Brisbane Wallaby player ratings

[greenandgoldrugby]

Preamble not required. Rating scale at bottom.

15 Adam Ashley-Cooper Good under the high ball, solid on his feet (see try) and good last line of defence, but still not playing as a fullback 6

14 Peter Hynes - Showed some bright individual touches 6

13 Ryan Cross, Simply awesome in attack running strong, fast and straight - the highlight of the Australian backline and deserved his try. Such a pity about the two defensive misses, although Carter was more Mortlock's fault 7

12 Stirling Mortlock (C), while being out of position needs to be taken into account, impact was low and his one kick and miss on Carter were embarrassing. More importantly, where was the leadership when needed? 3

11 Lote Tuqiri, We desperately needed more of LTs class. He usually rises for the big games, but not this one. 4

10 Matt Giteau, Difficult to rate as his first 39 minutes were shocking, the following 41 often inspiring. However, Giteau's modus operandi when the chips are down is to start playing as a one man back-line, rather than marshalling the others. Place kicking kept us in the game. In balance overall, 6

9 Sam Cordingly, I've calmed a little and no, he probably wasn't single-handedly responsible for the loss, but his glacial pace around the ruck and idiotic decision making came fµcking close. Thank christ he can no longer be selected 1

8 Wycliff Palu, was trying to do the right think when bungled a certain try, and then threw the ball to no-one from a tight head scrum immediately afterwards. 3

7 George Smith, battled heroically at the breakdown considering Kaplan had a blind spot for black jerseys on the rong side. That final turnover was magic. However, his stab kicks just gave away possession 7

6 Rocky Elsom, Was it the virus? Where was he? 4

5 Nathan Sharpe, was having a the usual sub-par game before waving Conrad Smith through for Woodcock's crucial try 3

4 James Horwill, yet another immense game from the 23 year old. Within 2 minutes around the 55 minute mark he'd stolen a turn-over and then smashed Thorn back onto his mungo arse. Oh yeah, he also scored another try. A star has been born this tri-nations. 8 and G&GRs Wallaby man of the match

3 Al Baxter, Another impressive performance from Baxter (it's getting easier to say) both in the scrum and making hard yards around the park 7

2 Stephen Moore, a big sigh of relief at how well the line-out went, even under pressure. A few too many ill-disciplined brainfarts though. 5

1 Benn Robinson, scrum held steady and he did his share of work along with Baxter 7.

Bench:
Richard Brown - put his best foot forward in this game. Fast, with a great work rate, also made yards off the base and was an option in the line-out 7
McMenimen -still hasn't made any impact on the international scene. How many chances do you get? 4
Robbie Deans' use of bench - I don't agree of changing for changes sake, but fresh legs were definitely needed along with a bullet for Cordingly 3

Rating system:
10 - A legendary performance to go down in the history books
9 - Man of the match worthy performance
8 - Outstanding
7 - Good game, great in parts
6 - Solid performance
5 - Average - ho hum
4 - Below par
3 - Had a bad game
2 - Tell your story walking pal
1 - A complete joke.

[Thequeerone]

Thought that Nathan Sharpe was way better than a 3 more like a 6 - some amazing tackles - lineouts were crisp and the scrum stood up.

Would have given Lote a 3 another virsus victim ?
Stephen Moore deserved a 7 again lineouts, tackling et al

George Smith I would say a 6 - hard tackles but not his best

Cross sorry mate loved his performance but the defence was shocking a 5 - mainly because once he learns to position himself better then he will be brilliant.

[Darren]

9 Sam Cordingly, I've calmed a little and no, he probably wasn't single-handedly responsible for the loss, but his glacial pace around the ruck and idiotic decision making came fµcking close. Thank christ he can no longer be selected

I found myself bemoaning Cordingy the entire game - what was he doing out there?

[gustafsl]

Maybe next time Sharpe could wear a different jersey so you might actually see him out there.

He was one of the best forwards all night. About the only thing separating him and Horwill was the try. Yet Horwill gets an 8 and Sharpe a 3.

Funny how Sharpe got blasted for the lineout problems in the last NZ game (even though he was off the field for all of the lost lineouts). Then he doesn't play against SA and the lineout is crap again. He comes back this week and the lineout is the best it has been all year and he doesn't get the credit for it.

Same goes for Moore. Would have thought he deserved at least a 6 just for the lineout throws.

Agree with your assesment of Deans' use of bench. Not really sure why McMenimem got on instead of Waugh. I know the experiment with Waugh at 6 and Smith at 7 didn't go too well. But for 20 minutes I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem. Especially with Brown on the field, he could have moved to 6 and Waugh at 8. Plus Brown is a good lineout jumper and could take the place of Elsom in the lineout. Still don't know why Mitchell isn't getting game time. Maybe he was afraid of making a change and than an injury happening but Mitchell should have been on in place of Tuqiri or Hynes for the last 20 minutes. Hopefully this not making changes doesn't become a habit for Deans.

