Waratahs 2023

[WorkingClassRugger]

Super Rugby Australia A comp.

Disappointing result but easy to quickly move on for that one due to players involved at season proper now.

Glad Nadolo has got as much trial time in as he has. Definitely looked like he needed it when he arrived but looking good now and ready to start with Pietsch out.

If it resembled something akin to the NRC (where NSW and Qld ran two squads) but ran alongside Super Rugby that would fit the bill. Yes, it takes players out of club Rugby but it's something I think is very much needed. That or considering we seem to be committed to SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) then a SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) B wouldn't go astray.

 

[dru]

Yep, he seems to have embraced the "big is better" mantra

I'm no SC person, but I had understood that a player can't really put on weight/muscle mass during the season and most lose it. On the other hand, aerobic fitness should be able to be built during the season?

TBH I find the idea of hitting R1 without fitness pretty concerning, but I suppose if they start fit but light, nothing much will get better in terms of strength and fitness?

 

[KOB1987]

I was surprised to see Hanigan heavier than Swinton, google has Swinton at 112kg and Hanigan at 114kg!

I don't trust any of those stats, there are always dubious

I remember an Adam Freier (a guy always under weight) before weigh-ins talking about demolishing as much water as possible to show those extra kgs whilst others would be staving themselves prior to the weigh in before heading out to KFC afterwards

FWIW I walked past Ned at Bondi today, I’m 183cm/100kg, my guesstimate on him was 195cm/115kg. He is definitely a big unit nowadays.

 

[FootyCentral!]

Sure there are blokes that were playing Colts & 2nd Grade last year in the line up but I expected fitness following a professional pre season to overcome a low - mid table Shute Shield team.

I think this is more of an issue to do their mentality and motivation IMP

 

[Doritos Day]

I'm no SC person, but I had understood that a player can't really put on weight/muscle mass during the season and most lose it. On the other hand, aerobic fitness should be able to be built during the season?

TBH I find the idea of hitting R1 without fitness pretty concerning, but I suppose if they start fit but light, nothing much will get better in terms of strength and fitness?

Very concerning. What professional sports team comes out and says they're underdone FOR ROUND ONE... it reads like a third grade subbies approach

I'm surprised the comment hasn't attracted more attention there would be a meltdown if it came from an AFL or NRL side

Geelong are known for having a certain cycle in their training throughout the year where they go through 'easy' and 'hard' periods but they don't come out and announce they're cooked...

 

[Marce]

Very concerning. What professional sports team comes out and says they're underdone FOR ROUND ONE... it reads like a third grade subbies approach

I'm surprised the comment hasn't attracted more attention there would be a meltdown if it came from an AFL or NRL side

Geelong are known for having a certain cycle in their training throughout the year where they go through 'easy' and 'hard' periods but they don't come out and announce they're cooked...

There was no official annoucement. Just conspiracy theories

 

[Doritos Day]

There was no official annoucement. Just conspiracy theories

“Our school of thought is we’ll play ourselves into fitness rather than planning around it being all ready for round one.”

Where's the conspiracy?

 

[Marce]

“Our school of thought is we’ll play ourselves into fitness rather than planning around it being all ready for round one.”

Where's the conspiracy?

Actually that's pretty accurate but nobody says it cause is not a good publicity. But that's the truth. You are planning for 5 months of competition, not for just one game in late february. Suddenly all are S&C coaches here

 

[qwerty51]

“Our school of thought is we’ll play ourselves into fitness rather than planning around it being all ready for round one.”

Where's the conspiracy?

It’s hardly saying they’re underdone though. Game fitness is always a different fitness to general cardio and I guess the theory being all the running they’d normally do would get rid of the extra bulk. I’m sure the S&C have a plan.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

This is a pretty normal approach. I think some are taking the quote as they are not fit going into round 1 when I think it’s more that the goal is to peak come the end of the season.

 

[Doritos Day]

Actually that's pretty accurate but nobody says it cause is not a good publicity. But that's the true. You are planning for 5 months of competition, not for just one game in late february. Suddenly all are S&C coaches here

At best it's dreadful optics and PR need to sit down with him, at worst it will ruin the season - as with everything the results will decide.

Every game is worth 7% of the season vs. 4% in the NRL - don't have long to play things in to place.

