in mind is his height in contact, some converts like Andy Farrell struggled with this and were turned over far too easily. It sounds very basic but its one of the fundamentals of Union RL converts too often struggle with for me.

 

[Lee Grant]

JSRF10 - welcome aboard mate.

On other recent postings:

- earlier in the thread I said that we should not criticise the Timanis if they go offshore. It's not as though they were born and bred here; so you can't blame them if they go where the money is.

Sita will fit right into Top14 rugby. He is exactly the type of line bending ball runner they covet. They also love their scrums and I expect that the MHRC THPs will enjoy the stability and shoving that he offers. You know that he is good there when Kane Douglas shifts over to the LH side when the two play together.

It is sad for Oz rugby to lose an elite TH lock as he is probably the only genuine one in the country. Though others obviously can pack down on the right hand side of the scrum, it is not the same thing as somebody being influential there and being able to run over folks also.

When Timani leaves I expect that Horwill and Douglas will cover the TH side of the 2nd row for the Wobs - and that Pyle and Neville will take a step up in the lock pecking order.


- on the Waratahs trial team side - every fit player in the squad plus the invited players (less the Wobs) will be getting a run as Cheika said 6 weeks ago; so let's not read too much into it - nor into the next trial, but the 3rd trial against the Crusaders will be the real deal.

It's my guess that a few of the invited players will drop out already after the 1st trial and that a few of the Wallaby backs will get a run if they want it against the Blues.

Let's not crow nor get too despondent over the result of the first two trials. They are just trials - literally - they are trying out players.

But we could look at the tea leaves after the third match and read something into them.
.

 

[RugbyReg]

Barnes apparently off after the Super season? I'd suggest the ARU would want him to see out his contract which I assume finishes in October. Regardless its a loss for the Tahs.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rug...f-to-japan-at-seasons-end-20130130-2dlk2.html

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Falou should make a fine fullback. Plenty of those AFL skills can be transfered into the position.

Did anyone actually see him play the game?
Googling reports seemed to uncover apologetic excuses from Sheedy as to why he got few touches and fewer kicks.
I am happy to be proved wrong but I do not think this guy is the messiah.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Braveheart81]

Did anyone actually see him play the game?
Googling reports seemed to uncover apologetic excuses from Sheedy as to why he got few touches and fewer kicks.
I am happy to be proved wrong but I do not think this guy is the messiah.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I watch plenty of AFL and Folau did struggle to make an impact. He was playing as a key forward for a terrible team though which meant there were far less opportunities where the ball came into the forward line and often it was rushed and the opposition defence was always in a good position to win the ball.

A couple of the other GWS forwards who are Aussie rules players from an early age (albeit young guys who were top draft picks) did much better in their forward line because they had better instincts in terms of knowing where the ball would go.

For a first year AFL player, Folau had a really tough job and realistically didn't do it very well. In a better team he would have had a lot more opportunity.

There is no doubt that Folau is an amazing athlete, but AFL isn't really the sport where he is likely to shine. If you really wanted to put him into a sport where his physical prowess could shine (outside of league and union) it would be as a wide receiver in the NFL. His speed, size and ball skills would make him perfect for that role.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I watch plenty of AFL and Folau did struggle to make an impact. He was playing as a key forward for a terrible team though which meant there were far less opportunities where the ball came into the forward line and often it was rushed and the opposition defence was always in a good position to win the ball.

A couple of the other GWS forwards who are Aussie rules players from an early age (albeit young guys who were top draft picks) did much better in their forward line because they had better instincts in terms of knowing where the ball would go.

For a first year AFL player, Folau had a really tough job and realistically didn't do it very well. In a better team he would have had a lot more opportunity.

There is no doubt that Folau is an amazing athlete, but AFL isn't really the sport where he is likely to shine. If you really wanted to put him into a sport where his physical prowess could shine (outside of league and union) it would be as a wide receiver in the NFL. His speed, size and ball skills would make him perfect for that role.

What is his kick (as they say in AFL) like? Sheedy seemed to think it was good - but I'm not sure that a good drop punt with an AFL ball is actually a transferable skill?
Guess we'll find out this Sat'dy.