[gotheforce]

I'd rather have Cordingley out there than Brett Sheehan any day.
We're just used to Burgess and his quick clearing from the ruck. But i think Crodingley has a different style of playing, which doesnt suti the new rules. And you could see it when Aus was on the try line and he took ages to get it out. And when he did, even though there was a huge overlap on the outside, he chose to go in himself, and turned the ball over in the process.

I thought Sharpe was one of the better forwards in the game. He was a lot better than Palu and Elsom. Palu deserves a lot less than 3. Moore did a grea job in throwing in straight this time around. But like gustafsl said, Sharpe steps in and calls the line out this week, and it looked back to its normal best. No coincidence i think! James Horwill is just not a leader yet. Sharpe on the other hand, has led the wallabies on different occasions.

I thought gits didnt have too bad a game as well. Prob was outplayed by Carter, but still, one of the better players in the backline. And Cross did miss a couple of tackle, but Mortlock often found himself out of position, and Cross had to cover 3 guys at once, with Hynes covering his man on the wing. He was my player of the backline.

And Hugh McMenimen needs to go. Havent seen anything of him in the games so far, even though hes been given decent time.

[KenyaQuin]

15 Adam Ashley-Cooper ACC. Liked what I saw. A strong runner, good step, courageous under the high ball and not too shabby on defence. Needs to "spontaneously" come into the line a little bit more. Starting to prefer him at 15. 6, Gagger's a 6.

14 Peter Hynes - Get in Mitchell, I'm sure he could do better. As I've said before, Hynes is a strong runner but not dynamic enough..no flair. 5, Gaggers a 6.

13 Ryan Cross - Good game for Cross unfortunately as pointed out what may stick in people's minds is his missed tackle on Carter that allowed latter to score under the posts rather than his own remarkable try.Having said that, have thought previously that his defence is pretty solid so this is just a blip. 7, Gagger's a 7.

12 Stirling Mortlock (C) - At 12 bogus. I would like to think Deans will move on some hard decisions ahead of November and give captaincy to Smithy and send Morts to the bench to freshen up. 3, Gaggers a 3.

11 Lote Tuqiri, - In the words of the Wiggles, "Lote's fast asleep, he's having a little rest, we'd better wake him up so call out "WAKE UP LOTE!". So much for his "heartfelt" article after the Ellis Park Wallaby Massacre, all words but no action..ZZzzz. 3, Gagger's a 4.

10 Matt Giteau - somethings not clicking there. Wayward passes, ineffective kicks (though Gagger's suggests otherwise) and seemingly lack of general attacking flair..me thinks its time for a stint at 12 (but does either Deano or Mitchy have the courage?). 4, Gagger's a 6.

9 Sam Cordingly[/B] - I've rated Sam in the past but not this game. Slow generally and not strong enough to cause a little havoc around the base. Hate to say it but where is Lukey? 3, Gagger's a 1.

8 Wycliff Palu - reinforced my previous opinions that he's simply not playing his size. We know he is a devastating ball carrier but has done nothing this series to warrant a starting position. Good thing he got injured when he did (in the nicest way possible) and allowed Brownie to show the rest of the world what we at the Force have known. 4, Gagger's a 3.

7 George Smith - I believe should be captain. Is reliable, courageous and a consistent performer. As pointed out by Gagger, the stab kicks need to be rethought or practiced a little bit more. He's obviously trying to take on the role of playmaker however he needs to be abit more clever about it. 7, Gagger a 7.

6 Rocky Elsom - One run or was it two. Perhaps he did alot more work in the thick of rucks that I didn't get to see much of him. Basically nothing stands out so I'll go with Gagger's 4.

5 Nathan Sharpe - Have to argue with Gagger on this one. Same sub-par? I think Gagger's got a bias against Sharpie. I thought this was a better performance and in my view was better or on par with Horwill. Yes, Horwill scored a try however I think and will have to confirm with the stats that Sharpie had a lot more ball, drove in alot more aggressive than previously and was reliable in the lineouts. 6, Gagger's a 3 (you can't be serious).

4 James Horwill - A breath of fresh air as a 2nd rower with loose forward tendancies. Great in open play, not sure how he goes in tight play ( I will pay attention next game). 6, Gagger's an 8.

3 Al Baxter - Happy with general front row performance. 6, Gagger's a 7.

2 Stephen Moore - Well played generally. Sure, a few short penalties here and there but good to see an exuberant hooker who packs in a solid tackle here and there and is generally there in general play. 6, Gagger's a 5.

1 Benn Robinson - Starting to rate him pretty well. Another who's getting involved around the pitch effectively which is good to see. 6, Gagger's a 7.

Others:
Richard Brown - Did not let us down. Refreshingly more productive than Palu and would hope he's done enough to warrant a start. Superb support play and plays above his weight. 7, Gaggers a 7.



