Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play
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@rotated said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@akan004 said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
Who are our young and promising locks?
Reminds you that having world class locks for NZ is the exception rather than the rule. Having one is rare for us, two is unthinkable.
We could be heading back to the era where there is a carousel of locks and we are regularly monstered in the lineout by TRC opponents.
Ironically the development of quality young locking talent has been a disappointment in the past decade. Yes Whitelock and Rettalick will likely retire two of the best three locks in AB history - but the amount of guys that showed raw talent and were identified early and none go close to their potential Bird, Beckhuis, Donnelly, Hoeata, Ross - even Boric I though had more if not for injuries - which comes with the territory for a lock.
Hoeata for one was WAY too undertall to be a regular test lock.
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My 2 cents. If not injured, I don't see anyone else but Retallick, Whitelock (S), Barrett (S), Romano and/or PT make the 2019 RWC squad. IMO there's no one else at the moment who has stood out enough, except maybe Fatialofa, but he's very injury prone. I'm happy to be proven wrong during the upcoming SR season, but none of the names mentioned here seem convincing, except Bird and we're yet to hear whether he'll be staying in NZ after 2018, and maybe Lousi or Tom Franklin(?).
For the future (after 2019), players like Hemopo, Strange and possibly (?) Fin Hoeata might be worth a look and whichever other, new talent has emerged. And Cridge if he can still walk by that time and has some SR under his belt.
Btw, Romano and Barrett (S) are signed through to 2018, Retallick and PT to 2019, and Sam Whitelock to 2020.
Btw 2, according to their profiles Cowley-Tuioti is 1cm smaller and Fatialofa 1cm taller than Barrett . -
its another of those catch 22 situations isn't it...BBBR & SW are crucial cogs in the AB machine, so you want them out there as much as possible, you don't wanna throw someone out there just to try and develop them.
I think they are pretty good right now, new ones always will and will continue to pop up, aside form the blip in Chicago last year I think our locking over the past few seasons has been managed well and expect going forward they will integrate new faces into the fold.
The fact that numerous players are used shows they are looking at options, with Romano & Barrett the best of those right now, unfortunately Tuipulotu hasn't quite kicked on as many would have expected, but then he's had a tough run the past year or so, so hopefully 2018 will be the year he establishes himself as #3, and if good enough, pressure BBBR & SW into playing better
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@pakman said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
I thought Hemopo was excellent for Clan and Maori. But at 1.93m more the size of a 'tight' 6 than a test lock. Scratton was good for Blues at 5 if one is looking for an aerial as opposed to power lock.
Would love to see Hemopo at 6 as well.There's no doubting his physicality in the tackle and at the rucks, which is something the two current blindsides lack.
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@akan004 said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@pakman said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
I thought Hemopo was excellent for Clan and Maori. But at 1.93m more the size of a 'tight' 6 than a test lock. Scratton was good for Blues at 5 if one is looking for an aerial as opposed to power lock.
Would love to see Hemopo at 6 as well.There's no doubting his physicality in the tackle and at the rucks, which is something the two current blindsides lack.
At 1.93, Hemopo is shorter than Kaino which would make a him a very undertall lock. Anyway, he shares some physical traits with Jerome. Get him in the 6 jumper pronto. He'd make a decent lineout target in the post Kieran era.
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I'd be very surprised if, baring injury, guys like Whitelock, Coles, both Smiths and Read aren't at the world cup. Kaino is in danger of not making it and it will depend on the way the cone back from injury for guys like Dagg and Franks.
While there are plenty of tests between now and the cup it still isn't "that" long given it is only one more full season then it's a RWC year where other than a few bolters and a few outsiders falling away they will have a pretty good idea of who will be there.
Third 9, third hooker and the order of the 6s and backup 10s are the only things i really see changing significantly.
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@pukunui said in [Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play]> Third 9, third hooker and the order of the 6s and backup 10s are the only things i really see changing significantly.
and possibly another outside back - NMS in 2015, Ioane this year show it can be done (coming from a super season)
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@pakman said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@no-quarter said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
Our top back three is 11. R Ioane 14. B Smith 15. J Barrett - that has the best balance to it.
I can see Rieko moving to centre down the track but while he has his pace he's best suited to the wing at test level, he can break tight tests apart if he gets half a yard of space.
The average age of your best three is just under 24, which is ideal!
What about the average height and weight?
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@crucial said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@pakman said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@no-quarter said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
Our top back three is 11. R Ioane 14. B Smith 15. J Barrett - that has the best balance to it.
I can see Rieko moving to centre down the track but while he has his pace he's best suited to the wing at test level, he can break tight tests apart if he gets half a yard of space.
The average age of your best three is just under 24, which is ideal!
What about the average height and weight?
By average height do you mean somewhere in no mans land, between undertall and overshort?
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@crucial said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@pakman said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@no-quarter said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
Our top back three is 11. R Ioane 14. B Smith 15. J Barrett - that has the best balance to it.
I can see Rieko moving to centre down the track but while he has his pace he's best suited to the wing at test level, he can break tight tests apart if he gets half a yard of space.
The average age of your best three is just under 24, which is ideal!
What about the average height and weight?
Just observing that the extreme youth of Ioane (R) and Barrett (J) is balanced by Smith (B) being four years past the usual cut off for AB wings!
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@pakman said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@crucial said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@pakman said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@no-quarter said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
Our top back three is 11. R Ioane 14. B Smith 15. J Barrett - that has the best balance to it.
I can see Rieko moving to centre down the track but while he has his pace he's best suited to the wing at test level, he can break tight tests apart if he gets half a yard of space.
The average age of your best three is just under 24, which is ideal!
What about the average height and weight?
Just observing that the extreme youth of Ioane (R) and Barrett (J) is balanced by Smith (B) being four years past the usual cut off for AB wings!
But would three 23.5 year olds be the same?
- just taking the piss. Not sure if you were around here in the old 'Carl Hayman fits the ideal height to weight ratio for a Number 8' days
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@pakman said in Countdown to RWC 2019 - ABs state of the play:
@crucial Been around a while, but must have missed that one!
It's TSF history stuff that one. We had a poster who argued his point constantly about positions having ideal height/weight ratios and how certain existing players should look at moving positions.
If you see references to Hayman being an ideal 8, that is the origin.NB: this is not the basis of the Ardie at 12 or Dagg at 10 theories
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