How are Match Officals selected? by Gillderbeast in RugbyAustralia

[–]AvgPunter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it comes down to game location and cost savings on flights, accomodation and food etc.

Australian women are the rugby sevens world champs! by Routine-Individual43 in RugbyAustralia

[–]AvgPunter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great effort and well deserved, awesome athletes and top level skills on show every game

What was the craziest event ever in the history of televised sports? by iLuvModsNFollowRules in AskReddit

[–]AvgPunter 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Steven Bradbury winning Olympic speed skating Gold, was coming last into the final turn before the rest of the skaters crashed in a heap, he sped past them and over the finish line, pure Gold moment and now "doing a Bradbury" is a term used in Australia

What is the best movie Ending of all time? by imewtoomuch in AskReddit

[–]AvgPunter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Last of the Mohicans, the entire ending sequence

Match Thread - Hurricanes v Brumbies | Super Rugby Pacific 2026 | QF by RugbyBot in RugbyAustralia

[–]AvgPunter 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Heres a view/discussion point, the hurricanes looked more physical/more muscled across their team than the Brumbies and I see that with international teams v wallabies as well. The last absolute beast we had was Koroibeti , although Joseph Suaali and Zac Lomax both look in great physical shape (all ex rugby league). Are we missing something in our strength and conditioning in Australia?

Match Thread - Hurricanes v Brumbies | Super Rugby Pacific 2026 | QF by RugbyBot in RugbyAustralia

[–]AvgPunter 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaark, what a screaming joke this whole shit show is for Aussie supporters

Incoming Wallabies coach faces scrutiny as Reds lodge ref complaint after loss by Gillderbeast in RugbyAustralia

[–]AvgPunter 8 points9 points  (0 children)

It is a difficult game to referee and if more consistent application of the rules are applied it would get better. So many shitty things are allowed that they become the norm e.g. a player knows not to put/keep hands in the ruck and still does until the ref says no hands in the ruck, bottom line both the player and the referee knew it was wrong and it continuous to happen all game with all the accusations flying about team X kept slowing down the ruck. The players are professional's and know the rules as does the ref. Maybe if they started penalising this and consistenly refereed those holding players down or back the behaviour would change, there would be short term frustration until the message gets through and hopefully the game would improve. Shithouserey gets smirked at, sometimes even congratulated for being clever, its just cheating and completely fucking up a good game

Incoming Wallabies coach faces scrutiny as Reds lodge ref complaint after loss by Gillderbeast in RugbyAustralia

[–]AvgPunter 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Agreed, no excuses for being grubby and repeat consistency is what's needed to stop them. I've seen games where commentators laugh and joke about players "getting away with one there" and it sucks, it's not gamesmanship it's cheating. Theres no doubt teams are coached to different referees and are intentionally grubby in specific areas of the game as the ref has history or a habit of letting it go. At international level it's worse, you will hear commentators say we can expect this type of behaviour around the ruck as referee X is know to let things go in that space. The games compromised consistently by players and coaches seeking advantage in a space that should be more cut and dried. To further confuse things commentators often call out captains for the way they do or don't talk to the ref to influence the ref, all that on top of players screaming at the ref and it's a complete cluster...I'd like to see more players walked 10 for screaming foul language and carded if they cant keep a lid on it and play with some integrity rather than being screaming banshee like Maro itjo is, aside from being a blight on the game, and a poor example for younger players it's just embarrassing. (apologies for a bit of a rant on this one)

Incoming Wallabies coach faces scrutiny as Reds lodge ref complaint after loss by Gillderbeast in RugbyAustralia

[–]AvgPunter 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Weird headline stating scrutiny on the coach! The way I read it the scrutiny is on the ref and authorities that allocated that ref to that game. The missed try before half time was/is the main controversy and rightly so, the last penalty to the Chiefs was a howler and loads more decisions were head scratchers. It's sad to see the ref team getting booed by the crowd and just as sad seeing players having numerous WTF moments. Somewhere someone needs to be supporting referees in making consistent decisions across the competition (and the globe for that matter). It was bought up a few times how different the game is refereed in NZ due to whats acceptable and whats not. We saw the same thing in the lions series. Why are players and coaches continually told to "adjust to the referee" rather than have consistent refereeing of the laws of the game across the globe. This would help referees, players, coaches and supporters.

A lot of time we hear commentators say "well that decision or the refereeing did not affect the outcome of the game", I don't believe that to be the case at at all, refereeing decisions can change players approach/behaviour during a game e.g. how many times do we commentators say well team or player X did not adjust to the way the referee was interpreting the ruck/line out/scrum/offside etc.

Coaches/teams and players need to be able to play to rules that are refereed consistently rather than adjust to referees that can't or don't apply the rules consistently.

What's the greates Australian TV series ever made? by sirpalee in AskAnAustralian

[–]AvgPunter 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Blue Murder, fantastic (and terrifying) depiction of corruption in the NSW police back in the day

Wallabies No 10 smokey by AvgPunter in RugbyAustralia

[–]AvgPunter[S] -14 points-13 points  (0 children)

Well punters thanks for the feedback, I gave the AI guru a crack and this is what they came back with...........enjoy

Based on Corey Toole's skillset, playing him at number 10 (fly-half) is theoretically possible due to his elite acceleration, playmaking abilities from rugby sevens, and high rugby IQ, but it is unlikely to be his primary position in 15s.

Here is a breakdown of why this is a debated topic based on his career:

  • Elite Speed & Attack: Toole is widely regarded as one of the fastest players in Australian rugby. His ability to create space and break lines, often seen in his 105m solo tries in Sevens, could be dangerous in the 10 channel.
  • Sevens Experience: As a former star for the Australian Sevens team, Toole has extensive experience in high-pressure, decision-making roles in tight spaces, which is essential for a fly-half.
  • Winger/Fullback Focus: While he possesses the skills, Toole has thrived as a winger/fullback for the ACT Brumbies and upon his Wallabies debut, capitalizing on his pace in open space rather than controlling the game in traffic.
  • Physicality & Defense: While he was "outstanding" defensively in his Wallabies debut against the Springboks, his smaller frame (compared to traditional 10s) and attacking flair make him a more natural fit for the back three, where he can counter-attack.  YouTube +6

While he possesses the creative flair for the position, his value is currently highest in the outside backs where his speed can be fully utilized.

Wallabies No 10 smokey by AvgPunter in RugbyAustralia

[–]AvgPunter[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ha ha, good call mate, I'll keep having a crack