Waratahs 2013

[Inside Shoulder]

If it was easy to score tries using moves from the good old days, all teams would be doing precisely that.


Players these days are bigger, fitter, stronger, faster and better in defence. Defensive systems are better. There is no easy way to score tries. Why on earth would there be?


Wake up, folks, it is 2012 already.

soft hands and timing: neither were present in the tahs this year.
If you achieve these it's amazing how many more try scoring opportunities will emerge.



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[fatprop]

On Bernard Foley, any word on him?

He was in the Wobs squad for a while, but didn't turn out for Uni

Is he having a re-grind and a patch?

 

[Braveheart81]

Would like to know who would be openside flanker if Hooper and McCutcheon we're both unavailible?
Also if two hookers were injured who would be next in line? Josh Mann Rae or another in form player from shute shield?

The third choice hooker is John Ulugia.

You would assume that the EPS will have an openside flanker in it.

 

[I like to watch]

soft hands and timing: neither were present in the tahs this year.
If you achieve these it's amazing how many more try scoring opportunities will emerge.



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That would be good, but I would prefer to see much more work off the ball.Without multiple options for the ball player, support runners just get bashed,soft hands or not.Defences are so well prepared unless they have to make a decision on who to take, you will rarely trouble them.
The more ball runners, the better the ball player generally plays.

 

[Braveheart81]

Hopefully Tom Carter gets some reasonable involvement in 2013.

In the interview with Cheika where he talks about a team needing 'a bit of dog'.

But when we talk about dog, for me it's a sort of ruthlessness that I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to get this job done. And that's not in everyone's psyche - if everyone was like that it'd be chaos - but you need a few personnel in your team who are prepared to infect the others with that and that makes you turn around and say, 'I like the fact that he's on my team' and I think that's important. It balances out the flair. It's almost like you've got the flair but you've also got a knife between your teeth. You've got to have the balance.

This surely sums up Tom Carter to a tee.

 

[AlexH]

So, any thoughts on the Chieka appointment? My thinking on the matter is that he has a good resume but as Deans has shown us, a good resume built on success at a very strong club does not always transfer when you are trying to re-build a team. That said, I am a big fan of his "no bullshit" attitude and think its exactly what the Waratahs need. I look forward to seeing what he can do with the filth this season. A strong Waratahs franchise can only be good news for Australian rugby.

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't get the assertion that he needs to rebuild the team.

We had one shocking year.

We have a strong playing group who needs to dramatically improve their fitness from 2012 and work on execution particularly in the backline and leadership so they don't do dumb things late in games.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

That would be good, but I would prefer to see much more work off the ball.Without multiple options for the ball player, support runners just get bashed,soft hands or not.Defences are so well prepared unless they have to make a decision on who to take, you will rarely trouble them.
The more ball runners, the better the ball player generally plays.

There's no doubt about that - and i think you have to add, as well, the fact that these guys rarely see a bloke for the first time on the field anymore - they've seen video of them and they know the teams so well that its hard to show your opposition a set up that they wont have seen before.
But that's when you have to trust your fundamentals - at the moment we dont have a lot of soft hands and as a nation we seem to have completely lost our ability to time our option running to (a) give the ball carrier options and (b) look like we actually have options.
Maybe soft hands are a second order priority at the moment. But geez Horan had 'em.

 

[Iluvmyfooty]

Why not have Mitchell at Fullback and use his counter attacking skills? He is the best player to run the ball back at a broken defensive line

 

[Braveheart81]

He was also our best player in 2011 prior to getting injured playing in his normal position on the wing.

If he can get himself fit and his ankle right for 2013, I think he should stay on the wing.

I think playing on the wing gives him more opportunity to play with a free reign and run the ball more than having to play a positional game at fullback.

 

[AlexH]

Braveheart,

I mostly agree with what you said. I am not saying that one poor season is not the issue here. The issue is that the Waratahs have not played to their potential in a long time. Last season was just the icicng on the cake. I see no reason why a well managed, well coached Waratahs side should not be legitimate finals contenders every year. They have a huge club talent pool to drawn on, one of the most impressie rosters in Super Rugby and the financial resources to boot.

