General Rugby Discussion II

Squidgy Black

Wade won't make it anywhere close to an NFL practice squad, let alone a 53 man roster.

He's 5'8 and 86kg. The only feasible spot for him is running back/special teams, and there's not a hope in hell he doesn't get destroyed.

irishbucsfan

troyzer wrote: »

From Google there are guys who went over with no experience and ended up with long careers in the full squad like Gary Anderson and David Dixon. These are indisputable.

Jordan Mailata went over last year and he's on the full squad for the Eagles.

It IS possible, it's just really really hard.

One was a kicker, the other also played football in college. All this before rugby was a professional sport and before modern NFL roster rules. Real straw-clutching there!

Jordan Mailata has never been active for an NFL game as far as I know. If he makes it, he still won’t be an example of someone who has done what Wade is trying to do.

It’s never happened, so there are no examples. It’s massively unlikely that Wade will be the first. This is not a sensible move from a sporting perspective at all. The chances of a 28 year old with no real chance of developing into an NFL starter making a 53 man roster (let alone the game day 46) is very slim. He is a free extra body for someone’s practice squad and he’ll make decent money comparatively to do that.

Clegg

Another transfer rumour for Wasps is Fekitoa joining them next season.

It all seems a bit Ulster. Signing quality backs while allowing their pack to go kitten soft.

troyzer

irishbucsfan wrote: »

One was a kicker, the other also played football in college. All this before rugby was a professional sport and before modern NFL roster rules. Real straw-clutching there!

Jordan Mailata has never been active for an NFL game as far as I know. If he makes it, he still won’t be an example of someone who has done what Wade is trying to do.

It’s never happened, so there are no examples. It’s massively unlikely that Wade will be the first. This is not a sensible move from a sporting perspective at all. The chances of a 28 year old with no real chance of developing into an NFL starter making a 53 man roster (let alone the game day 46) is very slim. He is a free extra body for someone’s practice squad and he’ll make decent money comparatively to do that.

Absolutely agree it's a poor decision and incredibly unlikely, but not impossible. I disagree with your dismissing of the examples but we'll have to agree to disagree there.

errlloyd

Jared Hayne made decent money during his year in the NFL. I know he made the 53. Got cut and then came back. So it wasn't perfect, but it was as well as a first season can go.

Buer

errlloyd wrote: »

Jared Hayne made decent money during his year in the NFL. I know he made the 53. Got cut and then came back. So it wasn't perfect, but it was as well as a first season can go.

And that was considered a big success. He beat the expectations and made the roster on the final day before being cut early enough in the season. And Hayne was one of the best rugby league players in the world; a far better athlete than Wade who cannot make his national squad.

Squidgy Black

errlloyd wrote: »

Jared Hayne made decent money during his year in the NFL. I know he made the 53. Got cut and then came back. So it wasn't perfect, but it was as well as a first season can go.

Was also 6'3, 103kg and an absolutely unreal athlete.

Aside from the Wade news which is being received as utterly bizarre and futile online, is English rugby in more a spot of bother than we are giving credit?

The clubs come out with a lot of guff and spoof about under performing in Europe but the National team are down to 4th and 5th choice in some places for November and neither club nor country seem to have an answer to the mire they find themselves in.

With Brexit on the horizon, you would wonder where English rugby might end up over the next few years. Australian rugby has collapsed in on itself and South African rugby is similarly struggling albeit against a backdrop of societal uncertainty. If the game hit's a longer term rut in England it could have a real knock on effect for World Rugby with three power houses of the International game all suffering significant domestic issues.

All a bit alarmist on my part without doubt but It's getting harder to ignore the apparent declining health of the sport.

troyzer

Deleted User wrote: »

Aside from the Wade news which is being received as utterly bizarre and futile online, is English rugby in more a spot of bother than we are giving credit?

The clubs come out with a lot of guff and spoof about under performing in Europe but the National team are down to 4th and 5th choice in some places for November and neither club nor country seem to have an answer to the mire they find themselves in.

