AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass
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@machpants said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@canes4life said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@dice he was exceptional in 2015 and was robbed of the 2015 WPOTY title. Nonu was the complete player by the end of his international career, and we can all probably agree that no one has come close to performing to his standard in the 12 jersey since. (Apart from maybe SBW).
SBW nowhere near Nonu, not even close. He can break, and offload. Couldn't kick and his defence relatively suspect, still had League brainfarts, and not even half his long pass
Prone to Red cards too
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@canes4life SBW looked to be hitting his straps and was pressing Nonu for a start but then went back for a stint at League (was it 2013?) and came back and Nonu owned the jersey.
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@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@taniwharugby Yeah - rugby has evolved.
With possibly a tiny handful of exceptions - the best ever All Blacks have played within the past 10 years.
Guys like Cully, Jonah, JK, Wilson, Bunce, Brooke, M Jones, Fitzy and Hayman to name just a few are more than a tiny handful.
You may be misinterpreting my point.
Cully, Brooke, Jones and Fitzy are all too small to be the best now. They would all be rag-dolled.
JK is from the amateur era - his unusual size for that era would be totally nullified - he'd now be a smallish winger.
Hayman, maybe. Jonah, maybe.
That's a silly way to look at it and makes the exercise pointless, let's just trash this thread now. If playing now all if those three bar maybe Cullen would be bigger (Fitzy is roughly the same size as Coles), and even then I reckon even Cullen would have a bit more explosive muscle (if that's possible).
Also, thinking JKs key ability was his size is just plain silly, yes he had power, but he also had pace and running skill - and he'd be gymed up to fuck if h was playing now.
Does anyone else remember John Drake explaining how they deliberately didn't update their weights back then so the opposition thought they were lighter?
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@nepia said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@taniwharugby Yeah - rugby has evolved.
With possibly a tiny handful of exceptions - the best ever All Blacks have played within the past 10 years.
Guys like Cully, Jonah, JK, Wilson, Bunce, Brooke, M Jones, Fitzy and Hayman to name just a few are more than a tiny handful.
You may be misinterpreting my point.
Cully, Brooke, Jones and Fitzy are all too small to be the best now. They would all be rag-dolled.
JK is from the amateur era - his unusual size for that era would be totally nullified - he'd now be a smallish winger.
Hayman, maybe. Jonah, maybe.
That's a silly way to look at it and makes the exercise pointless, let's just trash this thread now. If playing now all if those three bar maybe Cullen would be bigger (Fitzy is roughly the same size as Coles), and even then I reckon even Cullen would have a bit more explosive muscle (if that's possible).
Also, thinking JKs key ability was his size is just plain silly, yes he had power, but he also had pace and running skill - and he'd be gymed up to fuck if h was playing now.
Does anyone else remember John Drake explaining how they deliberately didn't update their weights back then so the opposition thought they were lighter?
The Auckland guys were all gym junkies well before Rugby went pro which helped them take the Shield on the road and thrash division three teams by cricket scores. Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
There was a massive jump between the 80s and 90s ( where backs the size of Terry Wright, Craig Green and Warwick Taylor became relics of a bygone age ) but by the mid to late 90s the AB team was stacked with players/athletes who would still smash it in todays environment. I think Scotlands Alan Tait said it best when he went to league in the late 80s ( and was humbled by the fitness/strength requirements ) to when he came back to union in the late 90s ( where he was shocked at how conditioned, strong and powerful his union teammates had become )
Jonah played from 1994 to 2002. George Bridge plays today. Need I say anymore ?
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@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
But was also plenty handy at judo if I recall correctly.
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@nostrildamus said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
But was also plenty handy at judo if I recall correctly.
But according to @Chris-B he’d be ragdolled if he played today.
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@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nepia said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@taniwharugby Yeah - rugby has evolved.
With possibly a tiny handful of exceptions - the best ever All Blacks have played within the past 10 years.
Guys like Cully, Jonah, JK, Wilson, Bunce, Brooke, M Jones, Fitzy and Hayman to name just a few are more than a tiny handful.
You may be misinterpreting my point.
Cully, Brooke, Jones and Fitzy are all too small to be the best now. They would all be rag-dolled.
JK is from the amateur era - his unusual size for that era would be totally nullified - he'd now be a smallish winger.
Hayman, maybe. Jonah, maybe.
That's a silly way to look at it and makes the exercise pointless, let's just trash this thread now. If playing now all if those three bar maybe Cullen would be bigger (Fitzy is roughly the same size as Coles), and even then I reckon even Cullen would have a bit more explosive muscle (if that's possible).
