Waratahs 2020

[Number 7]

Foketi to breakthrough. Moeroa will be very interesting too.

Agree on Foketi. Id like to see Swinton step up next year and cut his penalty rate down.

Tizzano is a great acquisition and could be good in 12-24 months. I think we really need a big lock addition plus an aggressive tight head and we are pretty much there.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Agree on Foketi. Id like to see Swinton step up next year and cut his penalty rate down.

Tizzano is a great acquisition and could be good in 12-24 months. I think we really need a big lock addition plus an aggressive tight head and we are pretty much there.

Swinton > Hanigan.

Tizzano will be too good for the bench before long. Will be interesting to see how he is used. Genuine gun.

 

[cyclopath]

Foketi to breakthrough. Moeroa will be very interesting too.

Spoke to a couple of mates today who watch a lot of NRL, and who also watch a fair bit of rugby, and both were a bit "meh" when asked about Moeroa, which surprised me, given his schoolboy background. Have you watched much of him? Does he look like he'll translate back to Rugby easily?

 

[Number 7]

Spoke to a couple of mates today who watch a lot of NRL, and who also watch a fair bit of rugby, and both were a bit "meh" when asked about Moeroa, which surprised me, given his schoolboy background. Have you watched much of him? Does he look like he'll translate back to Rugby easily?

If you look at (and believe) the Parramatta NRL forum threads the universal opinion is that Moeroa isn't a big loss. He wasn't a consistent 1st grade starting player so maybe he your mates are on the money. Hopefully we didn't pay overs for him.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Spoke to a couple of mates today who watch a lot of NRL, and who also watch a fair bit of rugby, and both were a bit "meh" when asked about Moeroa, which surprised me, given his schoolboy background. Have you watched much of him? Does he look like he'll translate back to Rugby easily?

Im interested because I have no idea how it will unfold or even which position he will play.

Ive watched him - but I think its an apples and oranges situation as he is playing as a prop or middle forward in league. He will need to lose plenty of weight to play centre (atleast 5kgs you would think), so essentially a different role. What does this mean?

Hard to say really, but one thing to consider is that I think the transition is much harder than people realise. He might not be a superstar but he has still played 110 games for Parramatta. At the very least he is a hardened professional. In 2014 he was invited to an emerging blues camp (limited to 21 of the best young players in nsw) so it is fair to say he was rated early on and then has tapered off some what.

He was obviously a stand out junior rugby player, and maybe he is just better/more naturally suited to rugby? Maybe he was just a big kid at school?

I have no idea.

But I do know he was also an extraordinary shotputter as well, so you would have to assume he is very dynamic/powerful.

 

[cyclopath]

Im interested because I have no idea how it will unfold or even which position he will play.

Ive watched him - but I think its an apples and oranges situation as he is playing as a prop or middle forward in league. He will need to lose plenty of weight to play centre (atleast 5kgs you would think), so essentially a different role. What does this mean?

Hard to say really, but one thing to consider is that I think the transition is much harder than people realise. He might not be a superstar but he has still played 110 games for Parramatta. At the very least he is a hardened professional. In 2014 he was invited to an emerging blues camp (limited to 21 of the best young players in nsw) so it is fair to say he was rated early on and then has tapered off some what.

He was obviously a stand out junior rugby player, and maybe he is just better/more naturally suited to rugby? Maybe he was just a big kid at school?

I have no idea.

But I do know he was also an extraordinary shotputter as well, so you would have to assume he is very dynamic/powerful.

Cheers.
They pointed that out to me - holds several age records in GPS athletics in Sydney.
Sounds very much like his role in rugby will be quite different to that in NRL, as you say. And the pro experience of 110 games means at the very least he gets the requirements of being a professional footy player well. I'm optimistic.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Cheers.
They pointed that out to me - holds several age records in GPS athletics in Sydney.
Sounds very much like his role in rugby will be quite different to that in NRL, as you say. And the pro experience of 110 games means at the very least he gets the requirements of being a professional footy player well. I'm optimistic.

Hes going to be a better prospect than any other centre in clubland so I think it makes sense. Hope he brains it.

