Waratahs 2013

[latrell247]

Tilse isn't crap, he is a bloody good LHP.

In the Shute Shield finals thread somewhat biasedly Topo (uni maven) gave him MOM

I think he was one of uni's best in SS GF

 

[tranquility]

I was trying to be nice. IMO I don't believe Jenkins was up to Super standard, so by any franchise not signing him and wasting a contract on someone just coz he's from Uni, will allow Australian rugby to develop and foster someone else who could be. In other words, he didnt work, move forward, give another bloke a crack

Dave Hickey for one.

 

[Caputo]

Why is Shute Shield form determining whether someone is Super 15 ready and possible Wallaby.

Tilse= list clogger
Fitzpatrick on last chance because of the improvement of Uligia

At the U20 three Aussie Hookers from Sydney, Fitpatrick (C) Whittaker and Charles. Charles has kicked on and Whittaker up to Super Rugby standard. I do not know whether you could trust Futpatrick if TPN hurt long term.

 

[fatprop]

Why is Shute Shield form determining whether someone is Super 15 ready and possible Wallaby.

Tilse= list clogger
Fitzpatrick on last chance because of the improvement of Uligia

At the U20 three Aussie Hookers from Sydney, Fitpatrick (C) Whittaker and Charles. Charles has kicked on and Whittaker up to Super Rugby standard. I do not know whether you could trust Futpatrick if TPN hurt long term.

Why is Shute Shield form determining whether someone is Super 15 ready? It is the strongest comp in the country, it is the best measure we have, possible Wallaby? Well that depends on ther work at S15 level.

Tilse is a good LHP, behind better LHPs, he would be starting at other franchises


If Fitzpatrick can stay fit, he is up to it.

 

[Forcefield]

Funny that. The Force pushed hard to get Fitzpatrick for 2010. We already had Whittaker and ended up with Charles mid-season. Fitzpatrick has gone nowhere while Charles has been great for us and Whittaker also solid.

Shame though that some of the best players just can't stay fit.

 

[wamberal]

Funny that. The Force pushed hard to get Fitzpatrick for 2010. We already had Whittaker and ended up with Charles mid-season. Fitzpatrick has gone nowhere while Charles has been great for us and Whittaker also solid.

Shame though that some of the best players just can't stay fit.

Fitzpatrick is still young for a hooker, and he has been injured pretty much the whole of 2012.

 

[Caputo]

By having Tilse clog up your list here are some of the NSW domilced Props not just LHP

Ma'afu brothers
Pek Cowan
Laurie Weeks
Jerry Y
Scot Sio
Salesi Manu
Tetra Faulkner
Jono Owen
AJ Whalley
Gareth Hardy
Angus Scott

There needs to be turnover of the list 20-25% about 5 per year.
This year 4 only Atkins, Hooper, Crawford and Hodge

 

[barbarian]

What a load of rubbish.

The 4th string prop position is inherently a stop-gap. Someone who can come in when things are desperate and do a job. You could take on a young up-and-comer, but that is risky and if they do well they will be looking to go elsewhere as they are stuck behind Robinson, Kepu and Ryan at NSW. So a veteran like Tilse is the perfect choice- every time he has come into the side he has performed OK. Not brilliantly- he is the 4th stringer FFS- but good enough to stay in the roster.
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[It is what it is]

What a load of rubbish.

The 4th string prop position is inherently a stop-gap. Someone who can come in when things are desperate and do a job. You could take on a young up-and-comer, but that is risky and if they do well they will be looking to go elsewhere as they are stuck behind Robinson, Kepu and Ryan at NSW. So a veteran like Tilse is the perfect choice- every time he has come into the side he has performed OK. Not brilliantly- he is the 4th stringer FFS- but good enough to stay in the roster.
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It does beg the question though of why he hasn't backed himself to gain a starting position somewhere else.
It's his 9th year with the Tahs in 2013, so;
a) Does he think he'll crack a starting spot in 2013.......doubt it with 3 test props ahead of him. OR
b) He's simply happy playing 4th stringer and isn't very ambitious......looks that way. OR
c) No one else wants him....don't know. OR
d) He doesn't want to move from Sydney.....maybe.
He seems to have become 'part of the furniture' at the Tahs and if he was ambitious, a 2 year stint in French rugby would be his best move IMO.

 

[fatprop]

By having Tilse clog up your list here are some of the NSW domilced Props not just LHP

Ma'afu brothers
Pek Cowan
Laurie Weeks
Jerry Y
Scot Sio
Salesi Manu
Tetra Faulkner
Jono Owen
AJ Whalley
Gareth Hardy
Angus Scott

There needs to be turnover of the list 20-25% about 5 per year.
This year 4 only Atkins, Hooper, Crawford and Hodge

That list proves my point, none of that lot are a demonstratively better LHP than Tilse. Sio maybe in three years, but that ain't 2013.

 

[topo]

It does beg the question though of why he hasn't backed himself to gain a starting position somewhere else.
It's his 9th year with the Tahs in 2013, so;
a) Does he think he'll crack a starting spot in 2013...doubt it with 3 test props ahead of him. OR
b) He's simply happy playing 4th stringer and isn't very ambitious..looks that way. OR
c) No one else wants him..don't know. OR
d) He doesn't want to move from Sydney...maybe.
He seems to have become 'part of the furniture' at the Tahs and if he was ambitious, a 2 year stint in French rugby would be his best move IMO.

I'm pretty sure option (d) is closest to the mark. He has some business interests in Sydney.

 

[I like to watch]

Anyone read Matt Burkes article in the Herald?

