Seeing the article on Chris Thompson by the Tahs, made me want to look who's out there at the moment and their appropriate stats. The first number is their height (in cm) and the 2nd is their weight (in kgs)
First the props:
Ben Daley 184 108
Dayna Edwards 183 122
Greg Holmes 183 112
Jack Kennedy 184 110
Laurie Weeks 181 114
Al Baxter 190 116
Benn Robinson 183 113
Dan Palmer 180 115
Jeremy Tilse 194 117
Matt Dunning 182 115
Sekope Kepu 188 125
Ben Alexander 189 120
Guy Shepherdson 187 119
John Ulugia 180 113
Nick Henderson 186 117
Salesi Maafu 184 126
AJ Whalley 186 117
Gareth Hardy 186 110
Kieran Longbottom 181 113
Pek Cowan 185 116
Troy Takiari 191 119
Nothing really stand out there. Mildly interesting that the QLD props are all within 3cms of each. None of these monster 190cm props. Young Ben Daley, at 108kgs, still is probably a little small for pro rugby at this stage. But then again, he's not too far off Holmes and Robinson. One name there that stands out is Guy Shepherdson. Now he was decidedly average last year, but the year before I maintain that he was one of the Wallabies' best players. There's still a fairly large part of me that considers him our best RWC11 THP proposition.
Now the hookers:
James Hanson 180 99
Saia Fainga'a 187 103
Sean Hardman 183 105
Adam Freier 175 98
Tatafu Nau 181 113
Huia Edmonds 183 103
Stephen Moore 186 112
Luke Holmes 184 106
Tai McIsaacs 178 107
Moore monsters all of them, height-wise (with Fainga'a the closest) although TPN is close weight wise. But what is the idea size for a hooker this days? Although you get some flashs in the pan (Freier, Szarzewski, Brits) I think its probably fair to say that the pint-sized hooker just isn't cut out for test rugby. But this isn't test rugby just yet, but its still relevant. The Force - shees. Big year for Luke Holmes. If he can't grab the 2 jersey from McIsaacs this year he might as well just head overseas.
Locks:
Adam Byrnes 201 116
Hugh McMeniman 200 114
James Horwill 200 117
Robert Simmons 200 115
Van Humphreys 203 116
Chris Thomson 204 117
Dean Mumm 196 109
Will Caldwell 198 114
Ben Hand 196 114
Mark Chisolm 197 115
Peter Kimlin 198 114
Sitaleki Timani 202 119
Nathan Sharpe 200 113
Pat O'Connor 197 114
Richard Stanford 198 110
Sam Wykes 197 109
Tom Hockings 199 112
That's interesting. QLD's locks are all 200+! Perhaps its just a home grown tape measure. Some decent size there. Its hard to work out the Tah locks. Is Dennis more a lock or backrower? His stats come later anyway. I wonder if Mumm could carry that extra 5 kgs you could argue he needs as a test lock (if that's his best chance of a test jersey?) and maintain his mobility and speed. Interesting that Hand, the only really specialist lock at the Brums, is their shortest. But Timani is a monster. I can't wait to see him play. Really looking forward to seeing Tom Hockings from the Force play this year. I have him pencilled into my 2009 test team, alongside Jimmy Horwill, at the moment.
And finally, a smattering of backrowers:
Ezra Taylor 193 111
Leroy Houston 189 112
Scott Higginbottham 194 110
Poutasi Luafutu 186 111
Ben Mowen 195 106
David Dennis 192 104
Wycliffe Palu 194 120
Mitchell Chapman 197 110
Stephen Hoiles 190 101
Shaun Mackay 196 104
Julian Salvi 187 100
David Pusey 196 111
Tamaiti Horua 190 114
Richard Brown 189 103
I've mainly kept to non-Wallabies, although have put Brown and Palu there as a comparative piece. Can anyone remember what Leroy Houston was last year? He seems light at 112 (or lighter than usual?). Lighter than Palu at least, although 5cm shorter. Good sign? As someone (Scotty?) has said before, shees Luafutu at 111cm is bloody big for an aspiring openside. Now I know David Dennis and SHaun Mackay are "stroke" players (lock/backrow), but they don't seem to have the size for lock. Pusey on the other hand??? Hoiles isn't too far off Brown's size either. But I guess its how you use your size (size of the fight in the dog rather than dog in the fight etc).
