Payto and Panda: Pulver's Super call

ARU chief executive Bill Pulver will make the final call on the availability of Australia's top 25 Super Rugby players for two crucial local derbies that will be played after the Wallabies have gone into camp to prepare for the Lions.
The Wallabies squad will be pulled into camp on June 2.
The Brumbies host the Rebels on June 7, while the Waratahs travel to Perth to play the Force on June 9, and NSW's forward pack in particular is set to be decimated.
"If those Super Rugby matches have significant bearing on the competition standings, and finals spots are at stake, the ARU will take that under serious consideration," Pulver said.
The issue of availability will be discussed by the ARU's high-performance unit, headed by Anthony Eddie, and also Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
But we're reliably informed Pulver will have the last word.
Given Pulver has declared that the Wallabies' interests will take precedence, the Super franchises are hardly confident of seeing any of their biggest names for those games.

They could be giving us "a get out of jail card" if they don't allow the wallabies play.
We would probably be able to get a full strength team on the park.;)

I don't see why it's important, the Waratahs will be well into their mid season slump by then. They are a chance of losing to the Wanneroo under 12s at that time of year.

Allow common sense to prevail.

Let the non-essential Wallabies play.

For the Waratahs that means resting TPN, Kane Douglas, Wycliff Palu and Adam Ashley-Cooper.

Let everyone else play unless injuries rule out essential Wallabies. e.g. If Pocock goes down, Hooper is rested.

Simple. Tahs lose only four players and can stop crying into their handbags.

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Originally Posted by James

Simple. Tahs lose only four players and can stop crying into their handbags.

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Tahs don't want that. They want a ready made excuse for why they lose the unloseable game.

The upside is teams can prepare for it.
They know they will be without "super Cooper" or "me jane" Pocock
They can get plenty of game time into their understudies by bringing the frontliner off early in the game
The massive upside is they build depth and experience, the frontliners career is extended
If they have an injury to the front line player for the finals, the system is well developed for the elimination final. The team goes in well prepared with the "bench player". The "team" is confident in the understudies ability because they have had plenty of match practice
Trust is hugely important in high performance teams

Do you reckon the understudy has a problem starting a couple of games in the middle of the season? No farken way. They are going to bust their balls at training knowing their big break is coming. Opportunity knocks only a few times in a professional sporting career that lasts on average only about 4 seasons.

It's massive

Teams need to build in systems so they don't rely on "stars". This forces them to do it

The benefits are huge

If Pulver wasn't a dribbler, he would have signed off already. The whinging, biatching and whining stops as soon as the decision is made. Whilst there is uncertainty, perennial under achievers like the Tahs will be making as much noise as they can. Coaches will constantly dribble about how unfair it is and cry a river. Once the outcome is defined and there is certainty, everybody gets on with it. Pulver is facilitating a massive distraction. Make a decision you belter!

It's critical our national team beats the Lions. This is the start of a golden age and rugby in this country needs success at the national level. He knows it so why is he humping the neighbours dog instead of making decisions?

The wallabies need to train. The wallabies need to win game 1. 12 years ago we got our pants pulled down in game one by a team that had been training for months. It'll happen again if we aren't ready

A look into the recent past will show that Australia's early games have been a disaster. Losses to lowly Samoa and Scotland and scrappy wins playing ugly rugby are the norm.

Australia needs to be firing in perfect rhythm to beat the Lions

Rest the wallabies. Pick the squad and make them train in the national team

It's a no brainer

Great CEO's make the big decisions. Allan Joyce grounded Qantas. Qantas was just about to be passed into receivership. Now profits are up massively. He turned the joint around, got hauled into a government dribblers convention to justify saving his company, risked everything and saved Qantas and is kicking @ss

The ARU has appointed a dribbler.

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Originally Posted by Rex Messup

Pick the squad and make them train in the national team

It's a no brainer

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Unless you're Graham Henry who is batting 50-50 with that strategy using the unquestioned best team in the world ever.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement!

I personally don't think it'll matter a cracker, but am a fan of changing things up when they're unsuccessful, because the same inputs usually get the same result.

Scotland beats Australia

Samoa beats Australia

game 1 2001 Lions flog Australia

game 1 2013..........change nothing, usual result

wallbies in camp, preparing for game 1. Worth a go

see how well the Tahs team travels to perth without wallabies. The eastern state Force bashers get to compare apples with apples. An even playing field for the first time. Bring it on

People need to stop making generalisations from one or two bad examples.

The Wallabies may have had two shit games against Samoa and Scotland. That doesn't make us slow starters. Those were far from the best teams the Wallabies could have put on the park. i.e. Mark Gerrard, Matt Giteau, Nick Phipps, Sitaleki Timani, Matt Hodgson (sorry Matt but you aren't David Pocock). A handful of the frontline players were also unfit from injury lay-off (e.g. Nathan Sharpe, Rocky Elsom). Against Scotland the weather played a huge factor. The other huge factor was a handful of players on debut- particularly in the backline. We didn't crack the Scottish defence because we had a light-weight backrow (Higginbotham and Dennis aren't suited to grinding, wet weather rugby) and a backline lacking firepower and who were unfamiliar playing together. If you put the Wallabies best team on the field, the results will be different.

Resting players isn't necessarily going to mean they will be undercooked by the time the Lions come. It's three bloody weeks 'rest'; it's not the 7 weeks that the All Blacks had. And who is to bloody say that the rest period was the reason why the All Blacks lost to France in the quarters anyway? I would blame the fact that they didn't play one competitive pool match. Our players will probably have a good 10-15 Super Rugby games under their belts; they will be match fit. They will probably appreciate the break.

Matt Hodgson is worth 2 David Pocock's to me. The bloke has courage and determination in spades and possesses the true grit Pocock doesn't possess.......loyalty

Pocock lived off Hodgson's hard work for many years.

Whilst Pocock was doing chin ups on the sideline at training, Hodgson was engaged in the group discussion. Pocock the self obesessed hero had to trot to the side to curl weights or chin the bar because his ego was more important than the team.

Hodgson is now our captain. Pocock is playing for another franchise.

I hope Mrs Pocock hates Canberra..........that'll 'uck him. He will learn a hard lesson. Happy wife, happy life

The Lions will be prepared for game one. Assembling our squad a week before kickoff will reult in a loss in game one and possibly the series

That comment wasn't about loyalty. It was about which player has a greater influence at the breakdown.

I think it was Mrs Pocock who was the driver behind the move to Canberra. She has a political career in her sights.

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Originally Posted by Alison

I think......Mrs Pocock.....has a political career in her sights.

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Wonder if she can be as much a whining pain in the arse as Milne or Hanson-Young? Doubt it.
Posted via Mobile Device

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Originally Posted by Rex Messup

Scotland beats Australia

Samoa beats Australia

game 1 2001 Lions flog Australia

game 1 2013..........change nothing, usual result

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see Rex, it isn't that hard to agree with me!