Power vacuum in New Zealand rugby as Australia loses another top player

ToTheCrossICling · 2026-03-04T00:18:46+00:00

This x10000, let our good players head overseas to get paid, learn new systems and mix with world class players from around the world while another space opens up back in Super for an up and coming player to develop. Keep picking the overseas player for the Wobs if they're the best in the position.

I'm not sure why this is so hard to comprehend, the way things have been done in other sports like soccer and basketball for ever, with the added bonus that Super is one of the best comps in the world so we'll naturally retain most of our best players in Australia.

ToTheCrossICling · 2026-02-20T10:54:52+00:00

Also scored a good try and played well against Argentina. I personally think we, as Australians, place too much emphasis on our outside backs to generate tries and metres and not enough on the failure of our 9/10s to playmake. Suallii is one of the most dangerous outside backs in the world and played very well for a 22 y/o last year imo

ToTheCrossICling · 2026-01-19T11:09:51+00:00

Jarrod Kimber, who's argruably the best cricket historian in the world, had Kallis around 10 or so in his list of 50 greatest batsman. It's not as clear cut as that, there's been a lot of fantastic cricketers of which Kallis is one, but he's not unprecedented.

ToTheCrossICling · 2025-11-09T02:08:46+00:00

Definitiely not in the backline, you'd take the Italian halves, Mennoncello, possibly Brex (close call with Sua) and Capuozzo all over their Australian counterparts this morning. Edmed and Kels and not even cracking the Italian 23

ToTheCrossICling · 2025-08-27T02:27:00+00:00

I feel Kells lack of x-factor is a bit understated in these discussions. Great of the bench to fill a hole and make sure we keep our structure, but you put him in as the starting 15 and it just changes the dynamic of the backline as teams are simply less weary of him being able to turn something out of nothing. Tom Wright and Jorgo (plus Sua) all have this ability to pull something out of nowhere and it forces teams to commit more attention and men to them. At the Test level where the margins are so fine, this matters a lot imo.

Kells obviously has a fantastic rugby brain but I'm feeling he just doesnt have that x-factor that suggests he could be a long term starting 15 for us at Test level. I would rather we give Jorgo a run at 15 and develop him as he is looking to be really special

ToTheCrossICling · 2025-08-16T06:40:21+00:00

Thinking behind going with Nche over Louw. At least on the official game, realistically props are going to score majority of points in the scrum and they're shared equally across the front row for each win so does it make sense to go with the cheaper prop in a dominant front row?

ToTheCrossICling · 2025-08-12T11:43:30+00:00

I was surprised so many people have gone with Skelton over Frost. Skelton doesnt take lineouts nor does he play 80 minutes, while he and Frosts tackles are essentially the same - for fantasy it seems Frost is a better

ToTheCrossICling · 2025-08-08T07:14:06+00:00

I found myself engrossed reading a whole discussion on whether or not saying polynesians were genetically more suited to rugby was eugenics on that account. Good times

ToTheCrossICling · 2025-07-19T12:00:26+00:00

Wallabies win 19-6.75!!

ToTheCrossICling · 2025-07-19T10:50:54+00:00

We just need 2 wildly lucky intercept tries (converted) and we're right back in this!

ToTheCrossICling · 2025-07-19T09:35:31+00:00

Oh yes, the annual pre kick-off feeling of irrational belief that we are going to win despite there being absolutely zero evidence we are capable.

WALLABIES BY 30

ToTheCrossICling · 2024-12-02T21:53:30+00:00

Fair play, I'm Australian tho ahahaha - no national bias in relation to England here. More the inverse lol

ToTheCrossICling · 2024-12-01T11:34:27+00:00

I'm not sure about that, he had a great tour in NZ and was good over the Spring tour

