Aussie team Super 14 round-up

[greenandgoldrugby]

Come Monday next week, no-one's going to give a rats arse about the Super 14 2008, so while there's still some legs in it, how has it all worked out for the Aussie states and what does it look like for 2009?

Overall
In short, better than last year, but far from great. Three of the four teams were in the bottom half and the Brumbies and Force actually slipped spots in the ladder. While the Tahs making the final is a great headline, with the talent drain to Europe from NZ and RSA, the aim should have been for two Aussie teams in the semi's.


The Reds [2007 - 14th, 2008 - 12th]
Well, they didn't come last which is definitely an improvement, but you've still gotta say that Phil Mooney has the most unenviable job in Australian rugby. There's no other way to say it, but talent wise, the 09 Reds are f***ed. More f***ed than this year even. Among the well publicised names jumping ship are Latham, Cordingly, Croft, Moore, Rodzilla and their surprise find late in the season of Morgs Pieman Turinui.

Losing such a dollop names would be pretty crappy for any team, but the disaster for the Reds is where they have won this year has been through one or two of these guys pulling the rest of the team behind them - Latham sometimes single-handedly until he got injured (the first time). You don't get the feeling there's any real system or structure for the wide-eyed youngsters replacing this lot to slot into (which is what saved the Brumbies this year). On top of this, all players know it and are staying way clear of the struggling Queenslanders. You've gotta wonder how long the likes of Barnes and Horwill will hang around - Cooper is a red herring.

It's a long, long road back for the Reds - 3 to 5 years I reckon - but for the sake of Aussie rugby I hope Mooney, and the QR coffers can get it done.


The Brumbies [2007 - 5th, 2008 - 9th]
I had the men from ACT wrong earlier in the season when I feared they were heading toward the bottom of the table. What I'd underestimated was the amount of talent and leadership George Smith and Mark Gerrard could infuse into this young team. These two pulled the likes of Tyrone Smith, Afeaki, and Lealiafano through the hump of the season and there are glimmers from players like Kimlin, Alexander and Salvi to make the next couple of seasons interesting.

However, my feeling is that they need a big signing or two to be real contenders again. Giteau would do this, but more realistic is probably the likes of Berrick Barnes, who could finally show us what he can do with some quality around him. There have also got to be question marks over how long Mortlock will be there, with parts of his body falling off and Euro-bucks calling. Andy Friend the new coach (pictured) inherits a work in progress.


The Force [2007 - 7th, 2008 - 8th]
At points in the season, like when they posted back to back victories in New Zealand, you thought the Force were going to be Australia's big challenge for the competition. At these times they produced more breathtaking rugby than any other Australian side has this year. Looking back at it, the only thing that stopped them making this challenge, was between the ears.

Whether it was within a game, like versus the Crusaders when they had the game won and then turned it over, or for whole home games too numerous to mention, the Force have a habit of 'turning off'. It could be the vestiges of being only 2 years old at the beginning of this season that there isn't the winning mentality baked in. But I smell something else. The numerous stories, from Quokka fiddling to belting the crap out of each other in pubs, smack of a culture that isn't right from the top down. Is Mitchell too close to the players, or too far away? :mitch

Whatever it is, the off field brain farts and the on field ones are connected. When professional teams are performing, you don't see either. If the Force can fix this, there's not much stopping them with the mix of old and new talent they've now got. Get the shrinks in.


The Waratahs [2007 - 13th, 2008 - 2nd]
Win or lose, the NSWRFU have painted themselves in one hell of corner. Sure, at the time half way through the season it looked like Link had done his dash and 5 years was time for a change. New broom and all that.

Fast forward to now. Let's just say the Tahs lose (OK, it is odds on), even so, as of the end of '08 they've got the second best team in the comp. With Carter and Aussie Robbie (at least) pissing off from the Crusaders next year, and finds like Burgess, Horne and Beale maturing, this rapidly becomes the best team in the comp and probably deservedly odds on. Happy days, theorectically.

The problem is that, as it stands, the whole coaching staff, including the guy whom the game plan is based on, (defense guru Les Kiss) is pissing off. What the Tahs have done this year hasn't come from individual flashes of genius, but from a team that's been forged together. This includes the likes of Dunning and Tuqiri, renowned loose canons. Lose the magic that McKenzie & Co. have weaved and the Tahs are back in the pack. Add to that one of the top two locks in the world (Vicks) and the incumbent Wallaby 6, Elsom heading to Europe, and all of a sudden the NSW alicadoos have one sticky situation in front of them.

