Waratahs 2025

[Ignoto]

however my wallabies fandom supersedes my Waratahs hate and McKellar is one of the most qualified candidates for the job

I dunno South, Dan needs to get some quality runs on the board before he should be considered again for the Wallabies.

The Wallabies weren't great when he was with Rennie and he had a very very ordinary time at Leicester. If he can't get the Tahs humming, that's 3 pretty ordinary cracks.

However, if he can show a "Link"esque rise where he can show his fingerprints being all over a successful Waratahs then it'd be hard to say he shouldn't be considered.

 

[Overtime]

I'm only speculating but I wonder if Sua'ali'i could be groomed as the Wallabies' solution at 12. Either of Foketi or Kellaway at 13 would work.

That is exactly what I have been saying on the threads. We have to look at what is best nationally we do not need another 13 as we have Ikitau but by Jeez we need a big hard running ball playing 12 and Sia'ali'i is the answer.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Does have merit. Surprises me Foketi has been looked over. I think hes been a good player in a pretty average system for a few years now.

Irea Simone still hits me as one Aus Rugby let slip.

Foketi was poor prior to his injury and worse since. He got a red card in the Shute Shield semi against Easts and not sure what the outcome was.

Prefer to see the guy get an off-season and pre-season.

 

[Overtime]

I could totally see DM being in the role for less than 12 months

the wallabies coaching role will become available if JS keeps to his timeline and there’s already the previous work DM done with the national team and the national feeder team (brumbies)

You

yes I am a self confessed Waratah hater who enjoys seeing the disfunction.

however my wallabies fandom supersedes my Waratahs hate and McKellar is one of the most qualified candidates for the job

Your, contradicting yourself. If you truly wanted the Wallabies to do well, you would want all 4 Australian Super Rugby sides to be strong and not dysfunctional. In the past Australia did the best when all the Super Rugby sides were competitive.

 

[cyclopath]

You

Your, contradicting yourself. If you truly wanted the Wallabies to do well, you would want all 4 Australian Super Rugby sides to be strong and not dysfunctional. In the past Australia did the best when all the Super Rugby sides were competitive.

Indeed. The best Wallaby teams had good combos from several places. McKenzie / Kearns / Daly; Gregan Larkham; Lynagh / Horan / Little; Eales and McCall (Eales and just about anyone) and so on. There are many others. If the results of the past 7-8 years don't highlight the downside of "dysfunctional", then I don't know what does.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I dunno South, Dan needs to get some quality runs on the board before he should be considered again for the Wallabies.

The Wallabies weren't great when he was with Rennie and he had a very very ordinary time at Leicester. If he can't get the Tahs humming, that's 3 pretty ordinary cracks.

However, if he can show a "Link"esque rise where he can show his fingerprints being all over a successful Waratahs then it'd be hard to say he shouldn't be considered.

I agree, and Dan might reasonably need to see out two or three years improving the Tahs to be in the reckoning for the Wallabies HC role.

Interesting to look closely at what he's got for 2025. Essentially, the squad now looks like the rump of the 2024 Rebels, supplemented by what's leftover frpm the Tahs 2024 + Sua'ali'i. I wonder if that will see a stronger XV put out than the Rebels had this year? Some thoughts on the comparisons :

LHP : Bell is an improvement on Gibbon and/or Kailea;
Hooker : Uelese and Mafi better than Tahs' hookers minus Porecki;
THP : Tupou at Rebels in 24 and at Tahs in 25. No change;
Locks : Canham and LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) better than FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) and Amotosero;
Backrow : Leota no change; Wilkin better than Gamble; Kemeny and Gleeson about the same;
No 9 : Gordon better than Louwrens;
No 10 : Gordon better than Edmed;
No 11 : Pietsch/Jorgenson better than Anderson;
No 12 : Foketi better than Feliuai;
No 13 : Daugunu better than Walton;
No 14 : Lancaster no change;
No 15 : Kellaway no change.

Compared to the Rebels in 2024, Tahs in 25 will be stronger at Props, weaker at Lock and much the same in the backrow. The halves in 25 will be about on par with the Rebels' halves last year, while there will be little change across the centres and outside backs. Sua'ali'i if he lives up to the hype will improve the backline over the 24 Rebels, but overall we probably shouldn't expect a lot of improvement over the Rebels this year. That of course does not take into account the stronger all round coaching team.

