Waratahs 2017

[Jagman]

Saw an article in another publication speculating who may fill the vacancies left by the departing Waratahs. Seems the Tahs might need a centre and a Lock. Guess those will be filled by the latest batch of Under 20 players. Thoughts?

The best centre in the Shute Shield was Irea Simone who played NZ schoolboys rep and then went to the Rabbitos then to Norths. I'm guessing he's about 21. The only u20 locks other than Ryan McCauley are Tom Pirrodi and Lachlan Swinton. The later played 1st grade so maybe. The Waratahs don't seem to be interested in Matt Phillip who is the only uncontacted lock to get Super Rugby interest lately.

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[Micheal]

The best centre in the Shute Shield was Irea Simone who played NZ schoolboys rep and then went to the Rabbitos then to Norths. I'm guessing he's about 21. The only u20 locks other than Ryan McCauley are Tom Pirrodi and Lachlan Swinton. The later played 1st grade so maybe. The Waratahs don't seem to be interested in Matt Phillip who is the only uncontacted lock to get Super Rugby interest lately.

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The one Shute Shield game I saw all year was the Grand Final and Simone was fantastic. Not necessarily linebreaking at will, but constantly dangerous and has some deft skills. Also more of a strike running centre, which NSW seems to be lacking atm. The fantastic wraps on him lead me to believe this game wasn't a one off.

Swinton seems to be a good prospect. Huge frame for an 18 year old; some development for both McCauley and him could do him good.

I'd like to see all three signed and training with the Tahs, but more time in clubland could do them well. Simone would be the closest to being able to play Super Rugby at this stage.

 

[hammertimethere]

Apparently in wallabies camp Tom Robertson has been training a bit at loose head as this is where they believe he is best suited long term.

 

[Slim 293]

Apparently in wallabies camp Tom Robertson has been training a bit at loose head as this is where they believe he is best suited long term.

Que?

 

[Jagman]

The one Shute Shield game I saw all year was the Grand Final and Simone was fantastic. Not necessarily linebreaking at will, but constantly dangerous and has some deft skills. Also more of a strike running centre, which NSW seems to be lacking atm. The fantastic wraps on him lead me to believe this game wasn't a one off.

Swinton seems to be a good prospect. Huge frame for an 18 year old; some development for both McCauley and him could do him good.

I'd like to see all three signed and training with the Tahs, but more time in clubland could do them well. Simone would be the closest to being able to play Super Rugby at this stage.

In the prelim final against Warringah Simone was basically bending the line and offloading at will. Then South's double teamed him the following week and kept him quiet, helped norths win though. Then in the grand final norths had adjusted somewhat to what South's did and he was able to have good contributions.

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[Groucho]

Hanigan (sic) is a very fine rugby player. Ned's the prince-in-waiting to another of our better contributors for the Wallabies, ie, Fardy. The contribution and effect a good 7 has to any team's success is much under-rated, lineouts especially.

Can we all get his name right for starters.

And his number?

 

[AussieDominance]

McCauley is enormous hopefully he doesn't turn out like Greg Peterson.

 

[Lindommer]

Yes, Groucho, altered to 6.

 

[Jagman]

According to Rugbynews Sam Needs has been signed to the Waratahs EPS for next year. http://www.rugbynews.net.au/nsw-country-eagles-2016-nrc-season-preview-with-darren-coleman/

 

[21mmstuds]

The best centre in the Shute Shield was Irea Simone who played NZ schoolboys rep and then went to the Rabbitos then to Norths. I'm guessing he's about 21.



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Let's hope he gets plenty of game time in the NRC and impresses enough to pick-up some Tah love.

 

[Jagman]

With the exception of Kelly Meafua last year the previous 6 or 7 Rookies of the year all got Waratahs contracts.

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[MACCA]

Rugby News aarticle for those who may not have seen it.
Who will replace departing Waratahs in 2017?
http://www.rugbynews.net.au/who-will-replace-departing-waratahs-in-2017/

 

[Braveheart81]

Irae Simone has been given an EPS contract.

Harry Jones has been upgraded from supplementary squad to an EPS contract.

Andrew Deegan has been upgraded from the development squad to the supplementary squad.

http://www.waratahs.com.au/Waratahs...n-add-to-NSW-Waratahs-future-development.aspx

 

[gowaratahs]

A bit of analysis of 2017 Tahs (confirmed, assumed and current) from yesterday's NSW Country win over Brisbane City.

