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Mon, Sep 9, 2024, 4:00 AM
Waratahs Media
NSW Waratahs have bolstered their star-studded squad for next season with six new signings touching down at Daceyville.
Prop Siosifa Amone and outside back Henry O’Donnell return home to NSW following stints with the Western Force, and are joined by former Melbourne Rebels lock Angelo Smith, hooker Ethan Dobbins and backrower Leafi Talataina.
Amone (13 games), O’Donnell (5 games), Smith (20 games) and Dobbins (6 games) all arrive with Super Rugby Pacific experience under their belts, while O’Donnell and Talataina represented the Junior Wallabies last year.
Meanwhile Australian-born lock Ben Grant is back on home soil after spending the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season with the Hurricanes, preceded by two years with the San Diego Legion.
The six signings kick off the club’s one-week countdown to 2025 memberships going on sale on 16 September.
Each day for the next week the Waratahs will confirm more new signings and fan favourites who have recommitted to the club for 2025.
NSW Waratahs Director Simon Raiwalui Director of Performance said:
“Siosifa, Henry, Angelo, Ethan, Leafi and Ben have all taken very different paths in their Rugby journeys so far. We’re very happy to be able to bring them together as Waratahs. Our goal is to provide an environment where each of them can excel and contribute in a meaningful way to the success of our team next season.”
Siosifa Amone
Position: Prop Age: 22 years old Place of birth: Sydney, New South Wales Height: 180 cm Weight: 125 kg Super Rugby Debut:: 2023 vs Melbourne Rebels at HBF Park, Perth Super Rugby Caps: 13
Henry O'Donnell
Position: Centre Age: 21 years old Place of birth: Sydney, New South Wales Height: 186 cm Weight: 97 kg Super Rugby Debut:: 2024 vs Blues at Eden Park, Auckland Super Rugby Caps: 5
Angelo Smith
Position: Lock Age: 24 years old Place of birth: Fiji Height: 199 cm Weight: 115 kg Super Rugby Debut:: 2023 vs Hurricanes at AAMI Park, Melbourne Super Rugby Caps: 20
Ben Grant
Position: Lock Age: 26 years old Place of birth: Townsville, Queensland Height: 205 cm Weight: 118 kg Super Rugby Debut:: 2024 vs Fijian Drua at HFC Bank Stadium, Suva, Fiji Super Rugby Caps: 5
Ethan Dobbins
Position: Hooker Age: 24 years old Place of birth: Queensland Height: 181 cm Weight: 108 kg Super Rugby Debut:: 2024 vs Reds at AAMI Park, Melbourne Super Rugby Caps: 6
Leafi Talataina
Position: Flanker Age: 20 years old Place of birth: Melbourne, Victoria Height: 196 cm Weight: 112 kg Super Rugby Debut:: Yet to debut
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
so they're fielding a team of Seventy Eight?
C'mon the![]()
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Make that 7 new signings...
https://reds.rugby/news/queensland-r...eighton-202499
https://www.rugby.com.au/news/reds-f...aratahs-202499
Last edited by Burgs; 10-09-24 at 11:33.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Confirmed it is the Tahs, and apparently further Tah signings to come each day this week.
We scrum for posession, run for the try zone, bleed for the team and live for the game
Centralisation by a thousand lashes...
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
23 on the park…… the rest f….ck all… definitely the way to improve…tackle bag holding technique should be excellent going forward.
"The newspapers shout, a new style is growing
But it don't know if it's coming or going
There is fashion, there is fad
Some is good, some is bad
And the joke is rather sad
That it's all just a little bit of history repeating" -
Apologies to Shirley Bassey & The Propellerheads.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Tom Lambert is today's chapter, but not too much fanfare (yet).
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Mahe Vailanu is todays signing
We scrum for posession, run for the try zone, bleed for the team and live for the game
They came out bold but falling away now!
Maybe they should have spread some of that original six across the week...
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Meanwhile in other news, it's being reported that a former level-headed Rugby Union player from Townsville has suddenly lost the plot and started jabbering shit. Sauces claim he has been affected after drinking contaminated cool aid in the Dacyville canteen.
‘For Australia to thrive, we need the Waratahs to thrive. I think that I can help’ - Dan McKellar.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-u...13-p5kaas.html
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Mesu Kunavula todays re-signing
We scrum for posession, run for the try zone, bleed for the team and live for the game
Depends if that is being said in isolation or as part of the National scene.
If the implication is, "so long as NSW are doing well then we'll do well as Wallabies" then bullshit.
If saying, "if NSW aren't doing well then it is far harder for Australia to do well", then that is probably true, just as much as inserting any of the four remaining Provinces into the second sentence.
Still want Tahs to be 4th Australian though...
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.