James O'Connor #12, Rob Horne #13?

[Epi]

Maybe we need some bigger blokes. If Tuqiri and Sailor were playing now we might have a better use for them. Sailor would make a great blockbusting 12 in the modern game.

Tuqiri would make a great 12 right about now...

 

[Gnostic]

Long term O'Connor is too small to play there in the way we play ICs. McCabe is just big enough. Horne is getting to a stage at which his injuries are making it impossible to pick him.

Again the size thing - Tim Horan arguably the best 12 ever and definietly the best Oz 12 ever was what 90-95Kg at his biggest. He was much leaner in 1991 when he first starred in Wallaby gold. O'Connor's determine if he is big enough and IMO he has the requisite skills and then some.

 

[Gnostic]

Tuqiri would make a great 12 right about now...

Some complain now that McAbe doesn't pass the ball!! If all you want is a barge man play Ita Vaea at 12.

 

[Skippy]

I think it's interesting that Eddie Jones recently wrote an article where he expressed his belief that James O'Connor is not a 10 or 12 and his best position is fullback. Eddie Jones stated that JOC (James O'Connor) is an individual player and lacks the ability to create space and put players through holes... and is more suited to hitting holes off someone else or creating his own space to run into.

Aside from that.. Chambers has been cut from QLD. It's a real shame because in 2010 he played some good footy. Don't know why he went off the pace a bit in 2011 but i suspect his shoulder injury had something to do with it. To cut him though suggest perhaps other issues were involved as I would think when in form he was a very handy player and well worth holding onto.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Yet another black mark against Eddie in my book. Did he see any of JOC (James O'Connor) playing at fullback for the Force this year? He was nowhere near as effective there as he was at 12. I'm not buying this picking two big blokes who can't or won't pass in the centres either. Tuqiri or Sailor? I just cannot see how that would work. I have this quaint idea that centres need to be able to pass the ball, well at least one of them anyway.

 

[rigs23]

JOC (James O'Connor) reminds me of Timmy H alot. Even though Horan was abit taller they have a very similar build and a similar way of cutting the line. Plus the blonde hair lol

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

JOC (James O'Connor) certainly does have some similarities to Timmy. One thing that Horan did have that JOC (James O'Connor) doesn't yet was the ability to cut a bloke in half in defence. The man was a tackling machine and virtually unpassable. If JOC (James O'Connor) ends up being anywhere near as good as Timmy he will have done well.

 

[Scotty]

JOC (James O'Connor) reminds me of Timmy H alot. Even though Horan was abit taller they have a very similar build and a similar way of cutting the line. Plus the blonde hair lol

Timmy is only around 5 10/11. Pretty much the same as JOC (James O'Connor).

I think JOC (James O'Connor) will end up at 12 but needs a bit more time to develop physically and consistent time in the position as s15 level. He might be a similar size to horan 1991 model, but that wasn't in the pro era where every player is bigger and stronger.

I still believe that JOC (James O'Connor) will end up the better player out of the young wizard group of him, Beale and cooper. I hope he can, in the future form a great centre combination with Horne ala horan/little.

 

[Uncle Pete]

Maybe we need some bigger blokes. If Tuqiri and Sailor were playing now we might have a better use for them. Sailor would make a great blockbusting 12 in the modern game.

The best 12 to play the game was Tim Horan. He is the model we should be looking to emulate: peripheral vision par excellence, tough, pacy, strong and with beautiful hands. Neither Sailor nor Tiquri would be fit to lace his boots - neither could pass and Tiquir had no idea how to recycle the ball from rucks, in particular.
I am not convinced that McCabe is out of his depth: he's tough. the question is whether he has the vision and/or whether that matters any more.

 

[dudebudstud]

At the moment if Genia and Cooper are 9,10 then A Fianga'a should be the 12. Fianga'a runs hard and straight like McCabe, is a wall in defence, but he seems to gel better with Cooper. I think once a few players get healthy the backline should look like this:

9 - Genia
10- Cooper
11- Iaone
12 - JOC (James O'Connor)
13 - A Fianga'a
14 - Mitchell
15 - Beale

I want to put AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) in at 13, but hes dropped off in form this last year for the Brumbies and Wallabies. As for Horne, he's never healthy, and I just don't think he's that great. He had his chance with the Wallabies last year and didn't impress.