Waratahs 2018

[Silverado]

BUMP - 10 days and nobody has anything to say about the Tahs. That has to be a record.

Tahs social media aren't exactly giving any info to talk about.


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[Hawko]

BUMP - 10 days and nobody has anything to say about the Tahs. That has to be a record.

What's there to say? No info on McCalman to discuss and we are all just waiting around for the season to begin and our woes to start with it. I'm just trying to find five wins: I've pencilled in two at the Reds and two at the Sunwolves but for the life of me I can't find another one.

 

[lou75]

What's there to say? No info on McCalman to discuss and we are all just waiting around for the season to begin and our woes to start with it. I'm just trying to find five wins: I've pencilled in two at the Reds and two at the Sunwolves but for the life of me I can't find another one.

On a good day you could do the Jaguares - even though they are away - you guys are hot and cold, but mainly hot at the start, so I give you five wins by my calculations

 

[Jagman]

Weird seeing Simmons in a Tahs training shirt on twitter.Does sky blue suit Rob Simmons? #SuperRugby

READ: https://t.co/m2wAgK2yjs https://t.co/L8Rnx1ARkB

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[Rebels3]

What's there to say? No info on McCalman to discuss and we are all just waiting around for the season to begin and our woes to start with it. I'm just trying to find five wins: I've pencilled in two at the Reds and two at the Sunwolves but for the life of me I can't find another one.

I think you are underestimating your Tahs. Do i think they will make the finals..... probably not, but if they can keep most of their players fit and with the inclusion of Simmons (line out was horrendous last year, plus to a lesser extent Staniforth), Beale (fills 12 and a back up 10), Rona (fill that centre void) and lets not forget Dempsey will play hopefully more than 1 game they will be a least competitive at home. I'd have them down for around 7 win, mostly at home. Add potentially McCalman and you never know

 

[Micheal]

1. Kepu
2. Latu
3. Robertson
4. Simmons
5. Hanigan
6. Dempsey
7. Hooper
8. McCalman
9. Gordon
10. Foley
11. TQN
12. Beale
13. Rona
14. Newsome
15. Folau

16. Vui
17. Roach
18. Ryan
19. Staniforth
20. Holloway
21. Phipps
22. Mason
23. Kellaway / Foketi / Simone

At full strength, that's a pretty handy team IMO. No reason we shouldn't do well - especially if Cronn fires.

As always, I'm optimistic. We'll see where we are in 6 weeks.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

1. Kepu
2. Latu
3. Robertson
4. Simmons
5. Hanigan
6. Dempsey
7. Hooper
8. McCalman
9. Gordon
10. Foley
11. TQN
12. Beale
13. Rona
14. Newsome
15. Folau

16. Vui
17. Roach
18. Ryan
19. Staniforth
20. Holloway
21. Phipps
22. Mason
23. Kellaway / Foketi / Simone

At full strength, that's a pretty handy team IMO. No reason we shouldn't do well - especially if Cronn fires.

As always, I'm optimistic. We'll see where we are in 6 weeks.

One injury in the 2nd row and its curtains. there wouldn't be too many teams in any code worldwide where the prospects of success are said to hinge on an Assistant Coach firing..........and that's not to suggest I dont agree that he's an important factor

 

[upthereds#!]

I think Gibson must rate Palmer and Power would be...serviceable. Mccauley a solid future prospect. I'd be a bit more worried about Vui being a starting Super Rugby prop if Kepu goes down.

 

[Braveheart81]

I would guess that Robertson and Kepu will be the starting props and Ryan would get a start at LHP if one of them got injured.

 

[Hawko]

1. Kepu
2. Latu
3. Robertson
4. Simmons
5. Hanigan
6. Dempsey
7. Hooper
8. McCalman

16. Vui
17. Roach
18. Ryan
19. Staniforth
20. Holloway

At full strength, that's a pretty handy team IMO. No reason we shouldn't do well - especially if Cronn fires.

As always, I'm optimistic. We'll see where we are in 6 weeks.

We should have Dempsey back mid-April, but I would assume he'll need at least two weeks off the bench before starting, so the earliest he would be playing 80 is round nine - half way through. McCalman may or may not be totally busted, no one is saying anything. The longer we wait for news the more likely it is that he is wrecked.

I'm not worried about the front row so much, that seems serviceable, just. The back five is a gang of powder-puffs that hit with all the power of a wet lettuce.

I have high hopes for Cronn. If, as I expect, we are five losses at the end of March I think we'll have a new head coach and he's the best prospect in Australia after Wessels by a country mile. But he's not going to be able to turn that around this year, the pack needs rebuilding.

I'm realistically optimistic. I think the Brumbies and Rebels will go OK this year and both teams could make the finals. The Rebels do seem to be the most likely of the two. Realistically, the Tahs just don't have the cattle, and that's primarily Gibson's fault for not buying when he should have.

 

[fatprop]

We should have Dempsey back mid-April, but I would assume he'll need at least two weeks off the bench before starting, so the earliest he would be playing 80 is round nine - half way through. McCalman may or may not be totally busted, no one is saying anything. The longer we wait for news the more likely it is that he is wrecked.

I'm not worried about the front row so much, that seems serviceable, just. The back five is a gang of powder-puffs that hit with all the power of a wet lettuce.

