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Waratahs 2014

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JSRF10

Dick Tooth (41)
I still think we'll need to shop overseas to get a quality back up to Taf, as impressive as Roach, albeit at openside, and some of the other Shute Shield hookers have been I'm not sure any of them are at the standard we'd expect of a team with Super Rugby title ambitions.
 

Fowi

Chris McKivat (8)
Waratahs pounce

Sydney club rugby types will be justifiably buoyed to hear that another club player is about to be snapped up by the Waratahs. West Harbour winger Alofa Alofa is poised to join NSW on a rookie contract next year. The 22-year-old played a season with the fifth-placed Shute Shield team before being invited to tour Argentina with the NSW Barbarians side, drawn from the Waratahs, in July. Coach Michael Cheika was impressed enough that he plans to offer the Auckland-born wing-centre a place on his 2014 roster when the window opens on extended playing squad signings next week.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/feathers-fly-over-controversial-plan-to-strip-sydney-clubs-of-best-players-20130912-2tnmo.html#ixzz2ejODcn2x

Seems like Cheika is a fan of Alofa Alofa. I think he would be a good signing, good attacking option to have out wide.
 

Fowi

Chris McKivat (8)
Also interesting from that article is that the EPS contracts are open from next week, so I presume we will see a Hooker announced soon.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Here is where I think the current squad stands. If anyone has any corrections, please let me know.

Props: Robinson, Kepu, Ryan, Tilse (has Tilse been confirmed?)
Hookers: TPN
Locks: Douglas, Skelton
Backrow: Palu, Dennis, McCutcheon, Potgeiter, Hooper, Grey, Holloway
Halfbacks: Phipps, McKibbin, Lucas
Five Eighths: Foley, Beale
Centres: AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Horne, Hodge, Cararro, Lance
Wings/Fullback: Crawford, Betham, Folau

TBC: Luke Holmes, Ben Volavola.

Assuming that the two I've got as TBC are staying then that is 29 players.

Is Mitchell Chapman definitely leaving?

My thoughts on rounding out the squad would be to keep Holmes, Volavola and Chapman in the main squad bringing the number to 30 (I'd forgotten about Jono Lance in my previous post).

The EPS then needs to be very hooker heavy!

I would sign Tolu Latu, Hugh Roach, Alofa Alofa, Adam Coleman and an inside back. If David Horwitz doesn't end up going to the Rebels he would be that guy.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Oh yeah, that's right.

The Force has also had a fair bit to do with Ben Matwijow from Norths (he also played the game against the Lions).

I would have thought they'd be keen to sign him.
 

WorkingClassRugger

Michael Lynagh (62)
Oh yeah, that's right.

The Force has also had a fair bit to do with Ben Matwijow from Norths (he also played the game against the Lions).

I would have thought they'd be keen to sign him.


They have Cory Walton in their stable as well. Gave Corey Brown a start against the Lions. Norths are becoming the Force's NSW feeder team from the looks of it.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
They have Cory Walton in their stable as well. Gave Corey Brown a start against the Lions. Norths are becoming the Force's NSW feeder team from the looks of it.

They also had Chris Tuatara-Morrison on the books this year (although his only run was against the Lions and he sucked).

Norths have quite a lot of rep players now. The Tahs have AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Cam Crawford and used AJ Gilbert in trial games.
 

Buster

Chris McKivat (8)
I wouldnt waste my time with Volavola or Holmes. Holmes has proven he isnt up to scratch and is a cause for concern, so doesnt fit the bill of a replacement. Volavola isnt worth hanging on to, i just dont think he is up to the mark at this level, and will take up bench time as an outside back. In their place id have 2 young guns. The Aus schools hooker from last year was half decent, the manly hooker goes hard too. Backs wise, i would throw all forms of money at Horwitz. Oustide of them it gets tricky.
 

Swat

Chilla Wilson (44)
I wouldnt waste my time with Volavola or Holmes. Holmes has proven he isnt up to scratch and is a cause for concern, so doesnt fit the bill of a replacement. Volavola isnt worth hanging on to, i just dont think he is up to the mark at this level, and will take up bench time as an outside back. In their place id have 2 young guns. The Aus schools hooker from last year was half decent, the manly hooker goes hard too. Backs wise, i would throw all forms of money at Horwitz. Oustide of them it gets tricky.


I wouldn't mind keeping Volavola. I would have said that Foley wasn't up to this level a year ago, now look at him.
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Holmes form this year has been rather disappointing and I think he will not thrive under the new scrum engagement rules anymore than he has this season.

The #2 jumper has been a weakness for the Tahs this year, particularly given TPN propensity to get injured, and the long term injury to Fitzpatrick.

I wonder why we still have not locked in some talent for 2014 as backup to TPN.

Roach and Latu seem to be the logical alternatives to TPN. Sign them up before someone else does.
 

Pfitzy

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Article on the mighty Fat Cat over on FS:

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/w...uad/story-e6frf55l-1226717991141#.UjO6atJcyfU

... stats from the Lions series show McKenzie’s workrate reasoning holds its ground as poorly as a prop with a six-pack.

In each of the three Tests, Robinson averaged the most runs all Australian props (6 per game), the most run metres (19.3), double the tackles as his Aussie prop peers (8.7 a game) and almost a third more minutes game than them as well.

...


Interesting. I suppose there are other stats about rucks and whatnot that make McKenzie's case, but I suppose I did notice more carries from the unit during the series.

Still, it all bodes well for the sky blue next year. Cheika gets to go up a gear and take us to the finals, and we'll finally get the representation we deserve in the Wallabies after we put all the other franchises to the sword.
 

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
There is a general belief that smaller props will struggle under the new scrum laws. The Lions series and the Shute shield are not being played under them and for all we know Robinson may have really struggled with them in camp.

I can still remember a small Scottish front row smashing everyone in the mid 80's and wonder if it would work now. I think the 'bind' call may hinder shorter props as well.
 
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