Where are we - personnel

[Biffo]

Looking to 2011 and the two years to go, I'm modestly happy with where we are in terms of personnel. I have placed players into eight categories to try to see what we have and what we don’t have. I stress that these take no account of head problems – I am assuming that these will be sorted. I'd say we have:

1. Players now up to winning a RWC

Robinson, Moore, Baxter, Sharpe, Smith, Waugh, Elsom, Mortlock, Ashley-Cooper.

2. Players close to the quality to win a RWC and likely to get there within a year:

Alexander, Polota-Nau, Horwill, Mumm, Palu, Pocock, Genia, Giteau, Barnes, Turner, Hynes, Ioane, O'Connor

3. Players likely to improve to RWC winning quality in time:

Kepu, Cowan, Kimlin, Brown, Lucas, Cooper, Beale, Horne, To'omua, Laeliifano.

4. Those we pray will make it to RWC winning standard:

Fairbrother, Chisholm, Houston, Higginbotham, Hoiles, Burgess, Fainifo, Gasnier

5. Bolters:

Cummins, Hockings, Fitzpatrick

6. Spent options:

Watch this space.

7. Not considered due to injury-proneness:

Shepherd, Vickerman.

8. Recommended for career change:

Mitchell

My wish list:

i. Palu back to his best. We are desperate for a wrecking ball at 8.
ii.Two locks and a number 8 from other than those named above.
iii. Some large, talented backs.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

Ione????????

 

[fatprop]

6. Spent options:

Brown, Baxter, Sharpe, Mortlock.

I expect all 4 to be on tour in November. The latter three especially.

 

[Biffo]

Ione????????

Ioane (sic) is in List 2.

 

[Biffo]

6. Spent options:

Brown, Baxter, Sharpe, Mortlock.

I expect all 4 to be on tour in November. The latter three especially.

I expect none of them to be in the 2011 squad. That's the point of my ckassifications.

 

[mark_s]

Baxter was on Grandstand radio on the weekend. He still very much sees himself as part of the Wallaby plans and says he has been training very closely with the team.

Interestingly, Al thought his game was down across the board this year and the scrum penalties were only one indicator. He was pretty diplomatic as to whether he is being targetted by the ref or not - his analogy is McCaw who gets away with a lot of 50:50 stuff because he is playing so well. When you are out of form, the 50:50 calls have this habit of always going against you. I think he was going to elaborate on this when my wife turned the friggen radio off. Be interested to know if anyone heard the rest of the interview.

Biffo, there are far too many players in category 1 in your post. E.g. TPN has had one really good game for the wobbs and Giteau is yet to prove he isn't a flat track bully. But maybe I am still hurting too much form the poor performance our guys put in on the weekend.

 

[Biffo]

Biffo, there are far too many players in category 1 in your post. E.g. TPN has had one really good game for the wobbs and Giteau is yet to prove he isn't a flat track bully. But maybe I am still hurting too much form the poor performance our guys put in on the weekend.

Agreed re those two. I put the list up for discussion. Perhaps we can all discuss and reach some kind of consensus and then update over the next two years?

 

[fatprop]

I am more concerned with Baxter's workrate than his scrummaging.

 

[Scarfman]

I think this is a world-beating team. I think those names are all class. Most teams in the world would be begging for a Sharpe or a Mortlock.

Take the following as an example of my philosophy.

The backs can't catch or pass. They can't run into holes. They don't chase. They can't beat a man. But I believe that all are first rate athletes, who are mentally out of sorts. This team could CLICK at any moment, and then you will suddenly see sympathetic passes in front of the man because they have started to trust and believe in each other.

In the forwards, the same lack of faith / trust reveals itself in players not giving up blood to support each other. At the moment, it's "oh, there goes Rocky off on a run, he's miles away now, I'd better line up in the backs to see if the ball comes out this way." But this turns into SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT when these guys get their heads right.

In conclusion, I DO believe we have the cattle, but we need it to click mentally. I can't say for sure that it'll happen, but it certainly COULD.

 

[mark_s]

Scarfman, not sure if you are taking the piss or not but I reckon that was a big part of the problem in Sat's match and that why I am so annoyed. The players looked to be playing for themselves, particularly towards the end of the game, individually there was some good efforts but collectively the effort was poor.

I am not normally a fan of boot camps, but maybe thats what these guys need.

 

[Biffo]

I am with you, Mark. See my disclaimer in my initiating post - I have assumed that the head problems will be sorted.

 

[Biffo]

Biffo — there is no halfback in groups 1 and 2, and no mention of Burgess and Genia. Oversight, or do you just see a gaping hole there?

OOOPS. Thanks. Oversight. I have modified the list.

Any thoughts on the classifications or the includsions and exclusions.

 

[Biffo]

The biggest concern to me is there's just one 8 and two locks, and we're still looking to see those three guys prove they can dominate and make themselves automatic selections.

See my wish list at the bottom of my post. Yes, we need a big 8 and two mongrel locks.

 

[Henry]

Isn't Gerrard off overseas, so he wasn't and shouldn't be considered. (And obviously disagree about Mitchell, why is Turner nearly there and Mitchell's not? He is playing much better than Turner)

 

[spectator]

Young Fitzpatrick could be a bolter by 2011, and I wish Leroy Houston could get fit, as he has the raw ingredients to be a good 8.

 

[Biffo]

Young Fitzpatrick could be a bolter by 2011, and I wish Leroy Houston could get fit, as he has the raw ingredients to be a good 8.

Shall I go on modifying the list as suggestions come in?

 

[Spook]

I reckon you have most of the names that will be through the squad...but gee 2011 isn't far off. We need to to see a big improvement during the EOYT I would have thought.

 

[louie]

Move , Polota-Nau, Palu, Barnes, Giteau and Hynes down one and i agree.

 

[Biffo]

Move , Polota-Nau, Palu, Barnes, Giteau and Hynes down one and i agree.

I have done that and made some other changes suggested. I've also added to my wish list - does Robbie have Gasnier's phone number?

 

[Scotty]

Based on S14 form you could just about move Ioane up to list 1, but I guess we should wait and see him play more internationals.