Also, thinking JKs key ability was his size is just plain silly, yes he had power, but he also had pace and running skill - and he'd be gymed up to fuck if h was playing now.
Does anyone else remember John Drake explaining how they deliberately didn't update their weights back then so the opposition thought they were lighter?
The Auckland guys were all gym junkies well before Rugby went pro which helped them take the Shield on the road and thrash division three teams by cricket scores. Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
There was a massive jump between the 80s and 90s ( where backs the size of Terry Wright, Craig Green and Warwick Taylor became relics of a bygone age ) but by the mid to late 90s the AB team was stacked with players/athletes who would still smash it in todays environment. I think Scotlands Alan Tait said it best when he went to league in the late 80s ( and was humbled by the fitness/strength requirements ) to when he came back to union in the late 90s ( where he was shocked at how conditioned, strong and powerful his union teammates had become )
Jonah played from 1994 to 2002. George Bridge plays today. Need I say anymore ?
At least George has scored a try against the Boks…
Can I get an Amen.
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@act-crusader said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nepia said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@taniwharugby Yeah - rugby has evolved.
With possibly a tiny handful of exceptions - the best ever All Blacks have played within the past 10 years.
Guys like Cully, Jonah, JK, Wilson, Bunce, Brooke, M Jones, Fitzy and Hayman to name just a few are more than a tiny handful.
You may be misinterpreting my point.
Cully, Brooke, Jones and Fitzy are all too small to be the best now. They would all be rag-dolled.
JK is from the amateur era - his unusual size for that era would be totally nullified - he'd now be a smallish winger.
Hayman, maybe. Jonah, maybe.
That's a silly way to look at it and makes the exercise pointless, let's just trash this thread now. If playing now all if those three bar maybe Cullen would be bigger (Fitzy is roughly the same size as Coles), and even then I reckon even Cullen would have a bit more explosive muscle (if that's possible).
Also, thinking JKs key ability was his size is just plain silly, yes he had power, but he also had pace and running skill - and he'd be gymed up to fuck if h was playing now.
Does anyone else remember John Drake explaining how they deliberately didn't update their weights back then so the opposition thought they were lighter?
The Auckland guys were all gym junkies well before Rugby went pro which helped them take the Shield on the road and thrash division three teams by cricket scores. Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
There was a massive jump between the 80s and 90s ( where backs the size of Terry Wright, Craig Green and Warwick Taylor became relics of a bygone age ) but by the mid to late 90s the AB team was stacked with players/athletes who would still smash it in todays environment. I think Scotlands Alan Tait said it best when he went to league in the late 80s ( and was humbled by the fitness/strength requirements ) to when he came back to union in the late 90s ( where he was shocked at how conditioned, strong and powerful his union teammates had become )
Jonah played from 1994 to 2002. George Bridge plays today. Need I say anymore ?
At least George has scored a try against the Boks…
Can I get an Amen.
Upvote for a fucken brilliant laugh I’ll give you that.
When Bridge gets his own Playstation game, cologne, CD and gets offered a part in a Bond movie then we’ll talk.
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@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nepia said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@taniwharugby Yeah - rugby has evolved.
With possibly a tiny handful of exceptions - the best ever All Blacks have played within the past 10 years.
Guys like Cully, Jonah, JK, Wilson, Bunce, Brooke, M Jones, Fitzy and Hayman to name just a few are more than a tiny handful.
You may be misinterpreting my point.
Cully, Brooke, Jones and Fitzy are all too small to be the best now. They would all be rag-dolled.
JK is from the amateur era - his unusual size for that era would be totally nullified - he'd now be a smallish winger.
Hayman, maybe. Jonah, maybe.
That's a silly way to look at it and makes the exercise pointless, let's just trash this thread now. If playing now all if those three bar maybe Cullen would be bigger (Fitzy is roughly the same size as Coles), and even then I reckon even Cullen would have a bit more explosive muscle (if that's possible).
Also, thinking JKs key ability was his size is just plain silly, yes he had power, but he also had pace and running skill - and he'd be gymed up to fuck if h was playing now.
Does anyone else remember John Drake explaining how they deliberately didn't update their weights back then so the opposition thought they were lighter?
The Auckland guys were all gym junkies well before Rugby went pro which helped them take the Shield on the road and thrash division three teams by cricket scores. Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
There was a massive jump between the 80s and 90s ( where backs the size of Terry Wright, Craig Green and Warwick Taylor became relics of a bygone age ) but by the mid to late 90s the AB team was stacked with players/athletes who would still smash it in todays environment. I think Scotlands Alan Tait said it best when he went to league in the late 80s ( and was humbled by the fitness/strength requirements ) to when he came back to union in the late 90s ( where he was shocked at how conditioned, strong and powerful his union teammates had become )
Jonah played from 1994 to 2002. George Bridge plays today. Need I say anymore ?
