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Waratahs 2013

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thierry dusautoir

thierry dusautoir

Alan Cameron (40)
Also lock/Blindside........McMeniman is back in town maybe tahs back int he race?

p.s most of those Tahs being in the wallaby pack had everyone outside of sydney scratchign there heads
 
qwerty51

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Hart is already confirmed in the full squad. I don't think they could afford McMeniman, won't be any more big names.

thierry dusautoir said:
p.s most of those Tahs being in the wallaby pack had everyone outside of sydney scratchign there heads
Click to expand...

Meh, every single one of them has justified their spot.
 
thierry dusautoir

thierry dusautoir

Alan Cameron (40)
On the season form only Douglas and Dennis deserved to be there.
I still don't think we have seen the best from either:
1. Robinson (Holmes was playing better football during the super 15 and I many others are flabbergasted that he wasn't picked ) or
2. Dennis (I think if Pocock was back tommorow he would be dropped and Hooper to 6) but dont get me wrong he has been sound but alot of people could do what he has been doing. He lacks the same explosiveness he had during the Super 15.
3. I think TPN isn't playing his best footy either but improvement is there.

I was very anti Sitaleki Timani but he has gone above what I thought he was capable of but I think Douglas is a far better option across all facets of the game hopefully he plays well tomorrow and can cement a starting berth as I think he is our best long term prospect.

Kepu got injured but he didn't show much in his appearance.

On the flipside this is an international season where:
1.Australia has played pretty average
2. Coming off the back of a Super 15 season where Aus teams where pretty average
3. All this can be summed up by the fact that a lot of key players where/are injured I think across the wallaby 22 are second/third choice picks on super rugby form.

but.....

4. but there were more inform players left to choose from than our current squad
 
qwerty51

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
First of all there's zero chance of Dennis being dropped for Hooper/Pocock. They are not line out options, Dennis is almost as good as a lock in the lineout.

Just because we haven't seen Robinson and TPN play their best footy doesn't mean they didn't deserve to be there. Robinson is our best loosehead scrummager and so is our best loosehead prop. Moore/TPN is a 50/50 but TPN is still always in the 22. Kepu was going well before injured. As for Timani he backed up Deans with a very good performance against Wales in Sydney and then 2 MoM games recently. Can't ask for more really.

They all deserved their selections.
 
thierry dusautoir

thierry dusautoir

Alan Cameron (40)
Incorrect about Robinson.....Holmes is the best. If you don't believe me ask resident rugby guru scotty Allen. Sitaleki in the series against Wales was average at best again please refer to Scott allens videos. But I did say he proved me wrong but I do think Douglas is a better prospect period (so not all your waratahs are terrible :p) TPN is our second best hooker by a long shot S15 form wise but I don't want to get into the Moore vs TPN debate as we will be here all night.

Kepu in no way shape or form was the australian tighthead of the year and I do not believe his spot is cemented either.

The Dennis comment on form was true but the fact of him being dropped is on the basis of Douglas ( who is good at the line out) being in the team. Otherwise your right he wouldn't be dropped.

My point for this debate is that on paper and track record most of the tahs would be in the team. But based on this years form for them all to be picked in the Australian side they would be expected to show why they are incumbents or transversely why they are there. Dennis on form should be, same with Douglas. Sitaleki was a gamble which has only just paid some dividends. But the rest haven't really answered the ? Above there heads
 
p.Tah

p.Tah

John Thornett (49)
Waratahs Rugby Chairman Roger Davis – Q&A

Roger Davis was last month appointed the new chairman of the Waratahs Rugby Board after Edwin Zemancheff stepped down after more than two years at the helm. Davis had joined the board in June.

It’s doubtful if anyone else could bring such a playing and business background to the position of leader of the Waratahs. In this exclusive interview, he details his representative playing career below.

In business, Davis has attained an equally high status. He is former managing director of ANZ Banking Group and managing director of Citigroup, where he spent 20 years in senior executive positions. He remains consulting director of Rothschild Australia Limited, past chairman of Charterhall Office Management and currently sits on a number of other boards, including the Bank of Queensland, Argo Ltd, Trust Company Ltd and Ardent Leisure Ltd and is chairman of Chartis Australia Ltd.


Q: As the new Waratahs Rugby chairman, what influenced you to become as involved in the game’s administration?
A: To start with I’ve always had a great passion for the game. I learned my rugby at The King’s School, Parramatta, then Sydney University and my love and involvement has continued ever since then. More recently I was part of the Australian Rugby Union’s career training scheme, where we looked way beyond the tryline for the players. We tried to help them move from a sports degree to a higher degree. The base salary for many of them – after their playing days – was about $30,000 and so our aim was to get them moving toward a higher career path.

Q: For those who might not be aware, could you summarise your own playing career?
A: I played much of my rugby at University under Dave Brockhoff’s coaching. Then I made my way through the Sydney and NSW sides before being picked in the second-row for Australia in 1974, when I played all three Tests against New Zealand. At the end of that season I won a Rhodes Scholarship and entered Pembroke College, Oxford where I did my Master of Philosophy degree. I also have a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) degree from my years at Sydney University. I played for Oxford in the 1974-75 season, then came back here and made a brief appearance in representative football before retiring to concentrate on my business career.