Yes, the Waratahs have the playing roster and the resources but that is only half of the equation. It's the team culture and training program that needs to be re-built which is exactly what I think Chieka will do.

 

[fatprop]

1. Benn Robinson
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Sitaleki Timani
5. Kane Douglas
6. Dave Dennis
7. Michael Hooper
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Grayson Hart
10. Bernard Foley
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Tom Carter
13. Adam Ashley Cooper
14. Lachie Turner
15. Berrick Barnes

16. Damien Fitzpatrick
17. Patrick Ryan
18. Pat McCutchen
19. Lopeti Timani
20. Brendan McKibbin
21. Tom Kingston / Rob Horne
22. Peter Betham / Cam Crawford

My guess

Assumptions play players in their best positions, pick the next best players in their positions.

So

Foley @ 10
Barnes @ 15 (tenuous today, but I think Bruce may have been right)
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) @ 13

One of the locks to be replaced with Dennis moving to 5, McCutchen to 6, Lopeti for Palu.


On the EPS/squad coverage, I think we are weak at real 10 & 12 cover in the backs. (12 if Carter has one more season??? who is next/cover) So a fit Lane or Rohan Saifolio for one spot and Apo Latunipulu for the other

 

[Braveheart81]

I think we have play Ollie Atkins or Greg Peterson on the bench every game.

They need Super Rugby experience quickly as we can guarantee Douglas and Timani won't be available for every game.

Whilst I agree that shifting Dennis there and using Cutch and/or Lopeti is a stronger overall team, we badly need to blood these locks.

 

[RugbyReg]

1. Benn Robinson
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Sitaleki Timani
5. Kane Douglas
6. Dave Dennis
7. Michael Hooper
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Grayson Hart
10. Bernard Foley
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Tom Carter
13. Adam Ashley Cooper
14. Lachie Turner
15. Berrick Barnes

16. Damien Fitzpatrick
17. Patrick Ryan
18. Pat McCutchen
19. Lopeti Timani
20. Brendan McKibbin
21. Tom Kingston / Rob Horne
22. Peter Betham / Cam Crawford

My guess

Assumptions play players in their best positions, pick the next best players in their positions.

So

Foley @ 10
Barnes @ 15 (tenuous today, but I think Bruce may have been right)
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) @ 13

One of the locks to be replaced with Dennis moving to 5, McCutchen to 6, Lopeti for Palu.


On the EPS/squad coverage, I think we are weak at real 10 & 12 cover in the backs. (12 if Carter has one more season??? who is next/cover) So a fit Lane or Rohan Saifolio for one spot and Apo Latunipulu for the other

Good looking team. What changes would you make for the 2nd game?

 

[southsider]

Why not have Mitchell at Fullback and use his counter attacking skills? He is the best player to run the ball back at a broken defensive line

cause he cant kick, he will counciously run sideways half the length of the field in order to kick the ball out on his good side when he has the time to.

 

[fatprop]

Good looking team. What changes would you make for the 2nd game?

bite your bum

it is September, I live in hope until reality hits in about March

 

[GaffaCHinO]

cause he cant kick, he will counciously run sideways half the length of the field in order to kick the ball out on his good side when he has the time to.

And because he only has one leg.

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[I like to watch]

I think we have play Ollie Atkins or Greg Peterson on the bench every game.

They need Super Rugby experience quickly as we can guarantee Douglas and Timani won't be available for every game.

Whilst I agree that shifting Dennis there and using Cutch and/or Lopeti is a stronger overall team, we badly need to blood these locks.

Then it will have to be Atkins, there is a reason why Peterson has been signed for 2 years and has played f*** all despite huge injury tolls.
Send him back to SS until he can excel there first.

 

[Braveheart81]

I agree regarding Peterson. If he doesn't become a viable Super Rugby player in 2013, it's time to move him on and give someone else the opportunity.

 

[topo]

On Bernard Foley, any word on him?

He was in the Wobs squad for a while, but didn't turn out for Uni

Is he having a re-grind and a patch?

Yep, shoulder recon. Saw him at the SS GF. Op went well, in rehab.