Waratahs v Reds - Friday 31/5

[Wilson]

Quick look on Aus Stadiums shows no crowd over 20k all year in Aus... That's dire. Brums haven't hit 10k at home but consistent numbers and given it gets cold the numbers feel like they're worth more. With the raiders getting 18k to the last to watch a fairly average side how do the Bru,s put more bums on seats...

That 25k the tahs had last year for the opener was a significant outlier, it looks like a solid improvement on crowds overall this year. It's hard to directly compare but the best indicator for improvement is probably the fact that more than twice as many crowds have been published for this season already (25 vs 11 in 2023). Much of that is driven by the Reds though, with 4 games having more than last years highest crowd (14,514). Other teams look more static, but they have all reported more of their crowds, which would suggest they're low corwds are probably a bit less embarrassing.

A long way still to go, but the product this season has been the best in a long, long time which should help market the game going forward. Biggest issue still seems to be how to get crowds out in Canberra for an otherwise successful Brumbies team who just can't seem to draw them, but that's a conversation for another thread.

 

[snoopycatchicken]

It is a shame that what should be our two strongest franchises (incoming Brumbies hate) have struggled to match up evenly on paper for majority of the past 20 odd years.

When was the last time these two sides were somewhat even on the ladder? I am guessing somewhere in between the 2011 - 2015 seasons.

I am still expecting a good game. The Reds sound like they will cotton wool one or two players whilst the Tahs surely need a win to regain any sort of rugby relevancy in this country.

Literally the last 2 years:
2022 - Tahs (6th), Reds (7th)
2023 - Tahs (6th), Reds (8th)

 

[Ref_Ted]

Heading to Allianz for Northern Suburbs vs Manly Marlins on Friday night (kick-off 17:05).
May hang around for the second game .

 

[Braveheart81]

Crowd guess? Anything above 10k will surprise me tbh which is sad.

It's a tough one to get up for as a Waratahs fan, that's for sure.

 

[SouthernX]

Far out I hate the Waratahs!

lets put a scoreline on these flowering fools where they spend the whole offseason reflecting on why those northern rednecks embarrassed them at home

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Paddy Ryan back for a start! A welcome back and a farewell?

Bowen to get his first start

1. Ryan
2. Fonokalafi
3. Ross
4. Holloway
5. Amatosero
6. Swinton
7. Gamble
8. Gleeson
9. Gordon
10. Bowen
11. Pietsch
12. Foketi
13. Walton
14. Reilly
15. Nawaqanitawase

16. Sugars
17. Ponini
18. Amituanai
19. Sinclair
20. Lee-Warner
21. Wilson
22. Edmed
23. Perese

 

[Braveheart81]

Paddy Ryan back for a start! A welcome back and a farewell?

Holy fucking shit!

 

[Lindommer]

Hope the zimmer frame batteries are fully charged.

 

[PhilClinton]

Has Paddy been playing in the MLR?

 

[John S]

Holy fucking shit!

Yep, that is a blast from the past! We're now past getting young pups we're now pulling the old guys out of retirement.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Has Paddy been playing in the MLR?

Doesn't list anywhere for 2023 or 2024.

There are two different Paddy Ryans in the MLR. One at SD who's a backrower and another prop at Chicago.

Haven't seem him on any team lists for Uni either.

 

[Wilson]

Doesn't list anywhere for 2023 or 2024.

There are two different Paddy Ryans in the MLR. One at SD who's a backrower and another prop at Chicago.

Haven't seem him on any team lists for Uni either.

He's been with Black Rams in Japan

 

[dillyboy]

Not much in the the way of resting going on - I like it!

Let's put a cricket score on them!

1. Alex Hodgman – Sunnybank – Mount Albert Grammar School, Auckland – Suburbs Rugby Football Club, Auckland

2. Matt Faessler – Brothers – Toowoomba Grammar School – USQ Saints

3. Zane Nonggorr – Bond University – The Southport School – Gold Coast Eagles

4. Connor Vest – Souths - Grafton High School - Grafton Junior Rugby Club

5. Seru Uru – Wests, Ratu Kadavulevu School, Fiji – Namoli Rugby Club, Fiji

6. Liam Wright (cc) – Easts – Anglican Church Grammar School - Easts

7. Fraser McReight – Brothers – Brisbane Grammar School – Albany Creek Brumbies

8. Joe Brial – University of Queensland – Scots College – Easts, Sydney

9. Tate McDermott (cc) - University of Queensland - Sunshine Coast Grammar School - Flinders Rugby Club

10. Lawson Creighton - Brothers - Padua College

11. Mac Grealy – University of Queensland – Downlands College – Souths Toowoomba

12: Hunter Paisami – Wests – Mangere College, Auckland

13. Josh Flook – Brothers – St Joseph’s Nudgee College - Brothers

14. Tim Ryan – Brothers – St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe

15. Jock Campbell – University of Queensland – The Southport School – Inverell Highlanders

Reserves:

16. Josh Nasser – University of Queensland - St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace - Easts

17. Peni Ravai – Easts – Ratu Kadavulevu School, Fiji

18. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen - Norths - Wellington College, NZ

19. Ryan Smith – Brothers – St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe – Caboolture Snakes

20. John Bryant - Souths - St Laurence’s College - Souths

21. Kalani Thomas – University of Queensland – Ipswich Grammar School - Souths

22. Tom Lynagh – University of Queensland – Epsom College, England – Richmond Rugby Club

23. Taj Annan – Souths – Brisbane Boys’ College – Merewether Carlton

 

[Goosestep]

Paddy Ryan back for a start! A welcome back and a farewell?

Bowen to get his first start

1. Ryan
2. Fonokalafi
3. Ross
4. Holloway
5. Amatosero
6. Swinton
7. Gamble
8. Gleeson
9. Gordon
10. Bowen
11. Pietsch
12. Foketi
13. Walton
14. Reilly
15. Nawaqanitawase

16. Sugars
17. Ponini
18. Amituanai
19. Sinclair
20. Lee-Warner
21. Wilson
22. Edmed
23. Perese

Pulling deep into the cobwebs of club land when the “academy” lack of the depth has been exposed .

 

[Braveheart81]

Pulling deep into the cobwebs of club land when the “academy” lack of the depth has been exposed .

Sorry, what?

 

[Goosestep]

Sorry, what?

Nothing,nothing …. best of luck, what a great looking side … nothing to see here , what could possibly go wrong

 

[Braveheart81]

Nothing,nothing …. best of luck, what a great looking side … nothing to see here , what could possibly go wrong

The front row is awful. I'm unsure how you end up with anything different with the amount of injuries the Waratahs have had. We're well beyond the number of contracted front rowers any side has.

We've even smashed through the medical joker replacements.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

If the Reds don’t put 50 on this Tahs team I mean cmon.

 

[TSR]

I don’t think I can ever recall an attrition rate as high in one position as what the Tahs have had this year (well - 3 positions I guess but that makes it worse, not better). Eddie Jones at the Reds was bad, but this is off the scales.

I’m assuming at this Coleman is trawling bars looking for fat blokes drunk enough to agree to a run.

 

[Braveheart81]

It's wild that guys like Enrique Pieretto came in as a medical joker, an experienced test player and he got injured in his first game. So it's not like you can attribute it to bad S&C at the Tahs and/or guys coming in who are totally out of their depth.

I'd guess Paddy Ryan is back for the offseason to spend time with family etc. and is doing this as as favour.