Waratahs 2021

[Dctarget]

He was also never that good in Shute Shield - he mainly came off the bench and never set the world on fire.

Yeah, I'm sure he was passed over by Australian selectors. But he's now developed to where he doesn't look out of place with Rory Arnold and put in a MotM performance in a team with players like Kaino, Dupont, Kolbe etc.

I don't know if any of that form translates back here or how you can get him back considering the pay discrepancy I was just amazed that a Toulouse star was an Aussie that I never heard of.

 

[Adam84]

Only started playing rugby at 17, was a league player up till then.
With a guy like that you’re recruiting the physique and developing the playing ability.

 

[Pfitzy]

Yeah, I'm sure he was passed over by Australian selectors.

Being the primary issue in our whole system: unless you're in the Golden Shower by 20, chances are you'll get the arse.

Lot of players don't hit their stride until they're well past that, and we've got no mechanism to keep them here and playing fulltime. Wish I had the answer.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Only started playing rugby at 17, was a league player up till then.
With a guy like that you’re recruiting the physique and developing the playing ability.

That explains the late development...sounds like should consider trying to bring him back at some stage....are we talking wallaby potential?? As given late starter probably still got even more improvement in him...

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Being the primary issue in our whole system: unless you're in the Golden Shower by 20, chances are you'll get the arse.

Lot of players don't hit their stride until they're well past that, and we've got no mechanism to keep them here and playing fulltime. Wish I had the answer.

Why I guess we need to try and grow the pro game in the Asia Pacific Region and not shrink our way to greatness...Twiggy I think had a vision for this with GRR...anyway I digress

 

[Hawko]

Just watched him get MoTM for Toulouse with a cracking performance. Giant of a lad and only 22. Be a good get for any Super team.

Another of those forwards who didn't properly mature till their early 20's. It is not good sense to write off tight five players because they're not world-beaters by 20. I hope we don't lose him to France but that sounds quite likely.

Picking winners (like McCauley) instead of developing a good group and seeing who floats to the top is not good talent identification IMO.

 

[Dctarget]

That explains the late development.sounds like should consider trying to bring him back at some stage..are we talking wallaby potential?? As given late starter probably still got even more improvement in him.

No idea about Wallaby contention, as we've all seen proven European performers flop when they come back down under.

I've properly followed him in one game so far where he dominated but it was against a weak side in an absolute rout for Toulouse, winning 59 - 0. So, not much to go off just yet. But I will follow him more closely.

I think he arrived at the end of 2018 in France, is that before the 5 year rule? I did just read something not very promising,
When asked about playing for France:
"I've built my life here so I can stay in France for a long time. If I ever have the chance, I would love to play for France".

 

[Rugbynutter39]

No idea about Wallaby contention, as we've all seen proven European performers flop when they come back down under.

I've properly followed him in one game so far where he dominated but it was against a weak side in an absolute rout for Toulouse, winning 59 - 0. So, not much to go off just yet. But I will follow him more closely.

I think he arrived at the end of 2018 in France, is that before the 5 year rule? I did just read something not very promising,
When asked about playing for France:
"I've built my life here so I can stay in France for a long time. If I ever have the chance, I would love to play for France".

Lets face it France offered him the pro lifeline, and making big coin so unless homesick for oz probably not much reason to consider coming home...but then again if form warrants monitoring and seen could possibly be wallaby material does not mean Dave Rennie should not reach out to him at some stage to see where his head is at.

 

[Adam84]

It just reaffirms that Australian Rugby needs to get a bit more creative about the development pathways especially for positions like lock were physical attributes like height are a non-negotiable, all Super Rugby teams need to be looking at more of these league kids who are unsuited to the NRL because they’re too tall and gangly, but might make the perfect lock in rugby union.

Even at prop, Pone Fa’asmausili was a league player until their late teens, only taking up rugby at the U20s age group.

