Rugby Freaks

[Crucial]

@bovidae said in Rugby Freaks:

People also forget that Cullen wasn't a big guy but was strong and could bust through tackles. For context, he was smaller than TJP.

Really? Mind you TJP might have been measured with that funny ruler used for for Ardie.

[Bovidae]

@crucial Cullen is listed as 1.80 m and 85 kg.

[Crucial]

@bovidae said in Rugby Freaks:

@crucial Cullen is listed as 1.80 m and 85 kg.

Yeah, I'm just looking at pictures in my head. Just shows how much the average player size has changed as Cully was never considered small.

[taniwharugby]

@bovidae wasnt he reputed to be able to bench >140kg or something ridiculous for a guy his size, especially in an era when rugby players were only just embracing professionalism.

[Chris]

Cullen was a real freak player IMO,To be able to Step at full pace thats not easy to do most players lose pace when stepping, so I reckon thats freakish.Plus his instinct to find gaps was amazing.

[ARHS]

Cullen Campo J van der Westhuizen Serevi Hugo Porta would be my top 5.

[Nepia]

Also, of all the freaks mentioned so far I'd say he'd easily be the best defender.

[Nepia]

We're concentrating on backs, and of the forwards MJ has been correctly mentioned, but Zinny would have to be another forward, had all the skills of a back in a forward's frame.

[mariner4life]

@catogrande said in Rugby Freaks:

@crucial

Good call on Jones. I also take your points re Cullen but would say they weren’t freakish. Other guys had those attributes, just not all of them.

Richie, yes agree, what made him different was the motor and between the ears.

Cullen had physical gifts unmatched by anyone i have seen. Not the "huge islander who can move" gifts, but incredible acceleration, top end pace, the ability to change direction at pace, and he was freakishly strong for his size. There's never been another like him to have those attributes all to that level.

[Bovidae]

@nepia I mentioned Zinny - a 1st 5 trapped in a no.8s body.

[Nepia]

@bovidae said in Rugby Freaks:

@nepia I mentioned Zinny - a 1st 5 trapped in a no.8s body.

Whoops, that will teach me to read threads properly. (Well it likely wont).

[mariner4life]

see, i wouldn't have called Zinny a freak. Great player, my favourite 8 of all time.

But i feel you could learn to be him. Talented? Absolutely, but i never looked at him and thought "one of a kind"

Tongan Thor is a freak. The way that guy moves for his size is incredible. If he was a fraction less, lets graciously call it excitable, he's be World XV any day. Even with his shortcomings he an absolute weapon.

[Dice]

@nepia said in Rugby Freaks:

Also, of all the freaks mentioned so far I'd say he'd easily be the best defender.

Caucau was a pretty good defender too, he just didn't get credit for it.

[MN5]

@dice said in Rugby Freaks:

I'd put Joeli Vidiri in the freak category.

Faster than both Jonah and Cullen at full speed apparently.

[MajorRage]

Taniela Tupou is the biggest freak in the game these days.

How he can be that big and quick blows my mind.

He should have a 100mln NFL contract.

[taniwharugby]

@dice when he was interested...sometimes he didnt even look like he was trying!

It was Cully's explosive pace that covered up his positional deficiencies on defence allowing him to cover.

[antipodean]

Haven't read thread. I nominate the following three players without any prior thought.

• Lomu. Sure he was bigger than everyone else, but he wasn't a lumbering buffoon; he had pace, power and balance.
• Cullen. There's never been a better fullback. Never. Just look at any of his highlight reels on youtube.
• Caucau. For a brief period he looked like he was playing against park footballers.

[Dice]

@taniwharugby said in Rugby Freaks:

@dice when he was interested...sometimes he didnt even look like he was trying!

It was Cully's explosive pace that covered up his positional deficiencies on defence allowing him to cover.

You're probably a better judge than me. I only really remember his defense for the Blues, which I found impressive.

[MajorRage]

Skinstad was something else when he first came on the scene.

Andrew Walker probably the most natural runner I’ve seen on a rugby field.

[taniwharugby]

@majorrage I'd go Pierre Spies, that dude was a freakish athlete, although never really fulfilled the potential