Latu (confirmed) - strong all over the park, though as a hardman his aggression (overt thuggery) can make him a penalty magnet. Ran strongly in the tight and loose and it's good to see his dart throw to the lineouts has developed more loop, he threw accurately except for one shocker - which makes him better than the current Wallabies.

Needs (confirmed) - new EPS prop who packed down at TH, and was a weak link at scrum time. Around the park however, in attack and defence made a clear statement of his potential - big hits, good support and strong running with the ball. Some scrum-doctoring and a bit more fitness and this guy could be very useful.

Hanigan (assumed) - my Man of the Match, Elsom-like in everything he did. I thought he could've attacked the ball more on defensive lineouts early, though made a great steal in the second half doing exactly that. I hadn't seen much of him previously, though like what I saw yesterday - an aggressive and dominant performance. +1 for Lindomer.

McCauley (current - supplementary) - didn't notice if he got on to the pitch.

Perry (current - development) - at seven he's plying a trade where you need to impress early in your career or you seem to get left out, though at this level he seemed to be right at home. His work over the ball was great, and he continually backed up in defence.

Gordon (current - EPS) - with 3 EPS contracts already signed for 2017, I'm not sure where that leaves Jake, though I thought he played a tidy game yesterday and showed off some slick skills. Opposing Lucas when Eagles v Rays is a matchup I look forward to.

Deegan (confirmed supplementary) - did some good things though had too many errors of skill and judgement. Made some risky decisions late when he should have been looking to close out the game. Not convinced he's better than SS-level.

Horwitz (confirmed - sigh) - fairly anonymous at 13, assume he was selected there to put Godwin in between him and Deegan to ensure some midfield defensive starch. A couple of decent support/link efforts, though otherwise didn't impress or disappoint - besides the fact that as a super-level player and former KC winner he should be killing it in the NRC.

Robinson (confirmed) - wasn't used much, and didn't pop up in midfield as much as he could have. Passed most kick returns to AK (Andrew Kellaway). Would like to see him do more finishing work, which relies on his inside backs setting him up and getting him the ball.

Kellaway (confirmed) - I'd rather him as a finishing winger as I prefer taller 15s with aerial proficiency, though he had some really incisive runs yesterday.

Others - Sam Ward was very good at 8 (where Tahs lack depth in 2017, TQ fantasy aside) and Alex Newsome was slick on the few occasions he had the ball. Kyle Godwin (rumoured Brumby in 2017) was nothing special at all.

Tempted to make the drive from Newie to North Sydney Oval today for Rays v Rams though this from rugby.com.au has me in two minds...

"The sides opening match is against the Sydney Rays at North Sydney Oval on Sunday with kick off at 1:00pm. All of the action will be shown live on Fox Sports."

I'm not sure if hats right, maybe I can stream it at the pub instead.

For the Rays it's Ta'Avao, Dempsey, Lucas, Simone and Jones (all contracted, one way or the other) and Fitzpatrick (future uncertain), against Toleafoa at the Rams. Plenty more for Tahs 2017 interest in the sunshine today.

 

[Pass it to Dunning!]

A bit of analysis of 2017 Tahs (confirmed, assumed and current) from yesterday's NSW Country win over Brisbane City.

Latu (confirmed) - strong all over the park, though as a hardman his aggression (overt thuggery) can make him a penalty magnet. Ran strongly in the tight and loose and it's good to see his dart throw to the lineouts has developed more loop, he threw accurately except for one shocker - which makes him better than the current Wallabies.

Needs (confirmed) - new EPS prop who packed down at TH, and was a weak link at scrum time. Around the park however, in attack and defence made a clear statement of his potential - big hits, good support and strong running with the ball. Some scrum-doctoring and a bit more fitness and this guy could be very useful.

Hanigan (assumed) - my Man of the Match, Elsom-like in everything he did. I thought he could've attacked the ball more on defensive lineouts early, though made a great steal in the second half doing exactly that. I hadn't seen much of him previously, though like what I saw yesterday - an aggressive and dominant performance. +1 for Lindomer.

McCauley (current - supplementary) - didn't notice if he got on to the pitch.

Perry (current - development) - at seven he's plying a trade where you need to impress early in your career or you seem to get left out, though at this level he seemed to be right at home. His work over the ball was great, and he continually backed up in defence.