With Brexit on the horizon, you would wonder where English rugby might end up over the next few years. Australian rugby has collapsed in on itself and South African rugby is similarly struggling albeit against a backdrop of societal uncertainty. If the game hit's a longer term rut in England it could have a real knock on effect for World Rugby with three power houses of the International game all suffering significant domestic issues.

All a bit alarmist on my part without doubt but It's getting harder to ignore the apparent declining health of the sport.

South Africa will be fine. At the moment there are economic issues associated with the country's issues as a whole but there is genuine progress being made with the sport becoming more diverse in participation and support. That will only help the Springboks in the long term.

I do think Australia's case is terminal though. There doesn't seem to be any strategy to reverse its decline into tier 2 status. Australians simply don't give a ****.

England will be fine. They still have loads of resources and a huge talent pool. They just need to get rid of Eddie and reform the premiership. It'll happen sooner rather than later, especially if they have two awful world cups in a row.

troyzer

troyzer wrote: »

South Africa will be fine. At the moment there are economic issues associated with the country's issues as a whole but there is genuine progress being made with the sport becoming more diverse in participation and support. That will only help the Springboks in the long term.

I do think Australia's case is terminal though. There doesn't seem to be any strategy to reverse its decline into tier 2 status. Australians simply don't give a ****.

England will be fine. They still have loads of resources and a huge talent pool. They just need to get rid of Eddie and reform the premiership. It'll happen sooner rather than later, especially if they have two awful world cups in a row.

Hard to know on each of the above but you are probably quite accurate.

I don't know about England - I think the clubs will blame external factors and if there is a restructure it will be to external competitions or international windows as opposed to the premiership.

Hope Australia can sort the house out - doesn't look good though.

troyzer

Deleted User wrote: »

Hard to know on each of the above but you are probably quite accurate.

I don't know about England - I think the clubs will blame external factors and if there is a restructure it will be to external competitions or international windows as opposed to the premiership.

Hope Australia can sort the house out - doesn't look good though.

South African rugby has its struggles but it's on the up both on the field and off. They beat the All Blacks in Wellington, first black captain and Dyantyi has apparentely been a superstar symbol for black South Africans. So they'll be fine long term, especially with a half decent northern tour. They still have issues long term with finance, but it looks like SARU are at least being proactive on this and look like they might pile in on the Pro14. Super Rugby is a sinking ship.

I don't think Australia will sort the house out. There simply isn't any affection towards the sport. I lived there during the Force's last super rugby season and nobody in Perth gave a toss. The only people at the matches were ex-pats or east coasters. I have no idea how they'll fix it. The opening home game that year had something like 7,000 people at it. In a 20,000 seater stadium? The FIRST game of the season? Madness.

England can fix it if they can get the clubs under control, how do you do that though? There has to be a financial incentive for the premiership clubs. They need to realise they're running the English rugby brand and by extension, the value of their clubs into the ground.

leakyboots

Any list of games/channels/times for the coming weekend?

troyzer

leakyboots wrote: »

Any list of games/channels/times for the coming weekend?

https://d2cx26qpfwuhvu.cloudfront.net/epcr/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/18112301/2018-19-Heineken-Champions-Cup-Fixtures.pdf

pickarooney

thomond2006 wrote: »

At best I think he would make a practice squad where the minimum salary per annum is USD 130k and you can be cut at any stage.

Making an active roster is a very big ask. I'm laughing at some of the headlines: Big money move on the Telegraph.

Like FF I think there's more to this. If this is true, financially it is likely to cost Wade quite a bit.

I heard his plan is to drop down to JUCO and get featured on Last Chance U

Homesick Alien

Clegg wrote: »

'The Hard Yards' podcast is back but has been rebranded as 'Baz & Andrew's' House of Rugby'.

Anyone listened yet?

Just gave it a listen. Very enjoyable. The two lads have a very natural rapport although it seems completely unstructured so far. Will be interesting to hear what they talk about when the glamour of the European fixtures takes a break again.

Had been waiting for the Hard Yards to come back but I think this will be better. Pat and Andy had always sounded like they were trying too hard.

