All Blacks 2024.. locked

Canes4life

@akan004 said in All Blacks 2024:

@Frank said in All Blacks 2024:

Classic line from a Herald article

Tupou Vaa’i is the latest in a string of formidable locks for the All Blacks. Vaa’i has filled in superbly when his number has been called.

That's hilarious. He's probably the most underwhelming AB lock I have ever seen, even more so than Isaac Ross.

Agreed, I’ve never understood what all the fuss is about Vaa’i. We should defs not hold all our hopes and dreams on him.

Bovidae

So back to Tuipulotu and selecting Strange?

MN5

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024:

@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024:

@cgrant Lord should already be the incumbent, he's got enough size.

Too skinny. Pari Pari Parkinson is a much better bet

Especially if we want to continue losing.

Yeah considering I don’t watch the highlanders ( even though they are my second team according to a recent fern poll ) I don’t really know what I’m talking about to be fair.

African Monkey

@Bovidae Not a fan of either but quite possibly. We're not exactly blessed with massive amounts of depth there currently.

For the first time in a long long time, SR form will most likely have a big bearing on a lot of selections.

Crazy Horse

@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024:

@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024:

@cgrant Lord should already be the incumbent, he's got enough size.

Too skinny. Pari Pari Parkinson is a much better bet

Especially if we want to continue losing.

Yeah considering I don’t watch the highlanders ( even though they are my second team according to a recent fern poll ) I don’t really know what I’m talking about to be fair.

PPP is a big boy for sure, but he plays like Jane. Not someone you would select if you are looking for starch. Who knows, if he gets an injury free run he may change.

MN5

@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2024:

@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024:

@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024:

@cgrant Lord should already be the incumbent, he's got enough size.

Too skinny. Pari Pari Parkinson is a much better bet

Especially if we want to continue losing.

Yeah considering I don’t watch the highlanders ( even though they are my second team according to a recent fern poll ) I don’t really know what I’m talking about to be fair.

PPP is a big boy for sure, but he plays like Jane. Not someone you would select if you are looking for starch. Who knows, if he gets an injury free run he may change.

Good enough for me. I’ll cross him off the list. We don’t need a latter day Mark Cooksley.

Who does that leave ? Anyone ?

Rancid Schnitzel

This post is deleted!

Bones

I guess it might make for a bit of a giggle watching "fiery" Strange get the shit kicked out of him by proper international locks.

booboo

Strange and PPP in the same category for me.

Bones

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:

Strange and PPP in the same category for me.

To be fair, I kinda wish PPP had Strange's drive.

sparky

Okay my first stab at a 2024 AB team, obviously we have a whole Super Season before then.

De Groot
Sami T
Lomax
Vaai
S. Barrett (vc)
Finau
Papalii
A. Savea (c)
Roigard
DMac
Telea
J. Barrett (vc)
R. Ioane
S. Stevenson
W. Jordan

Bench: Taylor, Williams, Newell, Lord, Blackadder, Fakatava, Perofeta, Proctor.

MN5

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:

Strange and PPP in the same category for me.

So fair to say we’re not expecting the next Retallick and Whitelock then ?

sparky

Lock and First Five look to be the positions where we have the least depth. Losing Aaron Smith denies us a massive amount of leadership and experience at Half Back.

nostrildamus

@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:

Strange and PPP in the same category for me.

So fair to say we’re not expecting the next Retallick and Whitelock then ?

I'm surprised there aren't teenage Whitelocks runnning around looking about 30 years old..

booboo

@sparky said in All Blacks 2024:

Okay my first stab at a 2024 AB team, obviously we have a whole Super Season before then.

De Groot

Sami T

Lomax

Vaai

S. Barrett

Finau

Papalii

A. Savea (c)

Roigard

DMac

Telea

J. Barrett

R. Ioane

S. Stevenson

W. Jordan

Bench: Taylor, Williams, Newell, Lord, Jacobson, Fakatava, Perofeta, Proctor.

Lord to start
Scooter skipper
Any option but Jacobsen ... not that he's not up to it ... but just want more... looking for more in our back up lock/6.
Stevenson ... yeah nah

booboo

@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:

Strange and PPP in the same category for me.

So fair to say we’re not expecting the next Retallick and Whitelock then ?

Not from those two

sparky

@booboo Yep, Blackadder and Grace ahead of Jacobson. Maybe Harmon and Flanders too. There is lots of back row depth.

booboo

Yep, both the Cantabs.

And keeping an eye out through Super Rugby.

Bones

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:

Yep, both the Cantabs.

And keeping an eye out through Super Rugby.

If we discover a proper 6/lock, something interesting to see might be Kirifi on the bench.

sparky

We should have enough in the Back Three. Mark Telea will have one Wing spot stitched up for a bit. Will Jordan will be in there for sure. I think I read somewhere that Leicester Fainga’anuku’s deal with Toulon is only until June so he may be back for the 2024 EOYT.

Caleb Clarke went backwards in 2023, but has huge potential. Shaun Stevenson is great in attack but will need to learn not to be a defensive liability.

Reuben Love will be an AB sooner or later. Narawa may get another shot. Sevu Reece and Braydon Ennor should be back from injury in 2024. Kini Naholo is worth keeping an eye on.

The Silver Fern

All Blacks 2024.. locked