Gordon (current - EPS) - with 3 EPS contracts already signed for 2017, I'm not sure where that leaves Jake, though I thought he played a tidy game yesterday and showed off some slick skills. Opposing Lucas when Eagles v Rays is a matchup I look forward to.

Deegan (confirmed supplementary) - did some good things though had too many errors of skill and judgement. Made some risky decisions late when he should have been looking to close out the game. Not convinced he's better than SS-level.

Horwitz (confirmed - sigh) - fairly anonymous at 13, assume he was selected there to put Godwin in between him and Deegan to ensure some midfield defensive starch. A couple of decent support/link efforts, though otherwise didn't impress or disappoint - besides the fact that as a super-level player and former KC winner he should be killing it in the NRC.

Robinson (confirmed) - wasn't used much, and didn't pop up in midfield as much as he could have. Passed most kick returns to AK (Andrew Kellaway). Would like to see him do more finishing work, which relies on his inside backs setting him up and getting him the ball.

Kellaway (confirmed) - I'd rather him as a finishing winger as I prefer taller 15s with aerial proficiency, though he had some really incisive runs yesterday.

Others - Sam Ward was very good at 8 (where Tahs lack depth in 2017, TQ fantasy aside) and Alex Newsome was slick on the few occasions he had the ball. Kyle Godwin (rumoured Brumby in 2017) was nothing special at all.

Tempted to make the drive from Newie to North Sydney Oval today for Rays v Rams though this from rugby.com.au has me in two minds.

"The sides opening match is against the Sydney Rays at North Sydney Oval on Sunday with kick off at 1:00pm. All of the action will be shown live on Fox Sports."

I'm not sure if hats right, maybe I can stream it at the pub instead.

For the Rays it's Ta'Avao, Dempsey, Lucas, Simone and Jones (all contracted, one way or the other) and Fitzpatrick (future uncertain), against Toleafoa at the Rams. Plenty more for Tahs 2017 interest in the sunshine today.

I agree with you on most of this, but Hanigan holding on to the ball when he should have passed nearly butchered a certain try.

 

[gowaratahs]

I agree with you on most of this, but Hanigan holding on to the ball when he should have passed nearly butchered a certain try.

Trademark Elsom

 

[gowaratahs]

Instead of the easy Sunday trek down the freeway I managed to stream the Rays v Rams game on the fox sports now app thru Apple TV4, so beers and deck chairs in the afternoon sun without the social limitation of pants sets the scene for part 2 of Tahs 2017 from round 1 of the NRC.

With Ta'Avao rested, there are 6 players I'll focus on with another Elsom-esque performer in Jack Dempsey (confirmed) being in absolutely everything - including the bin twice. With Hanigan a standout for the Eagles on Sunday, the Tahs seem headed for another period with the backrow depth of Lyons, Waugh, Elsom and Mowen (though not the full depth they had with Palu on top). Seriously not much separated each performance on either day, both were aggressive in attack and defence and it's great we have this platform to see them perform above SS level against other Super Rugby aspirants.

Simone (confirmed EPS) played up to expectations scoring a first half try demonstrating both strength and slickness. He seems more of a SBW style of IC than a KB (Kurtley Beale), it'll be interesting to see how Gibson intends to use him - matchday squad is certainly not out of the question. Didn't recall seeing him in the second half when talking up his first (beers, sunshine, streaming quality all factors I guess).

Lucas (confirmed) continues to pass quickly and accurately off the ground which is a skill that'd help Genia against offside ABs, but I digress. Some clever and accurate short-range kicking, good marshalling of the forwards and some slick sniping from the base is what you expect from Lucas, though I still feel he is limited by his size and unable to display the same impact or athleticism as other scrummies.

Jones (confirmed EPS) should be happy that he saw a lot of ball down the left flank, and besides forgetting the touchline doesn't miss tackles (to commentator Cam Shepherd's angst) he put in a few strong runs beating would-be defenders, and flew out of the line to affect an early intercept try. Didn't notice him kick, nor compete for the ball in the air so my hope to see his fullback potential waits another week.

Fitzpatrick (rumoured, though unsure how he'd fit in) played a strong game, including more minutes than his last two seasons at the Tahs. Lineouts throws seemed fine, struggled a bit with Lolohea in the scrum but scored a good early try off the back of a well executed rolling maul. He was also everywhere, and it'll be interesting to see where he fits in to the national picture in 2017 (perhaps starting hooker at the Brumbies, ahead of Fainga'a).