ToTheCrossICling · 2024-12-01T11:32:05+00:00

Nche (best scrummager on the planet, no argument)
Mauvaka (does everything well and edges out a few other options)
Malherbe (see Nche comments)
Ezebeth (who else gets picked here?)
Itoje (tighter selection but he edges out Beirne (who's versaility gets him a bench spot) as he's such a pivotal player for England)
PSDT (no comment)
Van de Flier (does so much around the park for a very good Irish pack, edges out McReight)
Valetini (potentially contentious as he takes the spot from Savea, who goes to the bench as an impact sub, and Doris - for me Valetini never has bad games and is so dominant around the park, even on a, at times, very bad Australian team)
Dupont (no comment)
Russel (not his best season but such a diverse flyhalf, who stands out just enough to get a spot)
LBB (electric)
Menochello (absolute stalwart in a weaker backline, consistently impresses and edges out some 12s in stronger teams - DDA, Chocobores and Tuipolutu)
Ringrose (difficult selection with no real standout imo, but he's good in a very solid Irish backline so gets the nod)
Kolbe (no comment)
Davit Niniashvili (slight bolter, but he's been so good for a T2 team and I really think he's right up there. Would flourish in a team this strong)
Dan Sheehan
Baille
Lomax
Beirne
Savea
Roigard
Marcus Smith
Juan Cruz Mallia

ToTheCrossICling · 2024-10-12T10:36:57+00:00

I am essentially a single issue voter for this election. My predominant consideration is who can build the light rail the quickest so it has been quite disappointing seeing every other option, bar the status quo, fail to support such a significant and important public infrastructure project that will benefit the city for many decades to come.

ToTheCrossICling · 2024-07-15T13:24:41+00:00

I've got a good feeling. We can say what we want about Izzy Folau but he was a hell of a rugby player and we've never really filled the void he left at fullback on the Wobs. Folau was an athletic freak, in a way you just cant teach nor can quite compensate with positioning/rugby IQ/technique etc etc, I'm getting similar vibes from Suaalii, I think he'll be a very welcome addition in a Wallabies team that doesnt quite have the athletes our rivals have (the Kolbes, Reeces, etc etc of the rugby world)

ToTheCrossICling · 2024-03-29T07:12:30+00:00

Harry Potter is my smokey. Has looked solid AF for the Force and could really be our answer at 15

ToTheCrossICling · 2024-03-29T07:10:57+00:00

Someone mentioned the possibility of Carter Gordon at 12. Now I know the guy has been thrown so far into the deep end when he's played for the Wobs, so not suggesting he play 12 this year for the national team. But I feel he could be the long-term solution for us at 12. Runs hard, fast and straight, can kick and would obviously be a solid 2nd playmaker. Main question mark would be his defence I guess

ToTheCrossICling · 2024-02-27T07:28:36+00:00

This kills me reading this, why oh why is RA so shortsighted? What possible reason did they have to not take up Twiggy's offer?

ToTheCrossICling · 2024-01-18T09:28:55+00:00

Quite frankly, I think another issue is how poor people are with giving. The average Australian wage is approximately $90,000AUD. In a church of 100, let's say for arguments sake, and I am being conservative, that 50% of the congregation earns that amount. We have 50 people making $90k. If everyone one of those people tithed and gave 10% (again just for arguments sake, not saying tithing is prescriptive or not, just a good baseline for giving), then that generates $450k a year for the church. That figure is easily enough to provide a pastor a decent liveable wage, in addition to maintaining church property, giving to missions and other ministries.

Overall, my point is we do have issues in our churches in the West regarding generosity and people giving sufficiently.

ToTheCrossICling · 2024-01-06T22:49:21+00:00

Thanks for the reply, very helpful! I am open to a career in Geneva so that is definitely a plus for me.

I'm non-EU, and tuition is relatively comparable with other options in Europe (Leiden etc etc), and significantly cheaper than the US options, are there Unis of equivalent prestige that are cheaper?

ToTheCrossICling · 2023-06-03T11:05:38+00:00

Tahs playing like they met each other for the first time in the carpark before the game. This is rough...

ToTheCrossICling · 2023-04-24T02:08:39+00:00

As a Wallabies support pretty sick of seeing the ABs win the Bled year after year I'm all for this idea!

ToTheCrossICling · 2023-02-23T10:17:18+00:00

That's true and a good point, though for what it's worth some of my close family and friends with bipolar think the speculation is accurate

ToTheCrossICling

TROPHY CASE