Running Rugby- Australia's Jonah Lomu

[Joe Mac]

Who is the most famous rugby player of all time? If you ask anyone who isn't a die-hard fan I would bet that the likely response is Jonah Lomu. Why? He wasn't by any means the best player. But. He was certainly the most entertaining to watch.

There has been a lot of talk of late of how to get the fans back to Rugby, and a lot of speculation about how to get people interested in the game again. What I don't understand is why don't they just have a look at what has worked in the past.

While Australia can't bring Jonah across the ditch and convert him to the Green and Gold, we can certainly do the next best thing. Develop our own hulking giant. But wait. The Waratahs already have one ion Nemani Nadolo.

Can someone explain to me why this 123kg hulking giant hasn't made an appearance for the tah's yet? He scored 13 tries in seven matches for Randwick in the Shute Shield. He was the leading scorer in the IRB World Junior Championship. Recently he played in the Waratahs trial and was singled out as having an outstanding game scoring a pie to boot.

If Hickey wants more tries, and bigger crowds, i think the Tah's are crazy not to get this kid on the park sooner rather than later!

 

[fatprop]

Because he turns like a tug boat and doesn't work hard enough off the ball.

 

[Langthorne]

can he pass, tackle, kick?

can he play 13?

why not put him on the bench and give him run if the right situation arises? (desperation?)

 

[TOCC]

the only resemblance he has to lomu is his skin color and size, he is pretty quick but he doesnt have the natural abilitiy that Lomu had

 

[rsea]

He was the next big thing in 09 before being injured.
You might see him in 2010 but he'll need to prove himself over some good players to get there. I saw some of him in shute shield last year but I wasn't impressed.

 

[TOCC]

he was the next big thing at Sydney Club level, which was because of his massive physicality, i dont think size alone will cut it at S14 level. He needs to improve many other areas of his game as well.

I do hope we see more of him, but maybe his one dimensional game is more suited to NRL where he just needs to be a finisher.

 

[Lee Grant]

There's been a few posts about the big fella in the last couple of years.

We Sydneysiders have watched him a lot. He ran over a lot of people in 2008; so he got in the Tahs squad for 2009 but hurt himself in training and was never fit enough to be considered to play in a game.

In 2009 he was more tentative in club rugby and even started chipping the ball over people.

He's trimmed down a lot in Tahs training and I hardly recognised him in a trial at Viking Park a couple of weeks ago. He played OK too without setting the world on fire.

His basic problem is that he isn't really a footie player yet - if he's ever going to be one. For example: he often has problems catching the ball and passing it if he does catch it. Add an etc after that too.

He was one of the few fit contracted Tahs S14 players who did not get picked for the RSA tour. Instead they took a winger who is not even in the Tahs Academy - Peter Betham.

I wouldn't write him off yet but he will have to prove himself early in the Shute Shield to get his contract renewed.

 

[RugbyReg]

If Hickey wants more tries, and bigger crowds, i think the Tah's are crazy not to get this kid on the park sooner rather than later!

to be honest, I don't think that's a big priority for him.

 

[Zinzan]

the only resemblance he has to lomu is his skin color and size, he is pretty quick but he doesnt have the natural abilitiy that Lomu had

Well said 'TOCC'. He's too much like his cousin Lote Tuqiri.......OVER RATED!!!

Saw him play shute shield and agree with the rest....alot to learn and doesn't help his development being compared to Jonahs Running(he tackles like Jonah though-not very well). NZ rugby nutz said the same about Roy Kinikinilau, who was also rubbish.

 

[Viking]

I seen the big guy play in the trials and he looked pretty skillful for a big guy to me. He made a few good passes and caught the ball from kicks fine. If he was born a decade ago he'd be up there jomu. IMO he's a slightly smaller, can still run over ppl but not quite as good atslomu, but i recon he'd be more skillfull. GIVE HIM A GO ALREADY! mitchell and turner arent doing much. Im hoping he'll be a wallaby bolter.

 

[TOCC]

exactly, if he were born a decade ago when wingers weighed more like 80kg rather then the 95kg they weigh these days then he would have been a superstar.

I wonder how he would go at been converted to number8 or blindside flanker, he has the size, speed and the requirement for passing and catching skills is lower.

 

[Biffo]

exactly, if he were born a decade ago when wingers weighed more like 80kg rather then the 95kg they weigh these days then he would have been a superstar.

I wonder how he would go at been converted to number8 or blindside flanker, he has the size, speed and the requirement for passing and catching skills is lower.

Joe Roff, Ben Tune and Stirling Mortlock were all about 100 kg IIRC.

 

[cyclopath]

exactly, if he were born a decade ago when wingers weighed more like 80kg rather then the 95kg they weigh these days then he would have been a superstar.

I wonder how he would go at been converted to number8 or blindside flanker, he has the size, speed and the requirement for passing and catching skills is lower.

More to the point, he would be performing very well in under-11s, actually! :lmao:

 

[TOCC]

exactly, if he were born a decade ago when wingers weighed more like 80kg rather then the 95kg they weigh these days then he would have been a superstar.

I wonder how he would go at been converted to number8 or blindside flanker, he has the size, speed and the requirement for passing and catching skills is lower.

Joe Roff, Ben Tune and Stirling Mortlock were all about 100 kg IIRC.

obviously there is going to be exceptions biffo, in the same breath there are just as many wingers who are closer to 80kg, realistically i probably should have said in the era pre-1995

 

[DPK]

shane williams is 80 kilos...

 

[Jethro Tah]

That 115kg unit Banahan who plays wing for Bath and for England on occasion springs to mind in comparison, i.e. big but not much else.

 

[Gagger]

I don't remember Lomu being able to do much more than run over people or fend. Worked pretty well though.

 

[en_force_er]

I wonder how he would go at been converted to number8 or blindside flanker, he has the size, speed and the requirement for passing and catching skills is lower.

Or even a sprinting/tackle busting lock! Would of been terrific but it's too late now.

He wouldn't have the ruck or set piece understanding to be a forward and even if he could get his head round it I hear bad things about his defense.

 

[troya]

We are quite happy to have him signed with the Manly Marlins this year ....

Who is the most famous rugby player of all time? If you ask anyone who isn't a die-hard fan I would bet that the likely response is Jonah Lomu. Why? He wasn't by any means the best player. But. He was certainly the most entertaining to watch.

There has been a lot of talk of late of how to get the fans back to Rugby, and a lot of speculation about how to get people interested in the game again. What I don't understand is why don't they just have a look at what has worked in the past.

While Australia can't bring Jonah across the ditch and convert him to the Green and Gold, we can certainly do the next best thing. Develop our own hulking giant. But wait. The Waratahs already have one ion Nemani Nadolo.

Can someone explain to me why this 123kg hulking giant hasn't made an appearance for the tah's yet? He scored 13 tries in seven matches for Randwick in the Shute Shield. He was the leading scorer in the IRB World Junior Championship. Recently he played in the Waratahs trial and was singled out as having an outstanding game scoring a pie to boot.

If Hickey wants more tries, and bigger crowds, i think the Tah's are crazy not to get this kid on the park sooner rather than later!

 

[Joe Mac]

It's worth having a look on youtube at the Waratahs v Fiji Warriors game. Very impressive with the ball in hand. A few quality offloads as well