AB Props
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Might as well start making a few specific threads..
We really don't much from our props around the field. The main example being Laulala. What personnel changes can we make without sacrificing the set piece?
I'm not convinced about Moody either. I can't see any good stats for the game, but rugbypass has Moody with no metres gained. Zero.
I know they have bad stats, but he's been bad too.
At LH, De Groot, Hodgman, Ross are existing options plus Williams from the Saders.
At TH, Ofa, Lomax, Moli (if he ever gets fit), and (edit: Mafileo?) are existing options, but Newell is the one I'm looking for to get a chance.
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Jason Ryan's philosophy has always been he'll bring in the guys that work the hardest around the field, and he'll teach them the scrummaging part. I wonder who he'd be selecting in a Razor coached team.
If Tu'ungafasi started using his size, he could be the best of an average bunch. Not counting on it, though. Hopefully Newell has an Owen Franks-like rise next year. Maybe Lomax will learn a bit from Owen Franks in the Hurricanes environment.
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At LH, De Groot, Hodgman, Ross are existing options plus Williams from the Saders.
At TH, Ofa, Lomax, Moli (if he ever gets fit), and (edit: Mafileo?) are existing options, but Newell is the one I'm looking for to get a chance.
Hodgman is one of the best in general play and his scrummaging was improving last year.
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At LH, De Groot, Hodgman, Ross are existing options plus Williams from the Saders.
At TH, Ofa, Lomax, Moli (if he ever gets fit), and (edit: Mafileo?) are existing options, but Newell is the one I'm looking for to get a chance.
Hodgman is one of the best in general play and his scrummaging was improving last year.
He has some size as well which I like and his scrummaging was improving. In hindsight, given how Karl is going, they would have been better to have taken him on this trip.
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I've seen several people with much better understanding of the dark arts say that de Groot is the future.
Front row of de Groot, Taukei'aho and Ofa would be a good place to start.
Bench of Moody, Coles and ?? to cover.
I was wondering what was wrong with De Groot, I assumed scrummaging as he was lively on the field.
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I don't think we lack for props, its more how those props are being used or played. It's funny how explosive hookers have become when they are very similar in size to many props. I just wonder why props don't seem to have the same ball carrying ability.
Another question, which international props do you think are the best and why perhaps?
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I don't think we lack for props, its more how those props are being used or played. It's funny how explosive hookers have become when they are very similar in size to many props. I just wonder why props don't seem to have the same ball carrying ability.
Another question, which international props do you think are the best and why perhaps?
Furlong is probably the standard setter at TH, can do his core jobs really well and can carry a bit. I think Sinckler is prettty useful too, even though he seems to be a bit of a twat.
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I don't think we lack for props, its more how those props are being used or played. It's funny how explosive hookers have become when they are very similar in size to many props. I just wonder why props don't seem to have the same ball carrying ability.
Another question, which international props do you think are the best and why perhaps?
The French have a couple of good ones too. Cyril Baille and Demba Bamba. Both good carriers and tireless ruck hitters.
I'd say Porter and Furlong are probably in front right now. Both v good at scrummaging and lineout, both carry (Furlong has v good passing skills), both work hard to clear rucks and both are effective, dominant tacklers.
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**I don't think we lack for props, its more how those props are being used or played. It's funny how explosive hookers have become when they are very similar in size to many props. I just wonder why props don't seem to have the same ball carrying ability.
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Another question, which international props do you think are the best and why perhaps?I don’t think this was better exemplified than when Owen Franks and Dane Coles played alongside each other.
Franks had some pretty freaky stats in terms of what he could do with his Olympic weightlifting. So it’s an absolute mystery why it took little more than a blade of grass for him to hit the deck while carrying the ball.
Some of the recent AB props seem to have taken his open play game to another level again. Laulala looks like the stereotypical fat kid who just gets in the way, fucks things up and does nothing else.
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Watching the Eng-SA and Wales-Aust tests highlighted the stark comparison about the lack of impact our props offer around the field. We saw interplay between Slipper and Tupou to make linebreaks, Sinckler running hard and the bomb squad from SA. Depressing.
I certainly think that some big decisions need to be made about who are selected as the AB props next season.
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Watching the Eng-SA and Wales-Aust tests highlighted the stark comparison about the lack of impact our props offer around the field. We saw interplay between Slipper and Tupou to make linebreaks, Sinckler running hard and the bomb squad from SA. Depressing.
I certainly think that some big decisions need to be made about who are selected as the AB props next season.
Before he got injured in 2019, we had Moli and Ta'avao and Ofa and even Moody causing heaps of problems as props that could do their core role and cause trouble around the park with their running games.
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