Payto & Panda: Simmons shapes as Tah-rific buy, Classic Wallabies v Classic Fijians, JOC’s bold prediction
IT’S been four years and several off-field dramas since James O’Connor last played for the Wallabies. But he still believes he will pull on the gold jersey again.
CAN you have a buy of the season when the season doesn’t start for another five months?
New Waratahs recruit Rob Simmons is making a fair claim with his form for the Wallabies since defecting from Queensland and one man is happy - but not surprised - is Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson.
“He’s playing well isn’t he? His form has very good and he’s been thoroughly deserving of those starts, so good on him,” Gibson said.
Simmons was told he wasn’t wanted by the Reds earlier this year and the Waratahs — in need of an experienced lock following Dean Mumm’s retirement — jumped at the chance to sign the 75-Test veteran.
With plenty of faith shown by Wallabies coach Michael Cheika to not only include Simmons in Wallabies squads, but the starting second row as well, the often maligned 28-year-old has responded with top-shelf efforts against the All Blacks and Argentina.
“It was very simple for us,” said Gibson.
REVEALED: Waratahs’ 2018 Super Rugby draw
REVEALED: Reds’ 2018 Super Rugby draw
“He is determined, he is ambitious and he has a purpose. He wants to go to the World Cup, he wanted to stay in Australia and he wants to prove himself. To me that adds up to a very motivated player and I think you are seeing that at the moment.”
JOC’S BOLD PREDICTION
VERY interesting interview with James O’Connor in the UK Daily Mail this week, where the 27-year-old revealed he still holds a belief he’ll play for Australia again.
O’Connor is set to make his debut for Sale this weekend against Saracens. He was apparently set to come home and give Super Rugby another crack before Sale coach Steve Diamond offered him a spot at the Sharks, where he’s likely to play 10.
It’s been four years since O’Connor last played for the Wallabies.
“I know what I can do and I haven’t done anything near that yet,” he said. “A big part of that is issues I’ve had off the field.”
“I’ll play for Australia again.”
O’Connor spoke about the off-field troubles in his career, the most recent a charge of using cocaine earlier this year in Paris.
“People think they know a lot about me because of the errors I’ve made,” he told the Daily Mail.
“You can’t tell me that other people haven’t done these sorts of things. I just get caught. I get drunk and get caught.
“But people don’t know about the full story. There’s no point me telling it because no one would believe me. They have made up their minds already.”
DID FORCE SHOOT THEMSELVES IN FOOT?
THE Western Force have made strong claims about being set-up to fail in recent times but it was interesting to hear some self-blame being accepted for the club’s problems, too, during the Senate inquiry.
Ex-Force boss Mark Sinderberry argued a lack of a talent equalisation policy at the ARU had given the Force and Rebels “inferior” playing squads but he also conceded the club’s choices on coaches and players had a role in their slide.
In summing up why the Force were on the brink of insolvency in 2015, Sinderberry said: “The cumulative effect of a declining share of broadcast funds, increased player costs, consistent poor on-field performances, arguably poor coach selection and recruitment at the Western Force and a declining economy all contributed to the position in October 2015 where we asked the ARU for financial support.”
Prior to Dave Wessels, the Force had three coaches since 2006; John Mitchell, Richard Graham and Michael Foley. All three parted ways with the club acrimoniously. Mitchell was released in 2010, Graham was walked mid-season in 2012 after announcing he was going to the Reds in 2013, and Foley was sacked last year, also mid-season.
TWIST IN TWIGGY CASE
ANOTHER interesting titbit that emerged from the Senate hearing was Rugby WA’s Tony Howarth revealing Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest declared in April he didn’t want to buy the Western Force.
In refuting ARU claims Forrest didn’t get involved in the Force’s campaign until too late, Howarth said he’d had a conversation with Forrest on April 10 where the billionaire had pledged unspecified support for a legal fight against the ARU.
“His comments to me was you tell them Andrew Forrest is standing 100 per cent behind the Western Force,” Howarth said.
“The only thing he didn’t want to do was ... end up owning a rugby club.”
Forrest has ended up owning a whole rugby competition, or will at least if the Indo-Pacific Rugby Championships gets off the ground. The Mindaroo team and the ARU are still in talks about how it could work.
BOARD GAMES
COULD it really be true that a current ARU board member is being talked about as a candidate for the vacant ARU CEO’s job?
It would hardly tick the box for a fresh start, or rehabilitate the image of the ARU board, who will ultimately select Bill Pulver’s replacement.
LONG NIGHT FOR CLASSIC WALLABIES?
ANOTHER week, another good tale of the Classic Wallabies’ work.
The “Classics” — along with Aussie sevens star Shannon Parry and Wallabies Henry Speight, Tevita Kuridrani and Josh Mann-Rea — have spent the last week in Fiji running clinics for kids and community groups.
Organised by Stephen Hoiles, and funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade along with Classics’ sponsor the Warwick Hotel, the trip will culminate in a sevens match against the Classic Fijians on Saturday prior to the Fiji Drua’s NRC clash with Perth.
The Classic Wallabies squad is Lote Tuqiri, Shaun Berne, Mark Chisholm, Matt Hodgson, Pat Phibbs, Morgan Turinui, Radike Samo and Hoiles.
The Fijian squad — gulp — is chock-full of mega-legends, including Waisale Serevi, Rupeni Caucau, Isireli Bobo, William Ryder and the list goes on.
You’ll have noticed the Classics only have one reserve. We’re sending our prayers.
KIDS FOOTY BOOT AMNESTY
STILL on Fiji, the Sydney Rays will have a great charity program running on Sunday when they host Brisbane Country at Macquarie Uni.
The Rays will have a “Kids Footy Boot Amnesty” where kids are encouraged to bring their old boots along to donate, and then get in with their parents for $5, instead of $20.
The boots will be taken with the Rays to Fiji to give to underprivileged kids.
The Pacific Island’s influence on Aussie rugby is also being recognised by another round of the NRC Pasifika Cup being played prior to the Rays-Country game at 1pm. NSW Fiji are playing Sydney Barbarians at 9.50am and Tama Tonga meet NSW Samoa at 11.20am.
The Rays are also offering $5 entry for all members of Warringah, Manly Gordon and Norths and for anyone with a 2017 premiership player pass. Good deal.
MOTHS AT THE ARU
THE trophy cabinet is entirely empty at ARU headquarters at the moment, and before you get started, just settle Kiwis. We’ve got a few.
Nope, the cabinet is empty because the contents of ARU offices at St Leonards are being boxed up in readiness for a move to the shiny new HQ at Moore Park.
The Moore Park facility — which was funded by the state government and UTS — will become home to the ARU after the October long weekend. The ARU have a bit more than two floors of the five-floor building. The UTS sports science department will have the rest.
Originally published as Payto & Panda: Simmons shapes as Tah-rific buy, Classic Wallabies v Classic Fijians, JOC’s bold prediction