How was Jonah under the high ball? As a defender?
I can remember him getting lambasted for jogging back to balls kicked behind him, but that was probably after his kidney problems really kicked in - so not peak Jonah.
He would still cut it with ball in hand. But, peak RIoane and peak JSavea are pretty likely to be more rounded players and not much of a step down offensively.
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@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nepia said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@taniwharugby Yeah - rugby has evolved.
With possibly a tiny handful of exceptions - the best ever All Blacks have played within the past 10 years.
Guys like Cully, Jonah, JK, Wilson, Bunce, Brooke, M Jones, Fitzy and Hayman to name just a few are more than a tiny handful.
You may be misinterpreting my point.
Cully, Brooke, Jones and Fitzy are all too small to be the best now. They would all be rag-dolled.
JK is from the amateur era - his unusual size for that era would be totally nullified - he'd now be a smallish winger.
Hayman, maybe. Jonah, maybe.
That's a silly way to look at it and makes the exercise pointless, let's just trash this thread now. If playing now all if those three bar maybe Cullen would be bigger (Fitzy is roughly the same size as Coles), and even then I reckon even Cullen would have a bit more explosive muscle (if that's possible).
Also, thinking JKs key ability was his size is just plain silly, yes he had power, but he also had pace and running skill - and he'd be gymed up to fuck if h was playing now.
Does anyone else remember John Drake explaining how they deliberately didn't update their weights back then so the opposition thought they were lighter?
The Auckland guys were all gym junkies well before Rugby went pro which helped them take the Shield on the road and thrash division three teams by cricket scores. Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
There was a massive jump between the 80s and 90s ( where backs the size of Terry Wright, Craig Green and Warwick Taylor became relics of a bygone age ) but by the mid to late 90s the AB team was stacked with players/athletes who would still smash it in todays environment. I think Scotlands Alan Tait said it best when he went to league in the late 80s ( and was humbled by the fitness/strength requirements ) to when he came back to union in the late 90s ( where he was shocked at how conditioned, strong and powerful his union teammates had become )
Jonah played from 1994 to 2002. George Bridge plays today. Need I say anymore ?
How was Jonah under the high ball? As a defender?
I can remember him getting lambasted for jogging back to balls kicked behind him, but that was probably after his kidney problems really kicked in - so not peak Jonah.
He would still cut it with ball in hand. But, peak RIoane and peak JSavea are pretty likely to be more rounded players and not much of a step down offensively.
Not relevant to this discussion as you were talking about getting “rag dolled”
Jonahs lack of basic skills in some areas have been done to death. His offence was the best the game has ever seen.
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@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nostrildamus said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
But was also plenty handy at judo if I recall correctly.
But according to @Chris-B he’d be ragdolled if he played today.
His All Black profile says he was 102 kgs.
Wait - that might be a picture of Steven Kitschoff...
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@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nostrildamus said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
But was also plenty handy at judo if I recall correctly.
But according to @Chris-B he’d be ragdolled if he played today.
His All Black profile says he was 102 kgs.
Wait - that might be a picture of Steven Kitschoff...
102kg of muscle. ( if it’s even accurate, please refer to one of @Nepia s earlier posts about weight )
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@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nepia said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@taniwharugby Yeah - rugby has evolved.
With possibly a tiny handful of exceptions - the best ever All Blacks have played within the past 10 years.
Guys like Cully, Jonah, JK, Wilson, Bunce, Brooke, M Jones, Fitzy and Hayman to name just a few are more than a tiny handful.
You may be misinterpreting my point.
Cully, Brooke, Jones and Fitzy are all too small to be the best now. They would all be rag-dolled.
JK is from the amateur era - his unusual size for that era would be totally nullified - he'd now be a smallish winger.
Hayman, maybe. Jonah, maybe.
That's a silly way to look at it and makes the exercise pointless, let's just trash this thread now. If playing now all if those three bar maybe Cullen would be bigger (Fitzy is roughly the same size as Coles), and even then I reckon even Cullen would have a bit more explosive muscle (if that's possible).
Also, thinking JKs key ability was his size is just plain silly, yes he had power, but he also had pace and running skill - and he'd be gymed up to fuck if h was playing now.
Does anyone else remember John Drake explaining how they deliberately didn't update their weights back then so the opposition thought they were lighter?
