1
Yeah, if only she was an au pair, Dutton would have let them both in like a shot.
Do we have a photo of her in a bikini?
If he was a tennis player dictator Dan would have had him on a chartered flight,!
I wasn't happy at Waratahs: Tom Robertson
Justin Chadwick
AAP
Fri, 15 January 2021 1:16PM
Western Force recruit Tom Robertson (l) admits he wasn't happy at the NSW Waratahs last season.
Wallabies prop Tom Robertson concedes he was unhappy at the NSW Waratahs last year, and has described his move to the Western Force as like a breath of fresh air.
Robertson made 62 appearances for the Waratahs over five seasons before signing for the Force last September.
The 26-year-old, who played 24 Tests for Australia between 2016-18, hopes his move to the Force will help rekindle his international career.
But more importantly Robertson wants to be in a happy place - something he found hard at the Waratahs last year.
"I wasn't that happy at the Waratahs to be honest," Robertson said on Friday.
"I was considering staying there for another two years, but in the end the upside to the Force was too big to ignore.
"There's a lot of off-field issues at the Waratahs. I love the players there. The player group is amazing. But just coming over here, it's a breath of fresh air.
"Having a new coaching staff, a new performance staff, and dealing with new people has really reinvigorated my rugby, so hopefully I can keep that going."
More than a quarter of NSW Rugby staff were made redundant in June last year when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard.
The organisation is still struggling financially, and Robertson said the security of the Andrew Forrest-owned Force was a huge plus.
"Being privately owned by the Forrest family is a big advantage to this club, and having that financial security," he said.
"And the other players that they had coming across, half the names are international players. It's almost like playing in an international team at the moment with the calibre of players we have."
Getting back into the Wallabies' set-up is a major goal for Robertson.
But he knows it will be no easy feat in a Force outfit bristling with international and Australian talent.
Veteran Wallabies centre Tevita Kuridrani has joined Robertson at the Force, along with Argentinian internationals Tomas Cubelli, Tomas Lezana, Santiago Medrano and Domingo Miotti.
Legendary Irish fullback Rob Kearney has been the Force's biggest recruit, while former All Blacks Richard Kahui and Jeremy Thrush have re-signed from last season.
"I think the depth we've got here, it's a bit nerve wracking," Robertson said.
"I've got to get into the team here before you start talking about the Wallabies jersey."
Robertson described Tim Sampson as "tough but fair", saying the Force coach was willing to take things on board.
"He's very approachable, Robertson said.
"If a lot of the senior players have ideas, he takes that on board and incorporates that in his game plan."
https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-u...n-ng-s-2045515
Hopefully Tom Robertson gets a boost from playing in front of a decent-sized and very passionate crowd too!
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Maybe we could boo a bit and leave early for the first couple of games to help him adjust.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Western Force centre Tevita Kuridrani eyes Wallabies recall after landing at new Super Rugby home
Nick Taylor
The West Australian
Sun, 17 January 2021 2:00AM
Tevita Kuridrani during a Western Force Super Rugby training session at Guildford Grammar School. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images
The K-train has arrived at the Western Force.
And powerful ball-running centre Tevita Kuridrani says the move from the Brumbies is a chance to get back on the radar of Wallabies coach Dave Rennie.
Kuridrani missed out on Rennie's Wallabies squad last year after 61 Test appearances.
Some critics said his departure from Canberra brought his career to a crossroads, but Kuridrani is out to prove that he is far from reaching his use by date.
He revealed he turned down overseas offers to sign for the Force two days after winning the Australian Super Rugby title with the Brumbies.
The game changer will stiffen up the Force midfield, where he is likely to form a partnership with his former Brumbies teammate Kyle Godwin.
“I was going to move overseas but the (Force) offer came up. I thought why not try that,” Kuridrani said.
He said getting back into the Australian jumper was the long term goal and that it was a privilege to play with the Force’s crop of international signings.
“Play good rugby and the Wallabies will take care of itself,” Kuridrani said.
“The change of environment, training, players will freshen me.
Tevita Kuridrani in action during a Western Force Super Rugby training session. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images
“At the moment I’m just trying to settle into this new club with the new boys, getting to know my teammates.
“It’s been really good, the boys have been really welcoming and have helped me a lot.
“I played with Kyle at the Brumbies for two seasons and it’s been good to link up with him again.
“We played a lot of games together. It’s good to be training with him.
“It’s most important that we get that combination back. It’s going really well.”
The move to WA brought a couple of reunions with coach Tim Sampson and former Wallaby and Force captain Matt Hodgson, now head of rugby.
“Tim, he’s very good. I remember when I first met him in Canberra he was coaching the (Tuggeranong) Vikings.
“When this came up, and to know he was coaching, really helped me to come over.
“Hodgo, we played together a few times on the international stage.
“He and Tim helped me.”
https://thewest.com.au/sport/western...ng-b881770539z
When you are not getting selected for the Wallabies while playing for the best team I am not sure if a move inside the country is going to improve Powell and Kuridrani’s selection chances.
'I may be a Senator but I am not stupid'
https://omny.fm/shows/the-alan-jones-breakfast-show/cameron-clyne
Link to Senate Report http://www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca
https://www.change.org/p/rugby-australia-petition-for-cameron-clyne-to-resign-as-chairman-of-the-rugby-australia-board
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
Sound a bit salty bakkies?I'd suggest that it has worked for the likes of Michael Hooper, who went to the tahs from the Brumbies when David Pocock arrived.I think he's looking for a recharge after doing the same thing for many years and discovering that it is no longer working.He wasn't getting selected was he? I think it's better to move away from the team where you aren't getting on the pitch every week to the team where you are. If you're also confident in yourself enough to think you'll show your old coach how wrong he is by carrying the team and destroying the blokes who were being picked ahead of you....I can see where his head might be with the decision.At the end of the day, he's still in Australia, after expressing some frustration towards the final years at the brumbies.that has to be better for Aussie rugby, right?
C'mon the
Salty? Nah. At this stage of his career moving to another Australian side that is not the Waratahs isn’t going to improve his test selection hopes.
There’s a reason why Kuridrani has been looking at overseas offers for years and signing one year deals to stay. The Wallabies bizarre selections has seen players leave in droves. Rory Arnold was the best lock in Super Rugby for two years. Old mate Cheika didn’t select him so he joined his brother in France.
Kuridrani was clearly the best 13 in Australia last year and was left out of the RWC squad the season before. Apart from a couple of droppings due to performance he has been the starting Brumbies 13 since 2013. It is the Wallabies who didn’t select him.
The Wallabies have been doing this for years. There is no incentive for players like Liam Gill, Sean McMahon, Colby Fainga’a and Jared Butler to come back to Australian Rugby.
On Powell not many players improve by going to the Rebels. The next move from there is generally overseas. I don’t know how Jake Gordon got ahead of him last year. Cheika didn’t let him do a short term stint at Clermont despite having no intention of picking him. Rennie didn’t even select him as a tackle bag holder.
The Brumbies actually signed Pocock after Hooper made the decision to leave. Jake White didn’t select Hooper for the first few weeks of his final season at the Brumbies due to his lack of size. That was one of the reasons why Hooper left. Pocock wasn’t on the books then.
Last edited by Bakkies; 17-01-21 at 18:51.