Anyway, any other thoughts?
First the props:
Ben Daley 184 108
Dayna Edwards 183 122
Greg Holmes 183 112
Jack Kennedy 184 110
Laurie Weeks 181 114
Al Baxter 190 116
Benn Robinson 183 113
Dan Palmer 180 115
Jeremy Tilse 194 117
Matt Dunning 182 115
Sekope Kepu 188 125
Ben Alexander 189 120
Guy Shepherdson 187 119
John Ulugia 180 113
Nick Henderson 186 117
Salesi Maafu 184 126
AJ Whalley 186 117
Gareth Hardy 186 110
Kieran Longbottom 181 113
Pek Cowan 185 116
Troy Takiari 191 119
Nothing really stand out there. Mildly interesting that the QLD props are all within 3cms of each. None of these monster 190cm props. Young Ben Daley, at 108kgs, still is probably a little small for pro rugby at this stage. But then again, he's not too far off Holmes and Robinson. One name there that stands out is Guy Shepherdson. Now he was decidedly average last year, but the year before I maintain that he was one of the Wallabies' best players. There's still a fairly large part of me that considers him our best RWC11 THP proposition.
Now the hookers:
James Hanson 180 99
Saia Fainga'a 187 103
Sean Hardman 183 105
Adam Freier 175 98
Tatafu Nau 181 113
Huia Edmonds 183 103
Stephen Moore 186 112
Luke Holmes 184 106
Tai McIsaacs 178 107
Moore monsters all of them, height-wise (with Fainga'a the closest) although TPN is close weight wise. But what is the idea size for a hooker this days? Although you get some flashs in the pan (Freier, Szarzewski, Brits) I think its probably fair to say that the pint-sized hooker just isn't cut out for test rugby. But this isn't test rugby just yet, but its still relevant. The Force - shees. Big year for Luke Holmes. If he can't grab the 2 jersey from McIsaacs this year he might as well just head overseas.
Locks:
Adam Byrnes 201 116
Hugh McMeniman 200 114
James Horwill 200 117
Robert Simmons 200 115
Van Humphreys 203 116
Chris Thomson 204 117
Dean Mumm 196 109
Will Caldwell 198 114
Ben Hand 196 114
Mark Chisolm 197 115
Peter Kimlin 198 114
Sitaleki Timani 202 119
Nathan Sharpe 200 113
Pat O'Connor 197 114
Richard Stanford 198 110
Sam Wykes 197 109
Tom Hockings 199 112
That's interesting. QLD's locks are all 200+! Perhaps its just a home grown tape measure. Some decent size there. Its hard to work out the Tah locks. Is Dennis more a lock or backrower? His stats come later anyway. I wonder if Mumm could carry that extra 5 kgs you could argue he needs as a test lock (if that's his best chance of a test jersey?) and maintain his mobility and speed. Interesting that Hand, the only really specialist lock at the Brums, is their shortest. But Timani is a monster. I can't wait to see him play. Really looking forward to seeing Tom Hockings from the Force play this year. I have him pencilled into my 2009 test team, alongside Jimmy Horwill, at the moment.
And finally, a smattering of backrowers:
Ezra Taylor 193 111
Leroy Houston 189 112
Scott Higginbottham 194 110
Poutasi Luafutu 186 111
Ben Mowen 195 106
David Dennis 192 104
Wycliffe Palu 194 120
Mitchell Chapman 197 110
Stephen Hoiles 190 101
Shaun Mackay 196 104
Julian Salvi 187 100
David Pusey 196 111
Tamaiti Horua 190 114
Richard Brown 189 103
I've mainly kept to non-Wallabies, although have put Brown and Palu there as a comparative piece. Can anyone remember what Leroy Houston was last year? He seems light at 112 (or lighter than usual?). Lighter than Palu at least, although 5cm shorter. Good sign? As someone (Scotty?) has said before, shees Luafutu at 111cm is bloody big for an aspiring openside. Now I know David Dennis and SHaun Mackay are "stroke" players (lock/backrow), but they don't seem to have the size for lock. Pusey on the other hand??? Hoiles isn't too far off Brown's size either. But I guess its how you use your size (size of the fight in the dog rather than dog in the fight etc).
Anyway, any other thoughts?