I think it is reasonable to think the Tahs will finish 5 - 8 on the ladder next year. Subsequent years will depend a lot on what happens with all the one year contracted players after 25.

 

[rugbyAU]

Tom Lambert signs for 2025

 

[Froggy]

That's three good LHP's in Bell, Kailea and Lambert, and one good THP in TT. Has Botha re-signed, and is HTS switching to THP?

 

[WoodysRFC]

That's three good LHP's in Bell, Kailea and Lambert, and one good THP in TT. Has Botha re-signed, and is HTS switching to THP?

They've added Amone from the Force too, so that at least adds some depth, I think he's got a decent ceiling too, personally.

 

[fatprop]

They've added Amone from the Force too, so that at least adds some depth, I think he's got a decent ceiling too, personally.

Is he THP? I think HTS is a switch

 

[Rugby Head]

Is he THP? I think HTS is a switch

Yes he is a THP, he definitely has the size to be successful. Hopefully learning off TT will help his development.

 

[Froggy]

Has Botha re-signed? He's a big kid and handy enough around the paddock, just need a bit more time to develope his scrummaging.

 

[Italophile]

I dunno South, Dan needs to get some quality runs on the board before he should be considered again for the Wallabies.

The Wallabies weren't great when he was with Rennie and he had a very very ordinary time at Leicester. If he can't get the Tahs humming, that's 3 pretty ordinary cracks.

However, if he can show a "Link"esque rise where he can show his fingerprints being all over a successful Waratahs then it'd be hard to say he shouldn't be considered.

Not necessarily his fault. Leicester live in a time warp of attritional forward-heavy rugby without the depth of talent that once upon a time kept them successful. Others have tried and failed to bring things up to date.

 

[Jimmyjam]

Mahe Vailanu announced as signed for '25

That's pleasing, he has shown some high quality play over the last 2-3 seasons.

 

[rugbyAU]

Sad news Dylan Peitsch leaving the Waratahs

RA may have allowed the transfer to the Force

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Sad news Dylan Peitsch leaving the Waratahs

RA may have allowed the transfer to the Force

Yeah just shows most on here have no idea of what they are talking about. Just speculation from one Christy Doran article and it must be fact.

 

[Yoda]

Yeah just shows most on here have no idea of what they are talking about. Just speculation from one Christy Doran article and it must be fact.

“Yeah just shows most on here have no idea of what they are talking about. Just speculation from one Christy Doran article and it must be fact.”

What do you mean by that?

I think that it is a good move for Australian rugby if true. Pietsch will get a regular wing spot at the Force where they need outside backs, while the Tahs have a strong backline for next year which may have seen him not garranteed a starting spot. Players need regular game time, not warming a bench.

 

[fatprop]

Not sure to stick this here or in the Wobs

Taniela Tupou is on the verge of wasting his God-given talent

The giant prop should be striking fear into the British and Irish Lions, rather than the Wallabies being ridiculed as happened this week after the Argentina debacle.

www.smh.com.au

Tom Carter has a project

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

“Yeah just shows most on here have no idea of what they are talking about. Just speculation from one Christy Doran article and it must be fact.”

What do you mean by that?

I think that it is a good move for Australian rugby if true. Pietsch will get a regular wing spot at the Force where they need outside backs, while the Tahs have a strong backline for next year which may have seen him not garranteed a starting spot. Players need regular game time, not warming a bench.

I think it is a good move too. I was talking about the pages of chatter saying RA sh*tcanned this deal and why would they do that etc

 

[Wilson]

I think it is a good move too. I was talking about the pages of chatter saying RA sh*tcanned this deal and why would they do that etc

The rumour that RA was blocking the deal may have more creedence now that it has happened. At very least shows there was something in the works. It going public may have been the pressure needed, maybe the tahs re-signing Reilly was the enough to get it moving, or maybe the decision was made that Sua'ali'i was going to spend most of next year in the back 3 and that was going to force Pietsch out of the 23.

We can't really know from the outside, but this doesn't do anything to dispell the rumour that RA were blocking the transfer, it only shows that they're not anymore.