I have high hopes for Cronn. If, as I expect, we are five losses at the end of March I think we'll have a new head coach and he's the best prospect in Australia after Wessels by a country mile. But he's not going to be able to turn that around this year, the pack needs rebuilding.

I'm realistically optimistic. I think the Brumbies and Rebels will go OK this year and both teams could make the finals. The Rebels do seem to be the most likely of the two. Realistically, the Tahs just don't have the cattle, and that's primarily Gibson's fault for not buying when he should have.

I am not sure the Tahs have the money to recruit big names, and I think Gibson's premise of long term building primarily from the SS is not a bad thing. While some of his signings haven't worked in retrospect, at the time you could see the logic in them individually despite too many being flawed units with special talents.

I see their biggest issue is actually their loyalty to units in their system as essentially as 'pro' back ups. Getting the mix right between youth development and those old pros hasn't worked effectively

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[Hawko]

I am not sure the Tahs have the money to recruit big names, and I think Gibson's premise of long term building primarily from the SS is not a bad thing. While some of his signings haven't worked in retrospect, at the time you could see the logic in them individually despite too many being flawed units with special talents.

I see their biggest issue is actually their loyalty to units in their system as essentially as 'pro' back ups. Getting the mix right between youth development and those old pros hasn't worked effectively

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If the Tahs had no money then how on earth did the Brumbies and Rebels have the money? Now we've got 4 or 5 second rowers locked in to Melbourne and none in Sydney and all the power backrowers locked in to Canberra. Unless there are lots of injuries there are going to be some very frustrated squaddies in those two franchises.

Gibson's long term building from SS is now in its third year and we can all see how that's going. Gibson has a blindspot in squad development in that he will always prioritise workhorses (think Simmons, Staniforth, Hanigan, McCauley, Wilkin, Wells) over power players like Coleman, Philip, the Arnolds, Naisarani, Cusack and Valetini. There may be power forwards like that in Shute, but Gibson will never select and promote them.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

If the Tahs had no money then how on earth did the Brumbies and Rebels have the money? Now we've got 4 or 5 second rowers locked in to Melbourne and none in Sydney and all the power backrowers locked in to Canberra. .

Central contracting's the answer but RA don't even know what the question is

 

[cyclopath]

Central contracting's the answer but RA don't even know what the question is

To be fair, I have it from the horses's mouth, they DID try to move to central contracting (more than once) but the usual suspects torpedoed it. Of course, the fact that they failed is hardly an endorsement, but it speaks to the entrenched self-interest from certain Unions on the board. This is why I have little hope that a new CEO will change anything unless they reform the whole stinking pile of it.

 

[dru]

To be fair, I have it from the horses's mouth, they DID try to move to central contracting (more than once) but the usual suspects torpedoed it. Of course, the fact that they failed is hardly an endorsement, but it speaks to the entrenched self-interest from certain Unions on the board. This is why I have little hope that a new CEO will change anything unless they reform the whole stinking pile of it.

So get to the stinking pile with a fucking shovel! (OK, that was “argumentative agreement” Soz)

 

[cyclopath]

So get to the stinking pile with a fucking shovel! (OK, that was “argumentative agreement” Soz)

How? I mean, literally, how? The structure is not such that it allows for "business from the floor". That's the nub of the self-interest - they don't have an avenue for punters to get a point of view across. At least not one of which I am aware. Sure, I can not attend games, I can rail on the internet, but if the overwhelming evidence of diminished crowds / revenue / interest has not made diddly fucking squat difference this far, what does the individual do? Don't answer - they go elsewhere, and the powers that be bank their bonuses.

 

[lou75]

To be fair, I have it from the horses's mouth, they DID try to move to central contracting (more than once) but the usual suspects torpedoed it. Of course, the fact that they failed is hardly an endorsement, but it speaks to the entrenched self-interest from certain Unions on the board. This is why I have little hope that a new CEO will change anything unless they reform the whole stinking pile of it.

I may have misunderstood, but when you say they did try to move to central contracting are you referring to the infamous Alliance Agreement? Cos that central contracting didn't work out for the Force. I have it on good authority that they are centrally contracting at least one coach at the moment. Not sure what the end game is for this though

 

[cyclopath]

I may have misunderstood, but when you say they did try to move to central contracting are you referring to the infamous Alliance Agreement? Cos that central contracting didn't work out for the Force. I have it on good authority that they are centrally contracting at least one coach at the moment. Not sure what the end game is for this though

No, I'm not.

 

[amirite]

To be fair, I have it from the horses's mouth, they DID try to move to central contracting (more than once) but the usual suspects torpedoed it. Of course, the fact that they failed is hardly an endorsement, but it speaks to the entrenched self-interest from certain Unions on the board. This is why I have little hope that a new CEO will change anything unless they reform the whole stinking pile of it.

Presuming all 4 Super teams and RUPA are excellently run, it doesn't benefit anyone. Now, that's obviously not the case but it's a big ask for the big teams to give up their autonomy to 'trust the process'.

 

[kiap]

it's a big ask for the big teams to give up their autonomy to 'trust the process'.

Trust is a rare beast within Australian rugby. Very rare.

While the present governance remains in place, I'd say it's extinct.

So it's understandable why the Waratahs would rather forego cooperating up the line, even if it means cutting their own budgets.