Keeping Link on doesn't seem so crazy now, but that would entail a climb down. Don't hold your breath.

[BLR]

The clock brothers aren't going to be happy about your Reds analysis.

As for the Force analysis, I agreed until you brought the quokka affair into it....It has been blown out of proportion by the media and I assure you the boys have moved on. You were on the right track when you said hey don't yet have the mental strength to play to thier best week in week out, but to be fair none of the Australian teams really do, it's just that the Force have showed contrast from brilliance to rubbish play while the other Australian teams have often kept an even keel of just above average mediocre play....the Tahs have won through consistency week in, week out but have hardly set the world alight with stunning play.

[Moses]

Your boys may have moved on, however as I read this blog it is an "Aussie team Super 14 round-up" - surely any season analysis that missed the Quokka Fuokka saga would be severely lacking.

your players interfered with the localised native marsupials, then denied it, then accused the irish tourists of fabricating the story, then you all blamed the sydney papers for fuelling it, then denied stealing the tourists beer, then admitted it but it was still Growden's fault for blowing it out of proportion, then denied it again, then disciplined players... it was starting to go away then Henjack breaks Haig's jaw.

[BLR]

Your boys may have moved on, however as I read this blog it is an "Aussie team Super 14 round-up" - surely any season analysis that missed the Quokka Fuokka saga would be severely lacking.

And shouldn't it be about the RUGBY? Get your priorities right...

As for the Quokka saga, the REAL facts are still not known, because despite the fact the Island authorities found no case for the Force to answer RugbyWA put a somewhat conservative account of the events yet the papers still continued, and still do, on thier larger inflated view of the events...besides, RugbyWA dealt with both of the OFF season events on thier own initiative despite the fact the Quokka case was closed by island authorities. As for the facts what was actually known.

The Quokka was picked up, it may have been thrown, but hardly a hammer throw. The milk crate DID NOT happen. The Irish tourists, did they actually exist? Why were they not identified? The stealing of the unknown Irish tourist beers, not confirmed at all. The fact that there is all these vague matters to do with this Quokka story puts it in my mind as simply something to sell papers, the facts were released by RugbyWA and the rest of SMH's attempt to make the story a bit more sensational, the vague sources are a case in point.

And to round up, these are professional sportsman, do you honestly think they would read trashy newspapers like the SMH?

[chook]

BLT, you bite HARD.

The stealing of the beer is very very disturbing. And un-Australian. Did Mitchell have a hand in this?

You didnt talk enough about Beale, Gagger. 100 points this season so far!! Best player in Australia at the moment.

[Burgs]

The stealing of the beer is very very disturbing.

You obviously didn't go to Rotto for Schoolies Chook

I guess it is a half full/half empty glass scenario however, I think Phil Mooney has the most enviable job in Australian Rugby personally.
I assume you are reffering to opportunity to take the title however, success for him will be measured by far different standards than that.
He is an experienced youth Coach and has basically a youth squad now.
Assuming he can keep together what remains of his squad now (Horwill, McMenimen, Holmes etc) and pick a couple of the free players in the Australian Under 20's Squad (Ratu for one) I think he will have them up to mid table by 2010, which for the Reds would be a huge turnaround.
If you read through their bio's, many of Australia's brightest lights have come from and been recruited by Queensland in the last three years.

[greenandgoldrugby]

As for the Force analysis, I agreed until you brought the quokka affair into it....

Let's forget the 'alleged incident', I wasn't trying stoke up a fire already raging! My point was purely that something wasn't mentally right with the Force this year, and this was an example among others.

Burgs - I like the optimism and hope Mooney does well. Let's see how the long the media and QRU give him though.

[Burgs]

Let's hope the QRU give him longer than the media, otherwise they will be looking for a Coach around Round 7 next year

[GIGS20]

Let's forget the 'alleged incident', I wasn't trying stoke up a fire already raging! My point was purely that something wasn't mentally right with the Force this year, and this was an example among others.

I thought the comments were right on the money GGR Even John Mitchell mentioned him in his sum up of the season after the Brumbies game......It hurt...fer sure, but it was a symptom not the cause...we've got a head problem to sort out, when we do, we will become the Crusaders.......Hopefully it's all about being three years old and not really having a culture yet!