Reds half Ben Lucas key to Wallabies planning

[KenyaQuin]

QUEENSLAND halfback Ben Lucas is being groomed as the shock solution to the Wallabies' sole chronically weak position: five-eighth.

For all the understandable angst over the loss of second-rower Dan Vickerman, ready replacements are on hand to take over from him in James Horwill and Mark Chisholm.

But if anything was to happen to five-eighth Matt Giteau, the Australian team would be in dire straits. Berrick Barnes would be the man most likely entrusted with the role but,...

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[Ecky]

With a bit of foresight they could use Chucky instead? He seemed a reasonable #10 in his previous life...

[GIGS20]

Read my mind Eck......He probably wouldn't get marketed as such though sitting behind the top #10 (or 12) in the game right now.

Scotty Daruda and the other #10/#12 options at EWF have been largely ignored in favour of a guy who has been kept out of the spot by Quade Cooper!

That just doesn't compute for me!

[TOCC]

Scotty Daruda and the other #10/#12 options at EWF have been largely ignored in favour of a guy who has been kept out of the spot by Quade Cooper!

That just doesn't compute for me!

ah maybe because Lucas was signed as a halfback because they were short on halfbacks.

[Ecky]

ah maybe because Lucas was signed as a halfback because they were short on halfbacks.

...ah as was Stannard (Chucky)

[TOCC]

...ah as was Stannard (Chucky)

hmm..i was replying to GIGS20 comment about Lucas being kept out of the spot by Cooper

[Burgs]

It's a little naive to think Backs get signed for a single position.
Fact is that he is a young player who is adaptable however, he appears to have played most of his Rugby at Flyhalf.
If he was better than Cooper (or Barnes) at Flyhalf then he would have been picked there for the Reds (and the Wallabies last year in France) prior to being required at Scrumhalf.
Good luck to him if he is the answer but I would suggest it isn't very likely.

[TOCC]

It's a little naive to think Backs get signed for a single position.
Fact is that he is a young player who is adaptable however, he appears to have played most of his Rugby at Flyhalf.
If he was better than Cooper (or Barnes) at Flyhalf then he would have been picked there for the Reds (and the Wallabies last year in France) prior to being required at Scrumhalf.
Good luck to him if he is the answer but I would suggest it isn't very likely.

the point is, Ben Lucas was signed to cover the half back position, thats what they said when they signed him and thats where he had being training since the pre-season.

He could be a better 5/8 then Cooper, in fact during the ARC he was starting ahead of Cooper, the reason why he probably didnt take his spot at the reds is pretty simple, why would you move lucas to 5/8 and then drop cooper to the bench? you would be making one position strong whilst weakening the other one, not to mention having no reserve halfback.

[chook]

You talk a lot of sense TOCC. Your jib, I like the cut of. Keep up the sensibility.

[GIGS20]

Signed as a halfback when they're short of halfbacks.....not exactly the case there TOCC if Cordingley and Genia aren't good enough that's a different story, but you have the position covered well enough to avoid scratching a halfback from nothing if he's a better 5/8 than Cooper. you could sign him as a 5/8 and play him as a utility, the fact is, he wasn't looked at as a 5/8 when you had Cooper and Barnes in the club, Barnes hasn't had a look at 5/8 when Cooper's been fit and neither has Lucas, are you trying to say that Lucas could be a better 5/8 than either of them....If you think that, you'd better tell Phil Mooney, because he doesn't agree with you! Yet he puts him in at 5/8th because he's obviously sooo much better than Beale, or Leiliifano, or Daruda. Still doesn't add up TOCC, take your red glasses off the season's over, we're talking internationals now, and Beale would run rings around Cooper, Lucas, Lealiifano and even Daruda......Dunno about Beale, but I reckon it'd be close!

Sorry Chook, had to say a 'tah was good, but it's the truth!

[TOCC]

Signed as a halfback when they're short of halfbacks.....not exactly the case there TOCC if Cordingley and Genia aren't good enough that's a different story, but you have the position covered well enough to avoid scratching a halfback from nothing if he's a better 5/8 than Cooper. you could sign him as a 5/8 and play him as a utility, the fact is, he wasn't looked at as a 5/8 when you had Cooper and Barnes in the club, Barnes hasn't had a look at 5/8 when Cooper's been fit and neither has Lucas

not short on halfbacks? so the fact that Barnes had to play backup halfback for the game against the Crusaders with Lucas starting would obviously support that theory of yours then...

hate to break it to you but all the Australian S14 except the Brumbies clubs had at least 3 players who were accomplished halfbacks, anything less then 3 is considered short.. make sense?

And i think i may have already explained the strengths vs weak positions issue, inside centre was a weak spot for the Reds, Cooper is a better 5/8 then Siale was 12, so by moving Barnes to 12 the team is marginally stronger.

Same goes for the halfback, i dont think i need to explain it again.

are you trying to say that Lucas could be a better 5/8 than either of them....If you think that, you'd better tell Phil Mooney, because he doesn't agree with you!

im pretty sure what i said made sense.. "he could be a better 5/8 then Cooper", i didnt mention Barnes did i?

Yet he puts him in at 5/8th because he's obviously sooo much better than Beale, or Leiliifano, or Daruda. Still doesn't add up TOCC, take your red glasses off the season's over, we're talking internationals now,

Beale is injured...
also you have completely misinterpreted what i said, i never once was talking about Lucas being better then any of those players.

and Beale would run rings around Cooper, Lucas, Lealiifano and even Daruda......Dunno about Beale, but I reckon it'd be close!

well that doesnt even make sense

[NTT]

im pretty sure lucas was signed as a future flyhalf /inside centre but got switched to halfback when cordingley was getting injuries last year /this year and lucas was kept there as he turned out to be better than genia. it is a little baffling why they want to play him at flyhalf after lucas had a solid year at halfback, but he must be something if the selectors are keen to see him there

[TOCC]

im pretty sure lucas was signed as a future flyhalf /inside centre but got switched to halfback when cordingley was getting injuries last year /this year and lucas was kept there as he turned out to be better than genia. it is a little baffling why they want to play him at flyhalf after lucas had a solid year at halfback, but he must be something if the selectors are keen to see him there

well it depends which way you look at it, he was brought in to the Reds academy because of his form as a 5/8, yet he wasnt in the actual Reds.

Around November/December last year he was brought into the Reds squad to train as a halfback because Nic Berry was released and because Sam Cordingley is always getting injured.

He only signed his contract in March this year, at which point he was already playing halfback.

[greenandgoldrugby]

I thought it was the original article that never made much sense.

10 is no longer the horror position for the Wallabies - Gits, Barnes and Beale have that covered. We need a 4th? 9 or 12 are way thinner.

Lucas is getting plenty of sympathetic press like this though. Before the Reds/Tahs game they tried to say it was a show down between him and Burgess which was also delusional.