Wallaby Locks - The Future

[Richo]

Richo - you are identifying yourself as somebody who doesn't watch the "Spartacus" TV series and the connection with my gladiator comment.

I like the show though I appreciate that there may be some who are offended at seeing attractive naked ladies getting rodgered.

I look beyond that at the artistic merit of the series and the superb acting.
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Oh, I've seen the show and got the reference. I still don't want to think about backs being anywhere near Jupiter's cock.

 

[tranquility]

Blokes like Blake Enever are the ones we should be talking about in here.

Sure he isn't even playing super rugby regularly yet, but he is a raw boned massive man that looks like a bikie, and plays like one too. Rory Walton, over at the Force is another one too. Big country boys ready to rip in. Not mollycoddled debating captains who played rugby when they weren't rowing, proper hard-boned blokes, especially when they haven't taken the traditional rugby pathways.

Also, that bloke who bit that Saffa in the currie cup - let's get him home too.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Don't agree re Hodgson and Robinson. Both have seen their best days imo. Robinson mostly injured last year and not much chop when he did play.

Ease up on Beau there. I know he's not the new superstar on the block which is so fashionable right now, but he is hard as nails, can link, can pilfer and only 2 years ago was shutting Richie McCaw down in a Super Rugby final. Also don't discount how badly long term injuries affect play. Especially when you are a 7, the player who needs to be the fittest man on the park.

There's a reason why out of that squad, Link played Beau whenever fit. He has shown he doesn't have a hard on for 7's by dropping Gill for the touring party for the Wallabies, so obviously he rates Beau, even if only in the context of the Reds backrowers at the time.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Ease up on Beau there. I know he's not the new superstar on the block which is so fashionable right now, but he is hard as nails, can link, can pilfer and only 2 years ago was shutting Richie McCaw down in a Super Rugby final. Also don't discount how badly long term injuries affect play. Especially when you are a 7, the player who needs to be the fittest man on the park.

There's a reason why out of that squad, Link played Beau whenever fit. He has shown he doesn't have a hard on for 7's by dropping Gill for the touring party for the Wallabies, so obviously he rates Beau, even if only in the context of the Reds backrowers at the time.

Two years ago Beau was in tremendous form, and should have played in the RWC in place of Ben McCalman. Injuries are commonly the reason for sudden drops in form in good players (I'm wondering here about Genia, Moore and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to be honest), and Beau did miss most of 2012 with injury iirc. But, whatever the reason, he was not playing anywhere near that standard this year when he got on the field. I was merely saying that, this year, imo Colby has been playing better and should be next cab off the rank after Gill for the 7 position.

 

[tranquility]

I agree Cottrell > Quirk (at least more potential imo).

What do you base this on?

 

[Braveheart81]

What do you base this on?

Better haircut.

 

[tranquility]

That laughable, Quirky's chop is the business.

I am genuinely interested. Because they are about the same age (I believe Quirk might be a year younger) both from Brisbane and about the same size. Cottrell was definitely one who the Reds missed out on. But I'm not sure either has shown too much at super level just yet. Although I do know that Quirky did a ton of work this year, hopefully he can be a pit more consistently dynamic in future seasons.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Two years ago Beau was in tremendous form, and should have played in the RWC in place of Ben McCalman. Injuries are commonly the reason for sudden drops in form in good players (I'm wondering here about Genia, Moore and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to be honest), and Beau did miss most of 2012 with injury iirc. But, whatever the reason, he was not playing anywhere near that standard this year when he got on the field. I was merely saying that, this year, imo Colby has been playing better and should be next cab off the rank after Gill for the 7 position.

BR, was merely saying that his best years aren't necessarily best him. I think we both agree there's a reason why he was below his best this year, which will hopefully pass after a full ITM Cup campaign and Reds pre season.

 

[Forcefield]

I am genuinely interested. Because they are about the same age (I believe Quirk might be a year younger) both from Brisbane and about the same size. Cottrell was definitely one who the Reds missed out on. But I'm not sure either has shown too much at super level just yet. Although I do know that Quirky did a ton of work this year, hopefully he can be a pit more consistently dynamic in future seasons.

Cottrell probably doesn't get as much game time as Quirk as he was rotated with Brown and McCalman so maybe he isn't as widely noticed by non-Force fans. From the handful of games Reds games I have seen this year and almost all the Force games, I think Cottrell is the better player.

 

[Lee Grant]

Bob Dwyer looked about again and selected Steve Merrick from the NSW Country/ Singleton sides without have played rep level Rugby (the last time this happened). Merrick showed in the next two tests against the ABs (so much for players not making their debuts against the ABs, how about making their rep level debut) that he was a test level halfback. On the eve of professionalism he decided against a Rugby Career in favour of driving his trucks.

One of my all-time favourites is Steve Merrick.

When he was asked why he gave up his chance to earn money playing rugby he said he didn't want to live in the 'big smoke'.

