Waratahs 2022

[Pass it to Dunning!]

The Tahs seem to be rapidly filling up their roster with dubious prospects. Maybe Tevita Funa is good, but he seems like he's a victim of Manly Sea Eagles cleaning house.
Have the Tahs (and Australian rugby clubs in general) given up on trying to sign players from other pro rugby clubs? Isn't Andrew Kellaway off-contract right now?

 

[Wilson]

Have the Tahs (and Australian rugby clubs in general) given up on trying to sign players from other pro rugby clubs? Isn't Andrew Kellaway off-contract right now?

Kellaway is signed through 2023, but more generally I think the tahs are going to have a serious issue attracting players from other Australian sides, unless those players are stuck behind top talent. It's been shambles there few a few years now and the new setup is very much unproven.

More generally there has been a bit of movement of established players between sides this off season - e.g. The Force picking up quite a few Brumbies, Sorovi to the Rebels, but most of the movement is more around getting in the younger fringe members like the Rebels and Brumbies have recently picked up from the Queensland system.

 

[Tah Man]

The Tahs seem to be rapidly filling up their roster with dubious prospects. Maybe Tevita Funa is good, but he seems like he's a victim of Manly Sea Eagles cleaning house.
Have the Tahs (and Australian rugby clubs in general) given up on trying to sign players from other pro rugby clubs? Isn't Andrew Kellaway off-contract right now?

Fullback the only spot we are quite obviously lacking an option.

Halfback - Gordon
Flyhalf - Harrison/Donaldson
Centres - Foketi/Perese/Walton
Wingers - Newsome/Ramm/Pietsch/Mark N (Nawaqanitawase) and now Funa

Looking like one of the wingers or Donaldson will slot in - not ideal.

Still can't work out how we missed out on Tom Wright. He would have been great to slot in at fullback and stuck behind Banks at the Brumbies plus with Muirhead, Kata and Mogg also there no certainty to start on a wing every week.

 

[wamberal]

Fullback the only spot we are quite obviously lacking an option.

Halfback - Gordon
Flyhalf - Harrison/Donaldson
Centres - Foketi/Perese/Walton
Wingers - Newsome/Ramm/Pietsch/Mark N (Nawaqanitawase) and now Funa

Looking like one of the wingers or Donaldson will slot in - not ideal.

Still can't work out how we missed out on Tom Wright. He would have been great to slot in at fullback and stuck behind Banks at the Brumbies plus with Muirhead, Kata and Mogg also there no certainty to start on a wing every week.

Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) is a possibility at 15 if he has learned to tackle and kick in the off season.

 

[Silverado]

Fullback the only spot we are quite obviously lacking an option.

Halfback - Gordon
Flyhalf - Harrison/Donaldson
Centres - Foketi/Perese/Walton
Wingers - Newsome/Ramm/Pietsch/Mark N (Nawaqanitawase) and now Funa

Looking like one of the wingers or Donaldson will slot in - not ideal.

Still can't work out how we missed out on Tom Wright. He would have been great to slot in at fullback and stuck behind Banks at the Brumbies plus with Muirhead, Kata and Mogg also there no certainty to start on a wing every week.

Donaldson has played a lot at fullback

 

[Sully]

Did the Tahs find a lock yet?

 

[Derpus]

Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) is a possibility at 15 if he has learned to tackle and kick in the off season.

and take the ball into contact, position himself correctly... play rugby

 

[Derpus]

Did the Tahs find a lock yet?

Not that's been reported.

 

[upthereds#!]

Did the Tahs find a lock yet?

With 5 locks already on the books, plus 6/7 backrowers, PLUS Hanigan, I doubt they have the player or salary cap space to warrant another body in that space.

 

[RugbyReg]

they also have Connor Vest on a training contract who has been one of the standouts up here for UQ (after previously playing for Norths I think?).

 

[upthereds#!]

they also have Connor Vest on a training contract who has been one of the standouts up here for UQ (after previously playing for Norths I think?).

For a team that really wants a big tall strong go forward lock, they keep missing the mark a bit....

Out of the 6, Caird is still the biggest and several of them are very small for Professional locks.

 

[RugbyReg]

Waratahs have signed props Ruan Smith and Archer Holz for next year.

Ruan becomes the first Oz player to be contracted for each professional super rugby team.

 

[Rugby Head]

Waratahs have signed props Ruan Smith and Archer Holz for next year.

Ruan becomes the first Oz player to be contracted for each professional super rugby team.

Both good signings, Ruan is a reliable option now and Holz is young with a bright future.

 

[Jimmyjam]

Both good signings that will do a job at scrum time, particularly Smith. Starting FR of Smith, Porecki and Bell should hold it's own against most opposition.
Pretty happy with that. They can potentially shift HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes) back to LH. Now really just looking for a big, mean, scary TH lock... I've got a feeling that problem won't be solved until 2023....

 

[VassMan]

Is this Smith the TH or LH?

 

[PhilClinton]

Waratahs have signed props Ruan Smith and Archer Holz for next year.

Ruan becomes the first Oz player to be contracted for each professional super rugby team.

Interesting chain of events for Ruan,

Couldn't get to the Giltini's to join JP (he's actually still listed as a member of their squad), re-signed with the Reds, got injured, came back through Brothers, walked out on the club mid-game, retired from all rugby in June and now signed with the Tahs in October.

It will be interesting to see if he gets back on track. I thought he was a top 5 prop in the country in 2020, but things went off the rails a bit since then. Good signing though for the Tahs if he gets things right.

 

[PhilClinton]

they also have Connor Vest on a training contract who has been one of the standouts up here for UQ (after previously playing for Norths I think?).

I thought Vest had been one of UQ's best the last few years. Was one of the only forwards who actually stepped up against the dominant Easts pack in 2020.

Probably stuck in the position of whether he is big enough for a professional second rower and mobile enough to play backrow. But I really like his game.

 

[Dctarget]

Interesting chain of events for Ruan,

Couldn't get to the Giltini's to join JP (he's actually still listed as a member of their squad), re-signed with the Reds, got injured, came back through Brothers, walked out on the club mid-game, retired from all rugby in June and now signed with the Tahs in October.

It will be interesting to see if he gets back on track. I thought he was a top 5 prop in the country in 2020, but things went off the rails a bit since then. Good signing though for the Tahs if he gets things right.

Why'd he walk out on Brothers mid-game?

 

[RugbyReg]

Is this Smith the TH or LH?

THP primarily

 

[PhilClinton]

Why'd he walk out on Brothers mid-game?

You'd have to ask him the specific reason, but I believe he went down injured, walked off the field, packed his bags and never came back to the club. I'm not a Brothers clubman so can't speak to the 100% accuracy of it but that's what I was told. And the timing lined up with him retiring from rugby a few weeks later.