 

[qwerty51]

Well, the Tahs were pretty fit last year, yet the reason they lost important games to the Blues and Chiefs was purely down to physicality so something had to change.

The 2014-15 sides got the balance between size/physicality and fitness right so they’d be looking to replicate that.

 

[Derpus]

Very concerning. What professional sports team comes out and says they're underdone FOR ROUND ONE... it reads like a third grade subbies approach

I'm surprised the comment hasn't attracted more attention there would be a meltdown if it came from an AFL or NRL side

Geelong are known for having a certain cycle in their training throughout the year where they go through 'easy' and 'hard' periods but they don't come out and announce they're cooked...

Isn't it commonly accepted that match fitness isnt the same as generic fitness and you build into it.

Dont remember the last time Super Rugby teams didnt start slow. Even the Kiwi teams are a yard or two off the pace they end the season at.

 

[dru]

Isn't it commonly accepted that match fitness isnt the same as generic fitness and you build into it.

Dont remember the last time Super Rugby teams didnt start slow. Even the Kiwi teams are a yard or two off the pace they end the season at.

Kiwi teams are notoriously off the pace at the start of the season. Not so much Australian teams even when we haven't had much class. Kiwis have been somewhat better the last couple of seasons though.

 

[qwerty51]

Isn't it commonly accepted that match fitness isnt the same as generic fitness and you build into it.

Dont remember the last time Super Rugby teams didnt start slow. Even the Kiwi teams are a yard or two off the pace they end the season at.

Just some anecdotal stuff but the season after I stopped playing I was asked to play to cover numbers, I'd been doing a lot of cardio (swimming + rowing + running) and dropped a few kgs from when I played, I was feeling the fittest I've ever been so when I was going to play despite having not touched a ball in probably 10 months I was confident I would still be fit enough.

I was completely spent after 10 mins, I'd probably made 7 tackles and 3 carries in that short 10 mins (trying to do too much) but I was gone. When you add in the collisions and getting back up, yeah it's not the same fitness at all.

 

[Rob42]

At best it's dreadful optics and PR need to sit down with him

And then we complain about coaches sticking to boring cliches in the media. Because if they state something that outside our usual expectations, it becomes "dreadful optics", even if it's actually true.

 

[Braveheart81]

It's not like they haven't been doing fitness work over the break too.

You obviously have a limited amount of time available and based on the fact that the Waratahs felt they got outmuscled by more physical New Zealand teams at the end of last season they've switched the balance towards more strength training in the offseason than fitness.

I really don't think there's more to read into it. Will they be found out for not being aerobically fit enough this season? Maybe? Were they found out for their lack of size and physicality last season and have attempted to address that? Yes.

 

[Dctarget]

Just some anecdotal stuff but the season after I stopped playing I was asked to play to cover numbers, I'd been doing a lot of cardio (swimming + rowing + running) and dropped a few kgs from when I played, I was feeling the fittest I've ever been so when I was going to play despite having not touched a ball in probably 10 months I was confident I would still be fit enough.

I was completely spent after 10 mins, I'd probably made 7 tackles and 3 carries in that short 10 mins (trying to do too much) but I was gone. When you add in the collisions and getting back up, yeah it's not the same fitness at all.

Got the exact same story. Didn't realise how much rugby fitness was a thing. I was a fat fuck and I couldn't run a 5km, then I stopped playing rugby, got super fit. Stronger and faster than ever, but one quarter of a game of rugby completely annihilated me. You can do all the F45s and half marathons and gym sessions you want but it doesn't prepare you for having to sprint after getting smacked in the gut then scrum then have your face rubbed in a muddy puddle.

 

[Braveheart81]

It’s not good enough if your wearing the Tahs jersey.

Sure there are blokes that were playing Colts & 2nd Grade last year in the line up but I expected fitness following a professional pre season to overcome a low - mid table Shute Shield team.

How much preparation do you think they put into the wider training squad players who were ultimately going to be most of the players on the field in that second half?

I imagine there was close to zero focus on preparing for this trial during the last week.

 

[fatprop]

How much preparation do you think they put into the wider training squad players who were ultimately going to be most of the players on the field in that second half?

I imagine there was close to zero focus on preparing for this trial during the last week.

They could have been flogged all week with no taper, we don't get told that stuff