Waratahs 2025

[kiap]

Haha this really takes the cake counting Tizzano as a tahs product

Phil Waugh has done everything possible to try and get the tahs up the ladder to the detriment of all the other Aussie sides and everyone knows it.

The sooner Waugh is gone, the better.

Also, Tizzano did get paid playing a bit of Rapid Rugby.

 

[Strewthcobber]

NO!

The incoming Wallabies from the rebels have a combined 114 tests whilst the departing Wallabies from the Tahs have a combined 70 tests

If you follow that line of thinking, wouldn't that mean James Slipper, our joint most capped Wallaby, is now the most in demand and expensive player on any Super Rugby roster?

 

[fatprop]

And an another one, should we go back to the bitching about the lack of signings, a week after the comp finished?

 

[fatprop]

Haha this really takes the cake counting Tizzano as a tahs product

Phil Waugh has done everything possible to try and get the tahs up the ladder to the detriment of all the other Aussie sides and everyone knows it.

A competitive Tahs is quite important for Aus rugby commercially, it is the biggest market, with the most upside (they can't be more shit)

I will be more interested in who is running about for them in 2026, so many one year contracts

 

[Rob42]

And an another one, should we go back to the bitching about the lack of signings, a week after the comp finished?

View attachment 20512

No, FP, we should never go back and review the accuracy of our past comments - that might lead to humility and reserve in future comments, and where would the forum be then?

 

[Mick The Munch]

The broader narrative is that the 'Tahs have essentially replaced people who were leaving (16 inc 6 Wallabies) which talks to the total lack of planning . Time will tell whether you will be stronger for it, McKellar has a job on his hands to build cohesion

 

[Strewthcobber]

The broader narrative is that the 'Tahs have essentially replaced people who were leaving (16 inc 6 Wallabies) which talks to the total lack of planning . Time will tell whether you will be stronger for it, McKellar has a job on his hands to build cohesion

It wasn't lack of planning. It was done deliberately, or to put it another way, this was the plan.

 

[Brumby Runner]

A competitive Tahs is quite important for Aus rugby commercially, it is the biggest market, with the most upside (they can't be more shit)

I will be more interested in who is running about for them in 2026, so many one year contracts

The broader narrative is that the 'Tahs have essentially replaced people who were leaving (16 inc 6 Wallabies) which talks to the total lack of planning . Time will tell whether you will be stronger for it, McKellar has a job on his hands to build cohesion

There will likely be issues with cohesion with so many new comers in the team. But McKellar and his team should be up to it, not least because quite a few of the new comers have been playing together at the Rebels. But still, it will be like combining two quite different teams together for a while as it was with the Rebels after the Force were axed. Knowing McKellar's work at the Brumbies in his early years, I expect he will be putting a lot of effort into having a very strong set piece which will be a step up from where the Tahs were this year. It will certainly be interesting to see how many of the 2025 team remain in 2026 after the one year contracts expire. If the Tahs are half way successful in 25, then probably most will want to stay.

 

[Wilson]

It wasn't lack of planning. It was done deliberately, or to put it another way, this was the plan.

It's a bit of both though, the tahs being in a position to replace more than a 3rd of their squad (and a bunch of starters in that) speaks to how poorly the list planning had been going. As strong a squad as this looks it's almost starting from scratch next year, only a short few years after what was basically that under Coleman.

 

[Braveheart81]

It's a bit of both though, the tahs being in a position to replace more than a 3rd of their squad (and a bunch of starters in that) speaks to how poorly the list planning had been going. As strong a squad as this looks it's almost starting from scratch next year, only a short few years after what was basically that under Coleman.

Given that the average contract length is probably two years (aside from rare ones, most contracts are 1-3 years in length) it makes sense that you would need to re-sign close to half your squad each season.

Who have the Waratahs retained from 2024 who needed a new contract? Bowen, Wilson, Heaven and Grant? It's essentially young bench/depth players.

Without the Rebels situation I think it would have been a very normal year with a normal amount of turnover. Half the guys who left would have been re-signed.

 

[fatprop]

It wasn't lack of planning. It was done deliberately, or to put it another way, this was the plan.