Q: Do you still follow Sydney University closely?
A: Absolutely. I’m involved with the club on its federation board, which aims at helping players through their playing careers before putting them on the right career paths. I work on that alongside fellow business personnel like Michael Hawker, David Mortimer and Cameron Clyne.

Q: What do you see as the main issues confronting the game in NSW and the Waratahs board?
A: First and foremost, those of us on the board are determined to ensure that the HSBC Waratahs and NSW Rugby have a successful culture that is rewarding for fans, players and partners alike and the appointment of a new head coach is the key to achieving that result. We’ve got to get a high calibre coach for the Waratahs who will lead us on a winning path. Then our priority will be engaging with the community game.

Q: In the long run, crowd appeal and retaining sponsors all amount to winning more matches, correct?
A: Exactly right. In the end, it’s all about the product you provide and with rugby it’s about providing people with entertainment, which means exciting and attractive rugby. Everybody likes to see their side win. We don’t function in the same context as the AFL in Melbourne, where tribalism is such an over-riding issue that match results can almost be secondary. Followers of rugby in Sydney want to see their side winning. Otherwise they will stay at home, or choose to watch it on television.

Q: As a former Waratahs and Wallabies player, what do you think needs to change for Australian Rugby and the Waratahs to be more competitive on the world stage?
A: For a start, the playing talent’s definitely there at both levels. So it’s not a talent issue. Initially it’s about fitness, leadership and drive. Then it’s a matter of bringing that together collectively and that applies to both the Waratahs and the Wallabies. And, might I add, the sooner we do that the better.

Q: The Waratahs Rugby Board is in the process of appointing a new head coach to replace Michael Foley. At what stage is that at and is there any likelihood of that person coming from another State or country?
A: The Waratahs Rugby Board is hoping to announce the name of the new Waratahs head coach either this or next week. We’ve looked closely at everyone who has put their hand up for the job. The applicants have come from NSW, interstate and overseas. It has been an extensive and interesting process, as it gives a clear indication to the board as to what the future holds. And I might add that we’ve been most impressed with the quality of the applicants we’ve interviewed.

Q: Does having Super Rugby matches on weekend afternoons appeal to you and, if so, can we expect to see more of them at Moore Park in 2013?
A: Most definitely. The board would like to stage as many matches on Sunday afternoons as we possibly can because of the added appeal they have for families and young people. We are controlled in those numbers by Fox Sports, but in 2013 I can tell you now that we’ll have two Super Rugby matches in the afternoon at Moore Park, plus hopefully the much-anticipated match against the British & Irish Lions on 15 June. We’ve just got to hope that the Waratahs are well positioned on the ladder and we’re up against top opposition. We’re fully aware
that going to the rugby has become expensive and that it’s too late being out at 10.30 at night for many families. So we have Jason Allen (CEO) working hard at getting two matches being played on Sunday afternoons, along with the Lions fixture.

Q: Can we expect to see many, if any changes to the Waratahs playing squad in 2013?
A: Yes, we’ve got a few exciting additions, including young Wallaby flanker Michael Hooper and some promising local youngsters in Sydney Uni wing Michael Hodge and fulllback Cam Crawford, who comes home after two years in Canberra. Plus we’ve got high expectations this year for the talent that’s coming through our ranks with the likes of Bernard Foley, Tom Kingston and Lopeti Timani.

Q: Your wider umbrella must embrace club and suburban rugby as well. It has clearly changed since your playing days and how would you like to see it improved to increase both playing
numbers and attendances?
A: I can go back to my own playing days in the 1970s when we had a string of representative players in our University lineup and Norths had almost a whole pack of Test forwards. While we mightn’t see those numbers on a regular basis nowadays, our grassroots rugby still produces very good football. We might read a lot of negativity in some parts of the media, but club rugby is still of an exceptionally high standard and Robbie Deans, for one, fully supports the idea of seeing as many Wallabies as possible playing for their clubs when they’re not selected for
Australia. His approach is that if they’re not in the 25-man Wallabies playing squad, then they’ve got to get out on the paddock elsewhere. All the applicants that we have interviewed for the Waratahs head coaching position support that idea as well.

Q: Finally, your pick to win today’s grand final?
A: Jim, what a silly question... Of course my money’s on University, but let me say that two years ago the best match I watched all season was that against Southern Districts at University Oval. It was an absolute cracker of a match. Mark my words, they’re a very good side and it’s so good having them there in the grand final. Good luck to them!
Click to expand...


http://www.rugby.com.au/superrugby/News/Article/tabid/959/ArticleID/7659/Default.aspx
 
thierry dusautoir

thierry dusautoir

Alan Cameron (40)
Bruce Ross said:
That's a novel idea, wj. Coincidentally it fits in with the title of the thread.
.
Click to expand...


I think your witticisms will be the only thing you tahs fans will have to smile about next year.......

But on a serious note I the tahs will revert to being a title contender next year. I think the Aussie conference as a whole will be stronger across the park.

I always wonder though how do teams like the tahs and reds manage to keep so many talented/star players happy.both teams have players that other teams would kill for, sitting bench or not even making the squad.

You would think it would factor in to team cohesion.
 
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