The Auckland guys were all gym junkies well before Rugby went pro which helped them take the Shield on the road and thrash division three teams by cricket scores. Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
There was a massive jump between the 80s and 90s ( where backs the size of Terry Wright, Craig Green and Warwick Taylor became relics of a bygone age ) but by the mid to late 90s the AB team was stacked with players/athletes who would still smash it in todays environment. I think Scotlands Alan Tait said it best when he went to league in the late 80s ( and was humbled by the fitness/strength requirements ) to when he came back to union in the late 90s ( where he was shocked at how conditioned, strong and powerful his union teammates had become )
Jonah played from 1994 to 2002. George Bridge plays today. Need I say anymore ?
How was Jonah under the high ball? As a defender?
I can remember him getting lambasted for jogging back to balls kicked behind him, but that was probably after his kidney problems really kicked in - so not peak Jonah.
He would still cut it with ball in hand. But, peak RIoane and peak JSavea are pretty likely to be more rounded players and not much of a step down offensively.
Not relevant to this discussion as you were talking about getting “rag dolled”
Jonahs lack of basic skills in some areas have been done to death. His offence was the best the game has ever seen.
It's entirely relevant to the point that I'm arguing, which is that pretty much everyone in the best ever AB team played in the last 10 years.
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@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nostrildamus said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
But was also plenty handy at judo if I recall correctly.
But according to @Chris-B he’d be ragdolled if he played today.
His All Black profile says he was 102 kgs.
Wait - that might be a picture of Steven Kitschoff...
102kg of muscle. ( if it’s even accurate, please refer to one of @Nepia s earlier posts about weight )
He looked bigger/heavier to me.
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@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nepia said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@taniwharugby Yeah - rugby has evolved.
With possibly a tiny handful of exceptions - the best ever All Blacks have played within the past 10 years.
Guys like Cully, Jonah, JK, Wilson, Bunce, Brooke, M Jones, Fitzy and Hayman to name just a few are more than a tiny handful.
You may be misinterpreting my point.
Cully, Brooke, Jones and Fitzy are all too small to be the best now. They would all be rag-dolled.
JK is from the amateur era - his unusual size for that era would be totally nullified - he'd now be a smallish winger.
Hayman, maybe. Jonah, maybe.
That's a silly way to look at it and makes the exercise pointless, let's just trash this thread now. If playing now all if those three bar maybe Cullen would be bigger (Fitzy is roughly the same size as Coles), and even then I reckon even Cullen would have a bit more explosive muscle (if that's possible).
Also, thinking JKs key ability was his size is just plain silly, yes he had power, but he also had pace and running skill - and he'd be gymed up to fuck if h was playing now.
Does anyone else remember John Drake explaining how they deliberately didn't update their weights back then so the opposition thought they were lighter?
The Auckland guys were all gym junkies well before Rugby went pro which helped them take the Shield on the road and thrash division three teams by cricket scores. Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
There was a massive jump between the 80s and 90s ( where backs the size of Terry Wright, Craig Green and Warwick Taylor became relics of a bygone age ) but by the mid to late 90s the AB team was stacked with players/athletes who would still smash it in todays environment. I think Scotlands Alan Tait said it best when he went to league in the late 80s ( and was humbled by the fitness/strength requirements ) to when he came back to union in the late 90s ( where he was shocked at how conditioned, strong and powerful his union teammates had become )
Jonah played from 1994 to 2002. George Bridge plays today. Need I say anymore ?
How was Jonah under the high ball? As a defender?
I can remember him getting lambasted for jogging back to balls kicked behind him, but that was probably after his kidney problems really kicked in - so not peak Jonah.
He would still cut it with ball in hand. But, peak RIoane and peak JSavea are pretty likely to be more rounded players and not much of a step down offensively.
Not relevant to this discussion as you were talking about getting “rag dolled”
Jonahs lack of basic skills in some areas have been done to death. His offence was the best the game has ever seen.
It's entirely relevant to the point that I'm arguing, which is that pretty much everyone in the best ever AB team played in the last 10 years.
No, because loads of legends who would still cut it in todays physical game played outside this era. Your 10 year window is ridiculous.
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@act-crusader said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nepia said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@taniwharugby Yeah - rugby has evolved.
With possibly a tiny handful of exceptions - the best ever All Blacks have played within the past 10 years.
Guys like Cully, Jonah, JK, Wilson, Bunce, Brooke, M Jones, Fitzy and Hayman to name just a few are more than a tiny handful.
You may be misinterpreting my point.
Cully, Brooke, Jones and Fitzy are all too small to be the best now. They would all be rag-dolled.