Yeah, I think the broom needed to and was sent through the place

There had to be a re-set

 

[fatprop]

The broader narrative is that the 'Tahs have essentially replaced people who were leaving (16 inc 6 Wallabies) which talks to the total lack of planning . Time will tell whether you will be stronger for it, McKellar has a job on his hands to build cohesion

A massive job, especially defensively, but it has been the same for a while.

I expect a quite simple, straight forward game plan with hopefully a clear understanding of roles

One positive from the Wobs weekend disaster was Kellaway's try, good hands, simple play. It doesn't have to be complicated

 

[Strewthcobber]

Yeah, I think the broom needed to and was sent through the place

There had to be a re-set

Wasn't even a broom.

They had a bunch of a) Rebels under-contract, and after centralisation had a bunch of b)Waratahs off-contract who they could easily not re-sign (compared to say the independent Reds and Force).

Those in a) take the position of those in b)

 

[Agent]

And an another one, should we go back to the bitching about the lack of signings, a week after the comp finished?

I was one of those people that "was bitching about the lack of signings" as you say. It came from a place of concern about the future of the Tahs. I didn't want a repeat of the 2024 season and still don't.
I was concerned because we had just finished stone motherless last in SR24, we had no coach for 2025, we had a mass of injuries during the season, there seemed to be an exodus of players leaving, it had been announced that the Rebels were shutting down, other teams were already signing new players for 2025 (including Rebels players), and the Tahs seemed to be a rudderless ship sailing off into a stormy night all while sitting among the biggest rugby market in Oz.
Are we in a better place now - likely yes. Can we pull it together for SR25 - the jury is still out but fingers crossed. Sorry for being a concerned fan!!

 

[John S]

Wasn't even a broom.

They had a bunch of a) Rebels under-contract, and after centralisation had a bunch of b)Waratahs off-contract who they could easily not re-sign (compared to say the independent Reds and Force).

Those in a) take the position of those in b)

The order of that is wrong - there were a whole bunch of Waratahs who were confirmed to be leaving, well before the Rebels signed. Given the intransigence of some former Rebels players - rumours of them preferring to play club rugby on RA's coin rather than playing for the Tahs

 

[Strewthcobber]

The order of that is wrong - there were a whole bunch of Waratahs who were confirmed to be leaving, well before the Rebels signed. Given the intransigence of some former Rebels players - rumours of them preferring to play club rugby on RA's coin rather than playing for the Tahs

This was probably one player (probably LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)) that some enteprising journos blew into something bigger than it was.

Why do you think so many Tahs players were leaving? They weren't offered contracts

 

[John S]

This was probably one player (probably LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)) that some enteprising journos blew into something bigger than it was.

Why do you think so many Tahs players were leaving? They weren't offered contracts

Or there was something else going on - even Jake Gordon was looking to get out (early release from contract).

I don't think you can definitively say they weren't offered contracts just so the Tahs could suck up the Rebels out there

 

[Slim 293]

All of those guys, including Gordon, were on the outer with the Wallabies, the Tahs were doing terribly and there was uncertainty around the coaching team after this year... and Australian rugby was generally in a shambles following the Hammer and Eddie show.

It's easy to see why so many of them moved on.

 

[Froggy]

I think the biggest issue causing a) players moving on and b) players being reluctant to sign was the lack of a coach for 2025. Once McKellar signed up and started to appoint what looked like a pretty reasonable coaching team, people started to become a lot less reluctant to sign up.
Most of the Tahs who moved on were approaching or had reached 30, Wallaby selection was looking dubious at best, and I would suggest were looking to make a bit of coin from their last few professional years.
The exceptions were Harrison, who probably decided that two years of injury had set him too far back behind the other 10's, and Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase), who the best I can figure out just wanted to have a crack at league, and probably decided he was young enough to come back to rugby if he wanted to.
As to Pietsch, my best guess (and that's all it is) was that with Suu'ali and Kellaway (Kellaway had announced his return to the Tahs before the Rebels were shut down) signings and at that point Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) still on board, he probably didn't see himself getting much footy at the Tahs. Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) leaving has probably changed that a little for him.
A lot of this is just my speculation, just trying to apply some logic to it all.

 

[Mick The Munch]

The other telling aspect is that (and happy it corrected) none of the Rebels have signed extensions.

Were they on offer?

Have they said OK, rather than play club we’ll turn out for the tRAhs then be done?

Oh and btw, why haven’t they signed Brad Wilkin?