Tom Wright

[Bearfax]

I did see him play both in Holden Cup for several years and in his 5 or so NRL games. He definitely had talent though it was only utilised very infrequently. Think a more infrequent James Roberts (without off-field issues)... if the game didn't come to him, he was a bit invisible.

If all it took was someone from Rugby to get in his ear after 5 NRL games (which were mostly without highlights) for Tom to go decide he was going to pack up and go back to rugby, then I don't think he was ever going to stay with us for long to be honest.

Also, while he has mercurial talent... he has not proven to be a superstar in either rugby code, and he has been in rugby as an adult for 2 years now (he's 9 months younger than Tom Trbojevic).

So, given the above I am disagreeing with your assertion that Barrett is responsible for him leaving, and that he would have stayed for Des.

Its a curious issue about Tom Wright. I could only find him listed as being involved in four games not five and it may have been that someone recording games played, had mistaken him in one game for Matt Wright, who played a lot of games during the disastrous 2018 season when they came second last. They may have listed Tom Wright with an extra game when it was Matt Wright playing. Go through the games. I have several times. There are only four appearances.

Tom played 6 minutes in Round 10, 56 minutes in Round 15 when he scored that magical try, 65 minutes in Round 18 and 38 minutes in Round 19. Barrett obviously shelved him after that game because he didn't play again and it was during those latter games that he signed with the Brumbies. Total was 165 minutes, just a few minutes over two games worth of minutes on the field and not once for a complete game.

Tom came into a team that was losing consistently that year. As I saw it he was scapegoated for the poor performance of the rest of the team that was faltering badly. Had he been brought in carefully, probably on the wing at first as often happens, it could have been a totally different story. His defence wasn't poor, it was just average. In the St George match DCE consistently headed for Kelly's side, probably on Barrett's instruction and I recall being baffled because the St George side woke to it, had their players ready and just crowded Kelly over the side line several times. Wright rarely got the ball, and when he did he was given little space to move.

Tom Wright was handled very poorly in my opinion

 

[manlyfan76]

Beauden Barrett is playing #10 this week. A very, very special talent.

Richie Mo'unga. Played last week.

 

[Scorpio]

Its a curious issue about Tom Wright. I could only find him listed as being involved in four games not five and it may have been that someone recording games played, had mistaken him in one game for Matt Wright, who played a lot of games during the disastrous 2018 season when they came second last. They may have listed Tom Wright with an extra game when it was Matt Wright playing. Go through the games. I have several times. There are only four appearances.

Tom played 6 minutes in Round 10, 56 minutes in Round 15 when he scored that magical try, 65 minutes in Round 18 and 38 minutes in Round 19. Barrett obviously shelved him after that game because he didn't play again and it was during those latter games that he signed with the Brumbies. Total was 165 minutes, just a few minutes over two games worth of minutes on the field and not once for a complete game.

Tom came into a team that was losing consistently that year. As I saw it he was scapegoated for the poor performance of the rest of the team that was faltering badly. Had he been brought in carefully, probably on the wing at first as often happens, it could have been a totally different story. His defence wasn't poor, it was just average. In the St George match DCE consistently headed for Kelly's side, probably on Barrett's instruction and I recall being baffled because the St George side woke to it, had their players ready and just crowded Kelly over the side line several times. Wright rarely got the ball, and when he did he was given little space to move.

Tom Wright was handled very poorly in my opinion

If Wright's response to 4 mostly indifferent NRL games (I think the 5th was in the Nines competition) was to ask for a release from his contract and switch back to rugby... then I have my doubts about whether he was ever going to succeed in the grind of playing NRL. Or if he really wanted to play NRL.

As for saying he would have stayed if he knew Barrett was leaving and Des was coming... I very much doubt it.

 

[XV-1]

Wright has speed to burn. He is better than all our current wingers.

We should bring him back.

 

[manly al]

Mentioned previously that Tom Wright should have been given a go by Barrett on the wing and still think that he had the attributes if given an opportunity there to evolve into a Chris Hicks or even Chris Walker type of winger for Manly . Not too mention his ability to play full back [ and he was a goal kicker as well ? ] . Anyway not to be and unlikely in the future but an achievement to represent his country in union irrespective of their current calibre of back line talent . Good luck to him

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Its a curious issue about Tom Wright. I could only find him listed as being involved in four games not five and it may have been that someone recording games played, had mistaken him in one game for Matt Wright, who played a lot of games during the disastrous 2018 season when they came second last. They may have listed Tom Wright with an extra game when it was Matt Wright playing. Go through the games. I have several times. There are only four appearances.

You saying they got the wrong Wright? Hmmm

 

[Bearfax]

If Wright's response to 4 mostly indifferent NRL games (I think the 5th was in the Nines competition) was to ask for a release from his contract and switch back to rugby... then I have my doubts about whether he was ever going to succeed in the grind of playing NRL. Or if he really wanted to play NRL.

As for saying he would have stayed if he knew Barrett was leaving and Des was coming... I very much doubt it.

