Waratahs 2025

[Heavyd]

That said given the new found expansive Wallaby play late last year and Sualli playing his first game for the Tahs you’d think a crowd less than 20k would be disappointing. Thats assuming rugby starts actually advertising the game is on.

 

[Adam84]

If there aren’t 10k front towers turning up for Tupou and Bell alone I’ll be disappointed, will be time to scrap the Tahs experiment.

 

[Braveheart81]

If they want people to go and pay their hard earned $$ to watch that should be the instruction

I just want them to play good rugby.

That involves kicking.

Any teams that try to be entertaining for the sake of it tend to cause more frustration than excitement for the fans.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I think 15k is the sweet spot.

Have been bloody awful with a lot of jaded fans and some players will give a minor boost but they need to get a few wins or at least look competitive and lively before people will walk back into the sfs.

Single tickets aren't too bad.

 

[Derpus]

If they want people to go and pay their hard earned $$ to watch that should be the instruction

Yeah the 'Australian way'. Throwing the ball around in your 22 and losing by 40 points.

I find the insistence on playing possession/running rugby bizarre. We have a entire sport we can watch based on that premise. Why do we need two?

 

[Tomikin]

I agree, winning is way more important than the 'Australian Way' A sellout came to Suncorp to watch the Saffas kick the crap out of the Wallabies with their dominant kick game.

 

[HogansHeros]

The pigs haven't provided a platform since 2015...

I disagree, we did for 40min in Round 1 of 2024 against the brumbies before Bell got re-injured.

 

[Wilson]

Bell got injured 17 minutes into the round 7 game against the Brumbies last year (at 40 minutes the Brumbies were up 16-6), round 1 saw the tahs steamrolled by the Reds. Not sure there's anything you could really call a platform in there.

 

[Derpus]

Think he meant the season before?

 

[Slim 293]

Bell went off 20mins into that round one match in 2023...

Obviously was a big blow for the Tahs, and he did win a scrum penalty just prior to leaving the field earning them three points...

Not sure if it really had an overall affect on their pigs' "platform," particularly with Schoupp (on debut) absolutely decimating Holz from the first scrum of the game.

 

[Wilson]

Yes, not to mention the tahs try from that first half coming off them regathering their own miss throw at lineout time. There was a good Bell charge in that, but you I definitely wouldn't hold that up as a shining example of a platform.

But it would at least be easier to find something approaching a platform in the Tahs 2023 play, compared to their 2024 offering.

 

[Braveheart81]

 

[Braveheart81]

I signed up to Dismal Pillock's patented "Gunston's Graphic Design Course" over the Christmas break.

 

[Slim 293]

That try also came off a comical tackling effort, with Jorgensen going right through the middle of AAA and Valetini... it was hard to watch.

 

[Wilson]

Tahs first trial side to play NSW Pasifica has been announced:

NSW WARATAHS (1-15): Tom Lambert, Julian Heaven, Daniel Botha, Felix Kalapu, Ben Grant, Leafi Talataina, Jamie Adamson, Hugh Sincliar, Teddy Wilson, Jack Bowen, Darby Lancaster, Joey Walton, Henry O’Donnell, Triston Reilly, James Hendren

REPLACEMENTS: Ethan Dobbins, Adrian Brown, Siosifa Amone, Ale Ahon, Clem Halaholo, Jack Grant, Joey Fowler, Archie Saunders, Brad Amituanai, Mesu Kunavula, Jackson Ropata, Charlie Gamble

Wallabies flyer Lancaster to start Waratahs opening trial as McKellar turns to youth

www.rugby.com.au

 

[Major Tom]

Plenty of good young talent in that team!

 

[HogansHeros]

You make 1 silly comment and everyone loses their minds.

*I did mean 2023 rd 1

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I like the side named for the trial. Team probably could have been guessed for this one. I'd like to see O'Donnell get some good time out there. He and Bowen go a long way back and were very good in the 20s together.

Got a bit of AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) about him but he's a genuine Centre for me. Think the Force really missed on not getting to keep him. Norths boy as well so Cron couldn't even lean on that link. Archie Saunders is another guy I think could break out if put in the right situation. Comparison would be Taj Annan who we sore glimpses of but will now be seeing the lovely grounds of the NSW Cup.

 

[fatprop]

It highlights one thing, our reserve forwards will be a tad light on experience, but our backs are going to have some threat from the bench

Wilson, Jack Bowen, Darby Lancaster, Joey Walton, Henry O’Donnell, Triston Reilly, James Hendren

That is a pretty good backline

 

[Wilson]

A lot is going to come down to that centre balance and where Sua'ali'i plays. There's been talk he's been training on the wing and I think that makes most sense as a jumping off point, particularly because this backline is going to be crying out for a glue player in the centres like Walton, rather than having Sua'ali'i there and getting another strike weapon on the wing in Lancaster.