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#Post#: 138571--------------------------------------------------
Re: Womens 10am signing announcement
DIR By: Archquin
Date: May 22, 2025, 8:52 am
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Now for the men's team to announce a big signing 🤣
#Post#: 138573--------------------------------------------------
Re: Womens 10am signing announcement
DIR By: FatQuin
Date: May 22, 2025, 10:27 am
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PDJ is coming back.
#Post#: 138580--------------------------------------------------
Re: Womens 10am signing announcement
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: May 22, 2025, 11:19 am
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--- Quote from: poorfour link ---
>
> Ilona Maher would be a bigger signing commercially, but I am
not sure that she'd add as much to the squad as Wafer does. Is
she a better outside centre than Claudia Pena, or a better wing
than Lisa Neumann, for instance?
>
> Whereas a back row of Wythe, Callender and Wafer would
arguably be the strongest in the PWR. Wafer and Callender were
two of the non-English players that The Good, The Scaz and the
Rugby saw as automatic picks for a Women's Lions tour, and Wythe
was widely expected to get a 6N England call up until her
shoulder injury.
>
--- End Quote ---
Ilona Maher has looked very ordinary in the recent pacific four
games, not convinced that she is a 13, long term would be a good
option at flanker, short term pretty much what the Bears did
with her on the wing and see what damage she can do.
#Post#: 138581--------------------------------------------------
Re: Womens 10am signing announcement
DIR By: poorfour
Date: May 22, 2025, 11:55 am
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--- Quote from: Rugbycat link ---
>
> Ilona Maher has looked very ordinary in the recent pacific
four games, not convinced that she is a 13, long term would be a
good option at flanker, short term pretty much what the Bears
did with her on the wing and see what damage she can do.
>
--- End Quote ---
To be fair, she's been playing against teams ranked much higher
than the USA (one of them #2 in the WR rankings, with a very
strong centre pairing), and she made good yards against both of
them when given a chance. The US just aren't as good a team as
their opponents.
I'd love to have the crowds she can draw every week - but I
don't think she's as valuable to the squad as Wafer will be.
#Post#: 138582--------------------------------------------------
Re: Womens 10am signing announcement
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: May 22, 2025, 12:42 pm
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--- Quote from: poorfour link ---
>
> To be fair, she's been playing against teams ranked much
higher than the USA (one of them #2 in the WR rankings, with a
very strong centre pairing), and she made good yards against
both of them when given a chance. The US just aren't as good a
team as their opponents.
>
> I'd love to have the crowds she can draw every week - but I
don't think she's as valuable to the squad as Wafer will be.
>
--- End Quote ---
Australia are a couple of places higher, so there is not a
massive difference, Canada are second in the rankings but will
be interesting to see them against New Zealand, who are bringing
in their sevens players for the USA game, Alev Kelter is one of
the best in her position in the world, when not tap dancing on
peoples heads, so she has good support.
England probably have 5 better outside centre's than Maher, and
we have the best 13 out of womens sevens at Quins, Maher is box
office for social media and personality reasons, but at the
moment she does not offer much apart from size and pace as a
centre, defence and distribution are pretty much absent.
I like her as a person and how she increases visibility of
rugby, which is great and she is worth having at any club
because of the people she draws in, including many who have
never really had any interest in rugby before.
But she is far from the best player in the world, which she
admits, i feel sorry for her being pushed into outside centre
and think she would be better off on the wing.
#Post#: 138594--------------------------------------------------
Re: Womens 10am signing announcement
DIR By: poorfour
Date: May 23, 2025, 3:21 am
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Australia, in 6th, are three places ahead of the US in the
rankings, but five and a half ranking points ahead.
For comparison, the current 6th and 9th ranked men's teams are
England and Fiji (with Fiji being just under 5 ranking points
behind). You'd expect England to beat Fiji every time, despite
the quality of Fiji's best players.
And Canada played New Zealand last weekend. It was a draw -
which the Ferns were lucky to get - and because it was played on
NZ's turf, Canada took half a ranking point off NZ.
I broadly agree with you about Maher (as I've said above). There
are better players in both her positions, but I think she's also
a long way from "very ordinary" - there aren't many players who
can make the yards in contact that she does.
#Post#: 138611--------------------------------------------------
Re: Womens 10am signing announcement
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: May 23, 2025, 4:09 am
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--- Quote from: poorfour link ---
>
> Australia, in 6th, are three places ahead of the US in the
rankings, but five and a half ranking points ahead.
>
> For comparison, the current 6th and 9th ranked men's teams are
England and Fiji (with Fiji being just under 5 ranking points
behind). You'd expect England to beat Fiji every time, despite
the quality of Fiji's best players.
>
> And Canada played New Zealand last weekend. It was a draw -
which the Ferns were lucky to get - and because it was played on
NZ's turf, Canada took half a ranking point off NZ.
>
> I broadly agree with you about Maher (as I've said above).
There are better players in both her positions, but I think
she's also a long way from "very ordinary" - there aren't many
players who can make the yards in contact that she does.
>
--- End Quote ---
Sorry my bad on the Canada v NZ, i did watch that match, i was
trying to say i would be interested to see it again but with the
selection that NZ have made for the USA game, NZ seem to
understand they need a different way to have a chance in the
world cup.
I dont think she is very ordinary, but that putting her into the
most difficult position in the backline has made her look very
ordinary, she was brought into the USA setup too late to play
anywhere else than wing.
She is at the moment a female version of Matt Banahan, where
Pena is a Jeremy Guscott.
I would argue that the rankings are not set in stone as there is
a lot of trial and error in the teams selections going on, which
i hope explains where Maher is being played.
#Post#: 138623--------------------------------------------------
Re: Womens 10am signing announcement
DIR By: poorfour
Date: May 23, 2025, 4:56 am
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--- Quote from: Rugbycat link ---
>
> She is at the moment a female version of Matt Banahan, where
Pena is a Jeremy Guscott.
>
--- End Quote ---
Apt. Though Banahan's best position always looked to me to be 12
- he played there once versus the Barbarians and looked made for
it.
Pena is definitely a fair comparison with Guscott on the skills
front, but seems much more down to earth and humble as a person.
#Post#: 138641--------------------------------------------------
Re: Womens 10am signing announcement
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: May 23, 2025, 7:01 am
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--- Quote from: poorfour link ---
>
> Apt. Though Banahan's best position always looked to me to be
12 - he played there once versus the Barbarians and looked made
for it.
>
> Pena is definitely a fair comparison with Guscott on the
skills front, but seems much more down to earth and humble as a
person.
>
--- End Quote ---
Guscott has much to say, and you are right about Banahan, but
he was a victim of the Lomu big winger era.
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