 

[Up the Guts]

Tepai had his fair share of concussion and injury problems at Parra which contributed to him failing to lock down a consistent starting spot. Also need to consider that most of the time he was with the Eels they were complete shite and basically no one from the club was achieving much in the game. Ever since he’s signed for the Tahs he’s started adding quite a bit of punch to the Eels forwards from the interchange bench (helps when the rest of the team is playing better).

Agree with Bobby, the transition will be harder than for a winger like Koro as he’s too heavy for the centres currently and will have to juggle S&C with upskilling. Although I think playing lighter will benefit his game quite a lot, when I saw him as a schoolboy his best attribute was his dexterity for his relative size. I’m quite hopeful.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Brumbies don't have many young gun 7s do they?

Personally think Gamble for Tahs would make sense as he is skill/development wise ahead of Tizzano but of course Tizzano good one for future as only 19

 

[RugbyReg]

Shambeckler Vui off to the Brumbies.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Shambeckler Vui off to the Brumbies.

Hmm I think the chance of Charles Abel landing a super rugby contract with the tahs just went up a notch with that news (provided he continues to play like he did yesterday for Sydney)

 

[Brumby Runner]

Brumbies don't have many young gun 7s do they?

Happy with Jahrome Brown in the 7 spot, but there's not a lot of pilfering capability after him. Not yet impressed with Miller after two NRC games.

 

[fatprop]

Hmm I think the chance of Charles Abel landing a super rugby contract with the tahs just went up a notch with that news (provided he continues to play like he did yesterday for Sydney)

Robertson with Talaki as backup THP, you can see how Vui was pushed deeper into the squad

@ LHP I expect HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes) to start and I wouldn't be surprised to see Angus Bell get some cameos off the bench

 

[Forcefield]

Swinton > Hanigan.

Tizzano will be too good for the bench before long. Will be interesting to see how he is used. Genuine gun.

Always love to see someone talking up a West Australian, but I can't see anything other than a bench role at the Tahs while Hooper remains fit (which he has an amazing capacity to do considering the way he plays).

 

[Blackadder]

Shambeckler Vui off to the Brumbies.

Wow another one going. Plenty of spots now at the Tahs for some NSW NRC players to put their hand up

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Happy with Jahrome Brown in the 7 spot, but there's not a lot of pilfering capability after him. Not yet impressed with Miller after two NRC games.

Miller very good Super Rugby quality 7 - don't worry you have done well there but he will have good competition....cusack, brown, samu

 

[Blackadder]

Always love to see someone talking up a West Australian, but I can't see anything other than a bench role at the Tahs while Hooper remains fit (which he has an amazing capacity to do considering the way he plays).

That is true however with the way Hooper plays always getting in trying the lift the Tahs and with not much experience at the Tahs next year he will continue to throw his body into it. I think eventually when ready, Tizzano may see some time at 7 to give Hooper a match off.

 

[Blackadder]

Yes on todays performance from Sydney Harry Burey and Charlie Abel must be on the radar of consideration at least for a Tahs contract.

I really wanted Burey to get a contract for this season. He is a utility back every team needs to fill spots when injury hits. Really looks like another good prospect. I hope the Tahs give him a run

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I really wanted Burey to get a contract for this season. He is a utility back every team needs to fill spots when injury hits. Really looks like another good prospect. I hope the Tahs give him a run

His combination with Foketi was excellent so if not a Super Rugby contract there is always GRR contracts as imagine a few teams still have rosters to finalise...Singapore maybe? Assume Force not in the market for another centre.

 

[Blackadder]

Spoke to a couple of mates today who watch a lot of NRL, and who also watch a fair bit of rugby, and both were a bit "meh" when asked about Moeroa, which surprised me, given his schoolboy background. Have you watched much of him? Does he look like he'll translate back to Rugby easily?

The thing about many league fans is that when a player is coming to the club he is the greatest ever but when he eventually signs with someone else he changes to not that good anyway. Also seems to be the same with when they lose some players, good player but then when someone else snaps him up he changes to rubbish.