My question was genuine when asking what I did. As far as I remember in Qlink and elsewhere, many direct entry candidates were also selected. Some, who in fact, like me, helped train the cadets and were more scrutinised more than 6 times a year with on going analysis of ones skills. I am not going to react to any individual here that has had a shot, because it is pointless.
The facts are this.
Fact 1) Those cadets wouldn't be in command with an ATPL if CASA had not been pressured to allow ICUS to be logged. Qantas management realised they would have a workforce of pilots unable to be given upgrades in the future and it was touch and go there for a while regarding this.
Fact 2) Those cadets cried their little hearts out when losing their ghosting seniority in QF. Welcome to the real world! If you don't work for QF, then you shouldn't ever have a seniority number (implemented by a previous QF Chief Pilot who, yes you guess it, was a cadet).
Fact 3) Cadets are humans and nice people. They have great skills and boy do they know the SOP's well. However, that doesn't mean, contrary to this argument that I keep hearing, is that GA pilots have "bad skills". If learning to instruct, being a charter pilot, going to university or a jet jock in the military is a "bad skill", then the days of being a professional Qantas pilot are numbered.
All the best to the direct entry pilots in the future and the cadets.