 

[eastman]

Being the primary issue in our whole system: unless you're in the Golden Shower by 20, chances are you'll get the arse.

Lot of players don't hit their stride until they're well past that, and we've got no mechanism to keep them here and playing fulltime. Wish I had the answer.

This isn't completely true- he was never in the 'golden shower' because he hardly played union until he had basically left school, and Shute Shield provided him an avenue ('mechanism') to keep playing sport and eventually pick up a professional contract.

I think the main issue here is that no professional club was willing to sign him (or sign him at a dollar figure he would accept) just to 'develop' him for 2-3 years as he'd be unlikely to get into the 23 before then. The money/ size of squads means that French clubs can take a risk on a player like him and if doesn't work out - no big deal.

 

[eastman]

So really the only solution is to grow Australian rugby until it's in a position that we can afford to keep a bloke like Meafau around - easy.

 

[molman]

So really the only solution is to grow Australian rugby until it's in a position that we can afford to keep a bloke like Meafau around - easy.

It does speak a little to the possible need to hold onto that 5th team as much as some have argued that AU can't sustain it... or there needs to be some consideration to the tier between club and Super Rugby... at the end of the day it all comes down to money though...

 

[Drew]

You’d get paid more to play A grade league at Coogee Oval for Moore Park on a Sunday, than for Randwick on the Saturday. A Grade league is a fair few tiers below NRL. Shute Shield at present is a level below Super Rugby. That’s unfortunately why we have to throw big money at a few relatively untried prospects. Don’t have a solution, but that’s where our system is falling down.

 

[sendit]

You’d get paid more to play A grade league at Coogee Oval for Moore Park on a Sunday, than for Randwick on the Saturday. A Grade league is a fair few tiers below NRL. Shute Shield at present is a level below Super Rugby. That’s unfortunately why we have to throw big money at a few relatively untried prospects. Don’t have a solution, but that’s where our system is falling down.

5 tiers down depending on whether you count u21’s as above A-Grade, which is usually the case given non game day squad members often go and play park A grade

Pretty bleak picture in luring people to games if you can get more at tier 5 than you can at tier 2

 

[Braveheart81]

Picking winners (like McCauley) instead of developing a good group and seeing who floats to the top is not good talent identification IMO.

McCauley clearly hasn't developed into the player we hoped he'd be but I'm not sure there's any alternative. You can't take McCauley's modest salary and split it five ways and have five professionals trying to develop one or more into a star professional in a few years. McCauley is reasonable at the core skills in his position in that when he has been needed, the lineout and scrum don't fall apart relative to whoever he replaced.

Every professional squad is about picking winners at various stages of their careers.

Like others have said, unless we have squad sizes like they do in Europe, it's very hard to sign any player that you think might be 2 or 3 years away from being ready to play.

Meafou was always huge but looked substantially less skillful than a player like Will Skelton at the same stage and with at least as much work to do on his fitness/physique.

 

[fatprop]

The reality is every side tries to pick winners each year and they generally fail, that failer allows the space for the next set of noobs.

They all hope within the churn they find a decent unit who will become 50 game player and wallaby, most don't

It is even worse in say the NRL where they churn through 100s of scholarship kids to find that gem

 

[Blackadder]

Tim Rapp to depart NSW Rugby | RUGBY.com.au

Tim Rapp has quit

 

[Pass it to Dunning!]

Meafou had plenty of chances to show his potential, but he was a lumbering penalty magnet off the bench for Randwick, and wasn't any better in the NRC. Australian rugby can only support so many undeveloped players, and he didn't seem like a good bet at the time.

 

[The Honey Badger]

Just watched him get MoTM for Toulouse with a cracking performance. Giant of a lad and only 22. Be a good get for any Super team.

Rats could use him

 

[The Honey Badger]

He was also never that good in Shute Shield - he mainly came off the bench and never set the world on fire.

Im guessing he played in 2 SS finals including the 1 they won - how good does he need to be?