Eddie Jones booed (booerns.. booones?) in the Ricoh

https://twitter.com/RugbyInsideLine/status/1053659376366559233

Mookie Blaylock

Give Eddie his dues..he knew he was the panto villain there and he gave a little smile at the end.

Burkie1203

https://twitter.com/guardian_sport/status/1054080517098930177?s=19

ionadnapokot

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IWhcSbgpXo0

watched this tonight. John Smit talking through the 07 WC final.
Terrible game but Just brilliant lesson in the art of captaincy and game management from one of the games all time great captains.
Compulsory viewing for Best, Sexton, POM et al.

sydthebeat

not seen it mentioned yet here but former highlanders Super Rugby winning captain, and current treviso player, Nasi Manu has been diagnosed with testicular cancer

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/107927870/former-highlanders-captain-nasi-manu-diagnosed-with-cancer


best of luck with it Nasi !!!

nerd69

Quads cooper going to the revels for next yea. Will be great to see him back. When tomooa gets over they pitentially have a solid back line

Squidgy Black

nerd69 wrote: »

Quads cooper going to the revels for next yea. Will be great to see him back. When tomooa gets over they pitentially have a solid back line

He's been throwing an awful lot of swipes at the Reds/Thorn on Instagram about it too. Picture of him handing off Thorn and the quote "sometimes you are forced out of the place you love but thank God there's more than one place that loves me".

Also another saying "looking forward to learning and ENJOYING my rugby at the rebels".

It's all a bit cringe worthy.

nerd69

It is a bit but at the same time Thorne clearly came in with a bit of a vendetta so it is what it is

CatFromHue

He's selfish, impatient and a little insecure. He make mistakes, he's out of control and at times hard to handle but if they can't take him at his worst they sure as hell don't deserve him at his best!

errlloyd

https://www.englandrugby.com/news/english-rugby-introduce-season-breaks/

There is some really interesting stuff there, but also some kind of worrying stuff. This is one of the more worrying things.

England Rugby World Cup squad rested for the summer Tests in July 2020 unless they have had 20 or fewer match involvements in the 2019-20 season

Wherever England tour in 2020 they'll be going without ~95% of their world cup squad. Effectively we've created a calendar where there is no summer tour before the world cup, no summer tour after the world cup, and one of the two in between is a Lions tour.

If all NH nations adopted that approach, then all four lions nations would want their NZ tour to be on the same year. IE, the one full strength year they'll have in every cycle.

This longer calendar year is going to create problems and it only exists because the RFU doesn't have the same oversight with the clubs as the likes of the IRFU have with the provinces.

If the RFU could impose limits on player minutes then this wouldn't have even been floated as an option.

More capitulation to private rugby interests.

thomond2006

[Deleted User] wrote: »

This longer calendar year is going to create problems and it only exists because the RFU doesn't have the same oversight with the clubs as the likes of the IRFU have with the provinces.

If the RFU could impose limits on player minutes then this wouldn't have even been floated as an option.

More capitulation to private rugby interests.

Capitulation yes but I think there needs to be a fair balance. The AIs should be strictly limited to 3 games. I know a fourth is generally a Tier 2 nation which is vital for those teams but it's overkill.

The Lost Sheep

thomond2006 wrote: »

Capitulation yes but I think there needs to be a fair balance. AIs should be strictly limited to 3 games.

Cant/wont when international games are so key to financing the unions and therefore entire sport in the 6Ns.

Dog Botherer

Squidgy Black wrote: »

He's been throwing an awful lot of swipes at the Reds/Thorn on Instagram about it too. Picture of him handing off Thorn and the quote "sometimes you are forced out of the place you love but thank God there's more than one place that loves me".

Also another saying "looking forward to learning and ENJOYING my rugby at the rebels".

It's all a bit cringe worthy.

thomond2006

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Cant/wont when international games are so key to financing the unions and therefore entire sport in the 6Ns.

Let's see in future years if TV money can make up the shortfall.

Extreme example but the NFL is the richest league/sport in the world and only has 20 competitive weekends including playoffs.

As a supporter I find a month of games to be too much. At least the Six Nations has break weeks.