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Waratahs 2022

Pass it to Dunning!

Pass it to Dunning!

Bob Loudon (25)
The Tahs have re-signed Mark Nawaqanitawase and Alex Newsome. Nawaqanitawase has potential because he's still so young and has a lot of raw talent. But I don't see why Newsome gets another contract. He's been getting worse and worse. He's not fast enough, and he's not getting any faster. There's bound to be better wingers out there in clubland.
 
Froggy

Froggy

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Well, we've re-signed all that I would have liked re-signed, plus a few I wouldn't have bothered with (looking at you Jack Whetton), now where is the strong scrummaging THP, the big, aggressive lock and the barnstorming, hard defending wing?
 
Braveheart81

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Froggy said:
plus a few I wouldn't have bothered with (looking at you Jack Whetton)?
Click to expand...


Unfortunately he was signed for two years straight up.

I thought he got better as the season went on but he isn't up to the standard required (and isn't going to get better at his age).

The challenge for next year is to have the requisite players performing well enough that guys like Whetton and Newsome miss the 23.
 
Wilson

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
Froggy said:
now where is the strong scrummaging THP, the big, aggressive lock and the barnstorming, hard defending wing?
Click to expand...


Question is, who are those players going to be? Realistically there shouldn't be too much of an allowance for foreign players, so the focus will have to be on Australians.

As far as the off contract players in Australia go these is the ones available (based on the front page of the 2022 threads):

Rebels:
Ed Craig (2021?)
Rhys Van Nek (2021?)
Cabous Eloff (2021?)
James Tuttle (2021)
Theo Strang (2021)
Carter Gordon (2021?)
Lewis Holland (2021)
Mason Gordon (2021?)

Brumbies:
Archer Holz (2021)
Tom Hooper (2021)
James Tucker (2021)
Jahrome Brown (2021)
Luke Reimer (2021)
Len Ikitau (2021)

Force:
Greg Holmes - 2021
Tom Robertson -2021 (TBC)
Jeremy Thrush - 2021
Sitaleki Timani - 2021
Richard Kahui - 2021
Toni Pulu - 2021
Victor Harris - 2021 WTS

Reds
Matt Faessler - 2021
Ben Grant - 2021
Sam Wallis - 2021
Hudson Creighton - 2021


From that there's a couple of tight head options in Van Nek and Eloff, though the Rebels will be very keen to re-sign both, and a strong but aging lock in Timani and a great wing (though maybe not barnstorming) in Pulu at the Force. Again the Force will be keen to keep them, although maybe Timani can be lured by the idea of returning home. Looking abroad it becomes a bit harder to identify who is off contract

So who is on your hit list?
 
Froggy

Froggy

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Holmes would be a good signing, my recollection is he plays either side, and would be ideal until we could get someone like Darcy Breen up to standard. Pulu would also be good. Don't know about Timani, massive human but always seems a bit pedestrian to me. Again, someone like Thrush (yes, I know he's not Australian) would be great while we nursed the likes of Douglas, Williams and Woods through to Super standard.
 
Wilson

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
Froggy said:
Holmes would be a good signing, my recollection is he plays either side, and would be ideal until we could get someone like Darcy Breen up to standard. Pulu would also be good. Don't know about Timani, massive human but always seems a bit pedestrian to me. Again, someone like Thrush (yes, I know he's not Australian) would be great while we nursed the likes of Douglas, Williams and Woods through to Super standard.
Click to expand...


Holmes and Thrush are 38 and 36 years old, respectively. Given the time it takes to get new players settled into a system they'd be a huge gamble for the tahs. That's assuming they'd even be interested at this point, neither has any sort of connection to Sydney as far as I'm aware. If they leave the Force and don't retire from pro rugby I could only really see them going to Japan or the US (or maybe to NPC in Thrush's case).
 
hifflepiff

hifflepiff

Charlie Fox (21)
Has Emmanuel Meafou shown any interest in moving back to Australia? He could be a really good pick up for the Tahs as a big, young second rower with top level experience.

Harry Hockings another potential option depending on his contract in Japan and/or desire to play for Aus.
 
hifflepiff

hifflepiff

Charlie Fox (21)
Wilson said:
Question is, who are those players going to be? Realistically there shouldn't be too much of an allowance for foreign players, so the focus will have to be on Australians.

As far as the off contract players in Australia go these is the ones available (based on the front page of the 2022 threads):

Rebels:
Ed Craig (2021?)
Rhys Van Nek (2021?)
Cabous Eloff (2021?)
James Tuttle (2021)
Theo Strang (2021)
Carter Gordon (2021?)
Lewis Holland (2021)
Mason Gordon (2021?)

Brumbies:
Archer Holz (2021)
Tom Hooper (2021)
James Tucker (2021)
Jahrome Brown (2021)
Luke Reimer (2021)
Len Ikitau (2021)

Force:
Greg Holmes - 2021
Tom Robertson -2021 (TBC)
Jeremy Thrush - 2021
Sitaleki Timani - 2021
Richard Kahui - 2021
Toni Pulu - 2021
Victor Harris - 2021 WTS

Reds
Matt Faessler - 2021
Ben Grant - 2021
Sam Wallis - 2021
Hudson Creighton - 2021


From that there's a couple of tight head options in Van Nek and Eloff, though the Rebels will be very keen to re-sign both, and a strong but aging lock in Timani and a great wing (though maybe not barnstorming) in Pulu at the Force. Again the Force will be keen to keep them, although maybe Timani can be lured by the idea of returning home. Looking abroad it becomes a bit harder to identify who is off contract

So who is on your hit list?
Click to expand...

Of these players my #1 target would be Tom Hooper if I was a Tahs recruiter. Young bloke, originally from NSW and is facing some tough competition for a starting spot at the Brumbies.

Having watched him play, I reckon he has the makings of a superstar. Looked amazing for a 19/20 yr old in the few games he played this year.

And I hate to say it as Rebels fan, but Eloff would also be a great pick up for the Tahs.
 
Pass it to Dunning!

Pass it to Dunning!

Bob Loudon (25)
Of this list, I'd take Hooper, Robertson, Tuttle, Eloff and Ikitau. But I think only Ikitau would be a guaranteed starter for the Waratahs. I'd love to get Robertson back though. Timani and Thrush would be a step up from the current Tahs locks, but they're both old and getting older.

If the Tahs didn't have Harrison and Donaldson I'd sign Carter Gordon in a heartbeat. But the Tahs don't need three 20-year-old flyhalves.
 
Dctarget

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
hifflepiff said:
Has Emmanuel Meafou shown any interest in moving back to Australia? He could be a really good pick up for the Tahs as a big, young second rower with top level experience.

Harry Hockings another potential option depending on his contract in Japan and/or desire to play for Aus.
Click to expand...

Informally nominated for France sadly.
 
upthereds#!

upthereds#!

Peter Johnson (47)
Tomikin said:
Isn't Eloff a LHP as Pone Plays THP for the Rebels
Click to expand...


Originally signed as a THP and played alot of the TT there with Pone injured.

Orr and Gibbon were their main LHPS with Eloff and Sordoni playing THP. They brought in Anae as a LHP also.

But their top front row would be 1.Eloff 2. Uelese 3. Pone
 
Braveheart81

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Where is the news that he won't arrive until mid-season?

I thought he'd only signed for one year in Japan and was back in Australia.
 
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