Exodus 2017

Bones

@Stargazer How would you define "way better"? He seems pretty ordinary to me. Plus is almost 26....

Crucial

I'd like to see Shields have a long term crack at 8. He is wasted in the backlog at 6

Stargazer

@Bones The stats confirm what you can see on the field.

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By the way, I don't see either of these two as All Blacks. I just mentioned them to illustrate the unlikeliness of Luatua returning from Bristol and making the ABs again.

Billy Tell

Luatua is not and never will be a long term AB number 8. We have problems if he is. He's a decent enough player, but not 1st XV material. Hence the move off-shore.

taniwharugby

@Stargazer said in Exodus 2017:

@Bones The stats confirm what you can see on the field.

By the way, I don't see either of these two as All Blacks. I just mentioned them to illustrate the unlikeliness of Luatua returning from Bristol and making the ABs again.

How do we know the one on the right really is Douglas, there is no picture, it could be anyone!

Bovidae

@Crucial said in Exodus 2017:

I'd like to see Shields have a long term crack at 8. He is wasted in the backlog at 6

Shields would have to find himself a pair of hands first!

Nepia

@Stargazer I don't think your stats confirm way better with the difference in minutes played.

Unco

@Crucial said in Exodus 2017:

I'd like to see Shields have a long term crack at 8. He is wasted in the backlog at 6

I feel like people have been saying this for years yet he never really seems to get close. I think you Shields fans have to come to terms with the fact it's not going to happen.

As far as Luatua goes, I thought his best chance of getting back into the ABs was if he locked down a lock/loosie role in the squad but oh well, maybe Seu or Fifita can try and pull that off.

Crucial

@Unco said in Exodus 2017:

@Crucial said in Exodus 2017:

I'd like to see Shields have a long term crack at 8. He is wasted in the backlog at 6

I feel like people have been saying this for years yet he never really seems to get close. I think you Shields fans have to come to terms with the fact it's not going to happen.

As far as Luatua goes, I thought his best chance of getting back into the ABs was if he locked down a lock/loosie role in the squad but oh well, maybe Seu or Fifita can try and pull that off.

I'm not a Shields fan. Far from it. I have often wondered what the original excitement was.
I just get glimpses every now and then that he could be far more than an also ran and when I do I also wonder if he is in his best position.
I just kind of get the feeling that he may click and have a run of good games. He actually looks to me more like the type of loose forward that would do very well in the NH

Bones

@Crucial Reminds me of a Fritz Lee type player.

Tim

Thought that Shields defence was very good last year, and his work rate was up there. Outplayed Dixon and others.

Crucial

@Bones said in Exodus 2017:

@Crucial Reminds me of a Fritz Lee type player.

And Fritz has flourished up north. One of Clermont's best.

Crucial

@Tim said in Exodus 2017:

Thought that Shields defence was very good last year, and his work rate was up there. Outplayed Dixon and others.

Agree. maybe it's because when he tries to be more dynamic on attack he doesn't quite get there. That would not be an issue up north where they don't expect their loosies to do much more than defend and hit rucks.