JK is from the amateur era - his unusual size for that era would be totally nullified - he'd now be a smallish winger.
Hayman, maybe. Jonah, maybe.
That's a silly way to look at it and makes the exercise pointless, let's just trash this thread now. If playing now all if those three bar maybe Cullen would be bigger (Fitzy is roughly the same size as Coles), and even then I reckon even Cullen would have a bit more explosive muscle (if that's possible).
Also, thinking JKs key ability was his size is just plain silly, yes he had power, but he also had pace and running skill - and he'd be gymed up to fuck if h was playing now.
Does anyone else remember John Drake explaining how they deliberately didn't update their weights back then so the opposition thought they were lighter?
The Auckland guys were all gym junkies well before Rugby went pro which helped them take the Shield on the road and thrash division three teams by cricket scores. Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
There was a massive jump between the 80s and 90s ( where backs the size of Terry Wright, Craig Green and Warwick Taylor became relics of a bygone age ) but by the mid to late 90s the AB team was stacked with players/athletes who would still smash it in todays environment. I think Scotlands Alan Tait said it best when he went to league in the late 80s ( and was humbled by the fitness/strength requirements ) to when he came back to union in the late 90s ( where he was shocked at how conditioned, strong and powerful his union teammates had become )
Jonah played from 1994 to 2002. George Bridge plays today. Need I say anymore ?
At least George has scored a try against the Boks…
Can I get an Amen.
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@act-crusader said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
At least George has scored a try against the Boks…
Can I get an Amen.When George can score 15 or more tries in a RWC, then there is material worthy of comparison.
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@nostrildamus said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@act-crusader said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
At least George has scored a try against the Boks…
Can I get an Amen.When George can score 15 or more tries in a RWC, then there is material worthy of comparison.
ha ha, I farking lol'd. Was a great call
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@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@nepia said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@mn5 said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@chris-b said in AB Greatest 15 Rugby Pass:
@taniwharugby Yeah - rugby has evolved.
With possibly a tiny handful of exceptions - the best ever All Blacks have played within the past 10 years.
Guys like Cully, Jonah, JK, Wilson, Bunce, Brooke, M Jones, Fitzy and Hayman to name just a few are more than a tiny handful.
You may be misinterpreting my point.
Cully, Brooke, Jones and Fitzy are all too small to be the best now. They would all be rag-dolled.
JK is from the amateur era - his unusual size for that era would be totally nullified - he'd now be a smallish winger.
Hayman, maybe. Jonah, maybe.
That's a silly way to look at it and makes the exercise pointless, let's just trash this thread now. If playing now all if those three bar maybe Cullen would be bigger (Fitzy is roughly the same size as Coles), and even then I reckon even Cullen would have a bit more explosive muscle (if that's possible).
Also, thinking JKs key ability was his size is just plain silly, yes he had power, but he also had pace and running skill - and he'd be gymed up to fuck if h was playing now.
Does anyone else remember John Drake explaining how they deliberately didn't update their weights back then so the opposition thought they were lighter?
The Auckland guys were all gym junkies well before Rugby went pro which helped them take the Shield on the road and thrash division three teams by cricket scores. Steve McDowell as one example could bench 180kg apparently.
There was a massive jump between the 80s and 90s ( where backs the size of Terry Wright, Craig Green and Warwick Taylor became relics of a bygone age ) but by the mid to late 90s the AB team was stacked with players/athletes who would still smash it in todays environment. I think Scotlands Alan Tait said it best when he went to league in the late 80s ( and was humbled by the fitness/strength requirements ) to when he came back to union in the late 90s ( where he was shocked at how conditioned, strong and powerful his union teammates had become )
Jonah played from 1994 to 2002. George Bridge plays today. Need I say anymore ?
How was Jonah under the high ball? As a defender?
I can remember him getting lambasted for jogging back to balls kicked behind him, but that was probably after his kidney problems really kicked in - so not peak Jonah.
He would still cut it with ball in hand. But, peak RIoane and peak JSavea are pretty likely to be more rounded players and not much of a step down offensively.
Not relevant to this discussion as you were talking about getting “rag dolled”
Jonahs lack of basic skills in some areas have been done to death. His offence was the best the game has ever seen.
It's entirely relevant to the point that I'm arguing, which is that pretty much everyone in the best ever AB team played in the last
1050 years.There. That should be all that needs to be said on the matter. I’ve extended my range just so some old timer can wank on about Pinetree but this should exclude any jockey sized midfielders from days gone by who would ( as you allude to ) get rag dolled.
Good Day Sir.