There are big expectations on Michael Cheika but the first thing the new coach has to do at the Waratahs is win over the players.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/cheika-check-it-check-it-out-work-work-it-work-the-tahs-out-20120922-26dkw.html#ixzz27F1SY2AC

What happened to having to prove yourself to the coach to earn your spot at each and every training session?
I reckon any tahs player that thinks that the new coach needs to earn their respect can fuck off to Japan pronto.
There needs to be competition for spots for the Tahs to be a success.
I would love to see a couple of no names to be named in front of established players in the first few games next year.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

What happened to having to prove yourself to the coach to earn your spot at each and every training session?

I reckon Growden must have ghosted this it is so badly written.
This gem:

Perhaps the players should dive into the archives of NSWRU to make a more informed decision on what approach they should have when they take to the training pitch.

what crap - an informed decision about the approach to be taken at training? how about doing what you're told when you're told to do it?

 

[Man on the hill]

snip... There needs to be competition for spots for the Tahs to be a success.
I would love to see a couple of no names to be named in front of established players in the first few games next year.

Behind every good first XV, there is a strong second XV! Without genuine contest for spots, nothing but complacency!

Ever since the days of Tiian Strauus at the waratahs, player ego tripping has been mistaken for player power (as so handsomely developed by Macqueen at the brumbies). And this player reluctance to accept responsibility for their own on-field performances (& some demented back of house & board issues) has seen the demise fo more than a few quality coaches hoisted on someone else's petard.

Time for the over pampered tahs to piss or get off the pot - if they can't do it bring in players that will!

 

[Ruggo]

I hope he gets the full support of the board and the administration to implement his rugby agenda.

I see some similarities between him and what Link took on in 2010. That said if they rally together it can be turned around pretty quickly.

 

[Bruce Ross]

On another thread yesterday I stated that Iain Payten was my favourite journalist. I lied. For generating belly-laughs and bewilderment as to whether he's thick-as-a-brick or pulling-our-collective-chains I can't go past Matthew Burke. There is a school of thought that the phrase, "You couldn't make that sort of shit up" was originally uttered in reference to our Matt's work. But he does, week after week.

Who would have thought that the lad even understood the word irony, let alone practised it? But this week we have two gems:

"Bravo to the NSW Rugby Union ... for taking the time to make the important decision and not operate under duress from all sorts of outside influences." (Even Jason Allen would be smart enough to feel the barb of Matt's sarcasm here)

On Gaffney - "I have spoken about the importance of his contribution to this team however little we saw of it this season." (Bit rugged putting the boot into the resident senior citizen, but my view is you should never waste a good line. That would go double for Matt who would very rarely stumble across one)

That's the end of the funnies, so we move on to the obligatory Burkeisms:

"It all sounds very simple but stealing some ideas that work in Britain may just give another dimension to this NSW team ..." Matt, I know that Geography was never your long suit - along with the other school subjects. At Joey's you were permitted to sleep through classes if you were majoring in Rugby. But a quick heads-up, son. Leinster isn't actually in Britain. It's in Northern Ireland. That's why we have the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland.

"The ultimate decision came form the board, but perhaps all the players knew that the man who is supposed to lead them to glory was limited by a short coaching career." "Short coaching career"? He started his professional coaching career 13 years ago with Knoxy at Padova. Obviously I'm using the word "professional" somewhat loosely in relation to Padova but what I mean is they were paid to do it.

"form the board"! And there's also a missing apostrophe in the piece. The entire Fairfax dynasty will be spinning in their graves - all except the idiot boy-child who sent the place broke. It can only get worse with the towering intellects of the press room like Scoop Growden being sent to the knackery, leaving just the API feed plus Matthew Burke.
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[It is what it is]

Bruce, maybe you're still celebrating Uni's win or have had a few pints of Guinness this morning.
Leinster is in Dublin, which is in Ireland, not Northern Ireland.
Hence the British & Irish Lions.
Otherwise all good.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Bruce, maybe you're still celebrating Uni's win or have had a few pints of Guinness this morning.
Leinster is in Dublin, which is in Ireland, not Northern Ireland.
Hence the British & Irish Lions.
Otherwise all good.

Despite my mortification, thanks for the correction, Iiwii. As my penance I'll leave my glaring error unedited for all to see.

My lame excuse is that I have been on the computer since 4 am. I am very much aware in my lucid moments of the geographical positions of the Irish counties.

Bruce is a goose!
.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

On such a good roll from Bruce, too. I'm sure we can forgive him one geographical "knock on".

It is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Team UK as some call it - AKA Team "Uck"

The Irish in "British and Irish Lions" refers to natives from Northern Ireland and Eire, ie people from the island of Ireland.

 

[Lee Grant]

Fitzpatrick is still young for a hooker, and he has been injured pretty much the whole of 2012.

Yeah it's a pity and I fear that we will never see the full potential of this young player. He will have to stay healthy in 2013; if he doesn't no Super team will want to have him.

As for some of those props mentioned by Caputo: Tetera Faulkner, Scott Sio and Salesi Manu, are all promising.

The conversion of 21 y.o. Manu from LHP club player to be a starting THP Super player when Ma'afu was injured, all in 12 months, has been a revelation. 20 y.o. Sio looked handy when he came off the the bench for the Brumbies a few times. He scrummed OK and once when he was on the run I thought he was Vaea, which is not that surprising since Sio played 6 and 8, as well as 1, for CAS in his school days.

I have a secret wish that the Brumbies transform Sio into a hooker as they did with TPN back in the day - and like TPN, comes back home.
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