Rating system:
10 - A legendary performance to go down in the history books
9 - Man of the match worthy performance
8 - Outstanding
7 - Good game, great in parts
6 - Solid performance
5 - Average - ho hum
4 - Below par
3 - Had a bad game
2 - Tell your story walking pal
1 - A complete joke.[/QUOTE]

[GIGS20]

Like your numbers Kenya. I think we'll see a youth policy on the NH tour. Not so sure about Gits at 12 because I don't see a 10 anywhere in Australia who can match Gits at the moment, sad but true, Gits will be an OUTSTANDING second five once he gets a playmaker better than him in 10 Maybe O'Connor is the one (give him a few years yet though) How's Beale faring, He might be the missing 12 until Barnes is better, he's gotten rid of the brain fart chip kicks this year and might just be able to avoid sucking enough to keep the pressure off Gits. We were really killed by the loss of our only other international standard playmaker to injury. Barnes goes down and you could see Robbie trying everything he had in the cupboard to replace him but there was nothing suitable. Stirling was (at least) not a total turnstile but not the man we needed there against the ABs with silverware on the line.

My advice to Robbie, look at the holes (Mainly 10, 6, 12) and go for youth, the existing squad doesn't have enough depth in those areas. I think the could cover the loose forward thing easily. I'm not so sure who's got a young 10 or 12 of a suitable standard though.

[greenandgoldrugby]

Guys, fair enough for sticking up for you captain on TWF. I've stuck up for Sharpe elsewhere in the past.

But I still haven't heard any solid defence of what he did, apart from the lineout, which everyone else did their bit in as well. And yes, I realise he had similar headgear to Horwill, who was immense.

Is anyone disputing the shocking miss on Conrad Smith to let in the Woodcock try?

[Swee_82]

Gagger, stats in isolation can never tell the whole story but, according to them:

*Sharpe missed 3 tackles (vs 2 for Horwill)... stats can't argue for the relative 'cruiciality' of those misses. He also made one more tackle (10/9)
*Rucks and Mauls- Sharpe 12 vs Horwill 5
*Metres gained Sharpe 58 vs Horwill 32
*Runs Sharpe 14 vs Horwill 6
*Horwill wins line breaks 2-0
Otherwise, the two were statisically equal (shame no figures about lineout work to hand, but we can agree it wasn't the disaster it was, so congrats to all concerned there)

Yet somehow, one bloke gets "Man of the Match" and the other a "3- Had a bad game". I'm not trying to downplay Horwill's effort, or suggest Sharpies was MOM material, but I don't think their performances were so diametrically opposed because of one missed tackle either.

[KenyaQuin]

If I could give you more than one "Praise" for that Swee, I would.

[Endurance]

I'm not so sure who's got a young 10 or 12 of a suitable standard though.

Tyrone Smith was a standout this year at 12 with the Brumbies and won S14 rookie of the year. Hope Deans give Smith a shot, his a promising fresh talent, even for a leaguie.

[gustafsl]

What about Tom Carter too. As much as I hate the Tahs, he actually showed some skill this year. And not just picked on name like Tahu.

[robyn <3]

good work gagger

sharpie wasnt too bad. MUUUUCH bettter than mmm

KQ you beat me to it. ryan had a better game than i have seen from stirling all season. he was outstanding until those two tackles came along. the rest of the time his defence was solid and id prefer to see him at 13 than mortlock now.

lote was shocking. id rather drew replaced him than hynes though. lote thinks he is king of the world and he needs to be hit with some reality. after last night and the weekend before's performance any other bloke would have been dropped, and i dont see any reason why lote shouldnt be droppped, apart from his incredible journalist talents

grandpa cords was shocking!

deans didnt use the bench enough. when the kiwis brought all their replacements on they picked up the pace and we should have fought fire with fire instead.

our scrum was... good. im amazed but pleased

[gustafsl]

Is anyone disputing the shocking miss on Conrad Smith to let in the Woodcock try?

So he missed one tackle on one of the best centres in the world. There were 14 other guys on the field who didn't tackle Smith either.

Horwill got an 8, so we'll say that was a 7 plus one for the try. Sharpe had better stats than Horwill and coincidently the lineout was brillant now that Sharpe was back in (you argue everyone did their bit, but why didn't they all do their bit in SA?? or against NZ in Auckland when Sharpe was off the field???).

So basically Sharpe was on par with Horwill so you are saying he deserves to go from a 7 to a 3 based on one missed tackle??

Don't be ridiculous, one tackle (no matter how bad) shouldn't take a guy from a 7 to a 3. If that's the case what about the 6 or 7 guys that lined up on the wrong side of the ruck for the first try? That try is worth just as much as the Woodcock try.

[greenandgoldrugby]

Gagger, stats in isolation can never tell the whole story but, according to them:

*Sharpe missed 3 tackles (vs 2 for Horwill)... stats can't argue for the relative 'cruiciality' of those misses. He also made one more tackle (10/9)
*Rucks and Mauls- Sharpe 12 vs Horwill 5
*Metres gained Sharpe 58 vs Horwill 32
*Runs Sharpe 14 vs Horwill 6
*Horwill wins line breaks 2-0
Otherwise, the two were statisically equal (shame no figures about lineout work to hand, but we can agree it wasn't the disaster it was, so congrats to all concerned there)

Yet somehow, one bloke gets "Man of the Match" and the other a "3- Had a bad game". I'm not trying to downplay Horwill's effort, or suggest Sharpies was MOM material, but I don't think their performances were so diametrically opposed because of one missed tackle either.

I think the Stats guys confused the headgear. Easily done apparently