Moving onto the Rams, I doubt Toleafoa (2016 supplementary squad) reached for the Powerade at halftime as the first significant effort didn't come till the second half. He looked imposing standing off the flyhalf at the breakdown, though with zero workrate to speak of was clearly outshone by locking partner Tufui who really brought his A game. Toleafoa needs to do some heavy lifting if he wants to fill one of the several locking vacancies at Tahland in 2017, or he might as well be an oversized number 12.

Other - for the Rams Lolohea got a few creditable mentions and Scott Gale was better than decent at scrumhalf. Buaserau on the wing looked threatening too, and scored an interesting comparison to the great Rupeni Caucauinbuca from commentator Cam Shepherd (keep it real dude). For the Rays Will "King of the North" Miller had a great workrate in the afternoon sunshine and Angus Sinclair provided quality ball to a decent backline.

 

[Lindommer]

gw, why don't you copy this and post it on the match thread.

 

[gowaratahs]

gw, why don't you copy this and post it on the match thread.

I've only focussed on a half dozen players with Waratahs links, I don't think I've done the match justice. Maybe next time.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Instead of the easy Sunday trek down the freeway I managed to stream the Rays v Rams game on the fox sports now app thru Apple TV4, so beers and deck chairs in the afternoon sun without the social limitation of pants sets the scene for part 2 of Tahs 2017 from round 1 of the NRC.

With Ta'Avao rested, there are 6 players I'll focus on with another Elsom-esque performer in Jack Dempsey (confirmed) being in absolutely everything - including the bin twice. With Hanigan a standout for the Eagles on Sunday, the Tahs seem headed for another period with the backrow depth of Lyons, Waugh, Elsom and Mowen (though not the full depth they had with Palu on top). Seriously not much separated each performance on either day, both were aggressive in attack and defence and it's great we have this platform to see them perform above SS level against other Super Rugby aspirants.

Simone (confirmed EPS) played up to expectations scoring a first half try demonstrating both strength and slickness. He seems more of a SBW style of IC than a KB (Kurtley Beale), it'll be interesting to see how Gibson intends to use him - matchday squad is certainly not out of the question. Didn't recall seeing him in the second half when talking up his first (beers, sunshine, streaming quality all factors I guess).

Lucas (confirmed) continues to pass quickly and accurately off the ground which is a skill that'd help Genia against offside ABs, but I digress. Some clever and accurate short-range kicking, good marshalling of the forwards and some slick sniping from the base is what you expect from Lucas, though I still feel he is limited by his size and unable to display the same impact or athleticism as other scrummies.

Jones (confirmed EPS) should be happy that he saw a lot of ball down the left flank, and besides forgetting the touchline doesn't miss tackles (to commentator Cam Shepherd's angst) he put in a few strong runs beating would-be defenders, and flew out of the line to affect an early intercept try. Didn't notice him kick, nor compete for the ball in the air so my hope to see his fullback potential waits another week.

Fitzpatrick (rumoured, though unsure how he'd fit in) played a strong game, including more minutes than his last two seasons at the Tahs. Lineouts throws seemed fine, struggled a bit with Lolohea in the scrum but scored a good early try off the back of a well executed rolling maul. He was also everywhere, and it'll be interesting to see where he fits in to the national picture in 2017 (perhaps starting hooker at the Brumbies, ahead of Fainga'a).

Moving onto the Rams, I doubt Toleafoa (2016 supplementary squad) reached for the Powerade at halftime as the first significant effort didn't come till the second half. He looked imposing standing off the flyhalf at the breakdown, though with zero workrate to speak of was clearly outshone by locking partner Tufui who really brought his A game. Toleafoa needs to do some heavy lifting if he wants to fill one of the several locking vacancies at Tahland in 2017, or he might as well be an oversized number 12.

Other - for the Rams Lolohea got a few creditable mentions and Scott Gale was better than decent at scrumhalf. Buaserau on the wing looked threatening too, and scored an interesting comparison to the great Rupeni Caucauinbuca from commentator Cam Shepherd (keep it real dude). For the Rays Will "King of the North" Miller had a great workrate in the afternoon sunshine and Angus Sinclair provided quality ball to a decent backline.

Of the two Rams wings I thought Goodall was comfortably the better of the two. Lolohea had several strong carries and powered over his Rays counterparts in the scrum. I was actually impressed with his workrate considering he is such a big man.