He had been with Manly for several years and had in fact turned his back on a Rugby Union career and an assured spot in the Australian Union 9s (read articles hat testify to that several years back) to come to Manly, by the Fulton clan. No way was his commitment other than to play first grade for the Sea Eagles.

The kid was outstanding in the juniors and had talent well suited to the game. He had issues like every player coming through as oppositions find flaws in a players game. Happens to every player. But they need the experience in first grade to address those issues. Even Ponga, Cleary, Best etc have had their problems when coaches work them out.

The last thing Wright needed was to be shunted about between 5/8 and centre in a failing side and expected to perform miracles. Doesn't happen and that's why premature thoughts regarding young Hopa, I believe are misplaced. Same happened with Gutherson who was just setting out.

Premature assessments leave egg often on the face of those expecting unrealistic performances in kids when they first start. Thurston was a perfect example. Wright obviously knew he wasn't going to get a fair shake with Barrett, and that coach had a year left on his contract. He wasn't to know what followed. The big offer and a belief from a more sensible coach at the Brumbies came along and now he's in the Wallabies. If I had been in his position, I would have done exactly the same if I knew I wasn't wanted. Gutherson all over again

 

[Scorpio]

The last thing Wright needed was to be shunted about between 5/8 and centre in a failing side and expected to perform miracles.

You are aware that Wright played just about every position in the Brumbies backline last year, right?

The reason was because he didn't have consistent enough form to 'own' any single position, so they shuffled him around... which was the exact same story when he played rugby league!

Now he's hit form on the wing this year... which is a different requirement to playing wing in NRL.

Barrett was responsible for coaching the 2018 team to 15th - He wasn't responsible for a rookie deciding to quit the sport of his own volition.

 

[Jacinta Martin]

There could be many reasons why he left. I'm sure I've read it somewhere but I didn't pay much notice. There was a incident at his last game where someone connected to him was removed from the stadium for insulting a players wife. I don't know which wife but he went not long after that.
Whether that's factual or not who knows, if memory serves me correctly, it was written somewhere around the time he left.

 

[Bearfax]

You are aware that Wright played just about every position in the Brumbies backline last year, right?

The reason was because he didn't have consistent enough form to 'own' any single position, so they shuffled him around... which was the exact same story when he played rugby league!

Now he's hit form on the wing this year... which is a different requirement to playing wing in NRL.

Barrett was responsible for coaching the 2018 team to 15th - He wasn't responsible for a rookie deciding to quit the sport of his own volition.

The point is Scorpio that if Barrett had tried Wright similarly and the wing was his best position then bingo we have a winger superior to any we have today. Doesn't matter where he plays in the end. As I pointed out if he had played him on the wing as many young back liners do, then it may have been a different story, especially given his pace could only have been topped by Turbo and DCE (that wing position was actually suggested by several on this site including myself to get him started, but of course we are just amateurs).

The kid had talent and we let him go. Barrett obviously gave up on him after Round 19, because he didn't play in the side for the last 6 games, and in a side desperate for a little imagination. Instead we had a plodding backline that was lucky not to get the spoon.

If this kid becomes a star like Gutherson became, can you really say we shouldn't have kept him. I doubt that he would have left if he thought he would be given a good chance to be in first grade and that's every players hope. And that's what he got at the Brumbies. If we had him today on the wing, wouldn't you think he could have done better than what we have. He was let go, just as Gutherson was.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Regardless , good luck to the kid tonight , his childhood dream will now be complete.

 

[globaleagle]

Proof that the Wallabies are in the Wright hands

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has made a multitude of divisive team changes for Game 4 of the Bledisloe Cup series. However, it is the…

www.theroar.com.au

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has made a multitude of divisive team changes for Game 4 of the Bledisloe Cup series. However, it is the selection of debutant Tom Wright that piques my interest and proves the Wallabies are in the right hands.
Since the beginning of his tenure, Rennie insisted on a performance-based policy within the Wallabies squad and explicitly highlighted that an international Test cap must be earned.

Three games into what he referred to as a four-year campaign, numerous weaknesses have revealed themselves.

 

[nightster]

First touch scores a try

 

[simon64]

Scores with his first touch after 2 minutes.

Lol @ us.

 

[nightster]

And the blacks hit back

 

[manlyfan76]

He has looked more threatening than 28 of our top 30

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Scores with his first touch after 2 minutes.

Lol @ us.

Lol, Gary Winter could have scored that !!

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Amazes me how they manage to make rugby a more slow, boring game year by year

Game was slated to start 49mins ago and only 32mins gone so far

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Very poor decision by Barrett not to start him more regularly. A little like our Des this year dragging his heals with Schuster.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

He got an opportunity with us, and didn’t take it, simple as that for me, and his actions in his final match saw him rightly hooked early on in the match, and then he backed that up taking the easy road heading to rugby rather than digging in and having a go

I was really happy to see him get a crack when he got it to see what he could do, and after his game against the Roosters where he missed a simple tackle leading to a break and didn’t even bother to chase, I wasn’t disappointed not to see him feature again