He said he wanted to live in a place where he could play cricket in the streets and didn't have to move the stumps all the time because of passing cars.
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[twenty seven]

Just catching up on ITM cup and the Northland Taniwha are playing Hawkes Bay. There is a big lump of a lad playing second row for the Taniwhas called Tom Murday.

Google tells me that he is playing for the Canberra Vikings but he appears to be unsigned at Soup level.

The NZ Commentators are suggesting on the back of a NZ mother that he should be playing Soup Rugby for a Kiwi Franchise. We can ill afford to lose talent to the Darkness.

Saw him out played in club rugby this season by timber taller and bigger. Hear the ravings but saw better.

 

[twenty seven]

Blokes like Blake Enever are the ones we should be talking about in here.

Sure he isn't even playing super rugby regularly yet, but he is a raw boned massive man that looks like a bikie, and plays like one too. Rory Walton, over at the Force is another one too. Big country boys ready to rip in. Not mollycoddled debating captains who played rugby when they weren't rowing, proper hard-boned blokes, especially when they haven't taken the traditional rugby pathways.

Also, that bloke who bit that Saffa in the currie cup - let's get him home too.

Country boy! Enever isn't a country boy with country boy strength. Big yes - there are,however, bigger.
As to the biter - biting does not equal strength , all it means is you will be playing a man down.
Forwards need time to develop and strengthen. We rush to many players through and identify / select players too young. Selections are given too early and not always on merit. There are some great players out there being overlooked.

 

[Train Without a Station]

Cottrell probably doesn't get as much game time as Quirk as he was rotated with Brown and McCalman so maybe he isn't as widely noticed by non-Force fans. From the handful of games Reds games I have seen this year and almost all the Force games, I think Cottrell is the better player.

Clearly a biased view based on you seeing every Force game and not many Reds ones. If you'd watched the right handful of games you'd probably say Quirk was the best 6 in Australia.

Quirk had a breakout season this year, if he can consistently put in some of his performances like against NSW, which he wasn't able to do this year, he will be a genuine wallaby chance in 2014.

I'm not claiming he necessarily is better, but he's had some cracking games.

 

[Forcefield]

No more biased than the fact that I am a Force fan. If you watched the right handful of games you could probably say any team's 6 is the best in Australia.

I'd put good money against him making the Wallabies in 2014.

As to the biter - biting does not equal strength , all it means is you will be playing a man down.

You are getting Rory Walton confused with Rory Arnold. Also, when Arnold appealed his ban the appeal was upheld.

 

[Slim 293]

Clearly a biased view based on you seeing every Force game and not many Reds ones. If you'd watched the right handful of games you'd probably say Quirk was the best 6 in Australia.

Quirk had a breakout season this year, if he can consistently put in some of his performances like against NSW, which he wasn't able to do this year, he will be a genuine wallaby chance in 2014.

I'm not claiming he necessarily is better, but he's had some cracking games.

He was only the 2nd best ginger 6 in the country........

 

[Ruggo]

The first thing Australia needs to do is get over this rubbish obsession with size. This obsession has made us lazy in regards to technique.

The Brumbies though are on the money with this. They took weight off Mowen and he hasn't looked back compared to the bulk up regime he played under at the Tahs. Fardy and Carter in terms of weight are a small locking combination but they have great technique.

We need to be more concerned with the finer details of playing the game rather than the size of the player.

 

[tranquility]

Country boy! Enever isn't a country boy with country boy strength. Big yes - there are,however, bigger.
As to the biter - biting does not equal strength , all it means is you will be playing a man down.
Forwards need time to develop and strengthen. We rush to many players through and identify / select players too young. Selections are given too early and not always on merit. There are some great players out there being overlooked.

Hes from the Sunshine coast, which means he qualifies for the QLD country side - which makes him a country boy to me! You don't have to be from Roma to be from the country !

 

[Lee Grant]

We need to be more concerned with the finer details of playing the game rather than the size of the player.

I would have said "the rougher details" but I know what you mean.

Give me a "shorter" tough guy in the second row of average bulk, like Brard Thorn, every day of the week rather than a big boofhead.

Thorn wasn't bigger than the average test lock but he was strong and played bigger than the scales said. Maybe he wasn't that skilled using the ball or dodging tacklers but he could run over them and dominated opponents himself when he tackled them.

You don't need a whole pack of players who are Brad Thorn types in their position, because you need a bit of balance, and also technical nous, around the pack, but, since this is the lock thread, one of the two should have the attributes to be an enforcer and be a strong scrummager supporting the THP at shove time.

But where are they?
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[twenty seven]

Hes from the Sunshine coast, which means he qualifies for the QLD country side - which makes him a country boy to me! You don't have to be from Roma to be from the country !

There is nothing country about the Sunshine or Gold Coast. Not referring to QLD Country selections.

 

[tranquility]

When you subtract the people who are only there on vacation, how large is the population spread across how far? As what point does it become rural? Is Eumundi in the country?

Anyway, my point is - you dont need a tractor and a border collie to be a country lad.