Top Ferners underrated players
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@Crucial see, i feel we have people like frizzell for throwing themselves at the defense with five meters to go
I think a wing that can split the defense from range is some good variety
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@Crucial said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@raznomore said in Top Ferners underrated players:
Don't understand the Bridge hate. He's Ben Smith in the early days. I never saw Caleb Ralph score tries like Bridge does either..
If he is to be equated with Ben Smith then he should be honing his fullback skills.
Smith's footwork was next level. That guy just beat people so often with a jink and step and swerve, and created some incredible AB tries. I don't see much of that in Bridge - seems more a Zac Guildford v2.0
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@Kiwiwomble said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@Crucial see, i feel we have people like frizzell for throwing themselves at the defense with five meters to go
I think a wing that can split the defense from range is some good variety
Those breaks need to get results though. Your best chance of scoring after a break is for the player that made the break to be able to go all the way. Second best chance is to link with good support.
We are talking about wingers being finishers though and finishers need exceptional finishing skills against good defences -
@nzzp said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@Crucial said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@raznomore said in Top Ferners underrated players:
Don't understand the Bridge hate. He's Ben Smith in the early days. I never saw Caleb Ralph score tries like Bridge does either..
If he is to be equated with Ben Smith then he should be honing his fullback skills.
Smith's footwork was next level. That guy just beat people so often with a jink and step and swerve, and created some incredible AB tries. I don't see much of that in Bridge - seems more a Zac Guildford v2.0
Begs the big question, who was less shit ? Guildford or Ralph ?
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@MN5 said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@nzzp said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@Crucial said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@raznomore said in Top Ferners underrated players:
Don't understand the Bridge hate. He's Ben Smith in the early days. I never saw Caleb Ralph score tries like Bridge does either..
If he is to be equated with Ben Smith then he should be honing his fullback skills.
Smith's footwork was next level. That guy just beat people so often with a jink and step and swerve, and created some incredible AB tries. I don't see much of that in Bridge - seems more a Zac Guildford v2.0
Begs the big question, who was less shit ? Guildford or Ralph ?
I know which one drunk less... oooohhh...
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@MN5 said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@nzzp said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@Crucial said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@raznomore said in Top Ferners underrated players:
Don't understand the Bridge hate. He's Ben Smith in the early days. I never saw Caleb Ralph score tries like Bridge does either..
If he is to be equated with Ben Smith then he should be honing his fullback skills.
Smith's footwork was next level. That guy just beat people so often with a jink and step and swerve, and created some incredible AB tries. I don't see much of that in Bridge - seems more a Zac Guildford v2.0
Begs the big question, who was less shit ? Guildford or Ralph ?
Ralph got more leeway
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@Crucial when ive seen bridge i always thought he was a great finisher, as i say, maybe ive missed the bad stuff
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@Kiwiwomble said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@Crucial when ive seen bridge i always thought he was a great finisher, as i say, maybe ive missed the bad stuff
Yeah but define a "great finisher".....is that merely someone who can catch a ball and run unopposed to the line ? Ralph was constantly referred to as a great finisher by Nisbo and Mex back in the day.
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@MN5 i wont argue whether its universally true, i just havent seen him play enough, but what i remembered and then looked up on some highlight videos was yes, split the defense and run away but also receive a pass close to the line and get it down under pressure, a couple one handed body in the air in touch arm around the corner flag type deals....but maybe for each one of those he's dropped 10
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@nzzp Geez, what a bs, haha. Bridge is way better and much more than "just a finisher". He's awesome under the high ball, fast, good on defence, great footwork. Yes, he's isn't Ben Smith level yet, but that may still come. But even if he doesn't reach BFA level, he's still a very good wing and fully deserves a further AB call-up.
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@Crucial said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@booboo said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@Crucial said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@booboo said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@Crucial said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@antipodean said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@Crucial said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@antipodean said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@ACT-Crusader said in Top Ferners underrated players:
For what it’s worth, I didn’t really rate TJ Faiane but the positive difference to the Blues set up and play was very noticeable when he was on the field as opposed to when he was out.
A genuine second five-eighth.
Say whaaat ?
You mean a genuine inside centre?
This is still a New Zealand forum?
The name used is relevant to the style of player.
A genuine second five is like when DC wore 12
A centre is like Laumape, Goodhue or Faiane.
Nah.
Your classic NZ crash ball 2nd 5/8 is like a Macrae or Osborne or Taylor.
It's only recently when we've been playing 2 x 10s that people have adapted the term to having a second first 5/8.
I don't like the term 'inside centre' really either but was using it to differentiate the 12 from 13 when playing two 'centres as opposed to two 'five-eights'.
I disagree about the crash ball 12. That is a reasonably modern usage of the position in NZ.
Our 12 was usually either a second playmaker type (a 'second' first five) like DC, Mauger, McAllister etc or a stepper with distribution skills like Little.
A 'genuine' second-five IMO plays to the origin of the name. One of the five-eighths that link the half to the three-quarters and is backup to the 10.
I don't see Faiane as a classic second-five, more a running, distributing centre.Pom
Pom's don't even use the term Five-eight. It was a kiwi coined phrase decades ago.
As the game has changed so has the role of the 12.
In NZ the classic (i.e. traditional) style 12 is not the current model like Faiane/ALB/Goodhue etc
Nonu was an exception to the rule in that when he moved to 12 it was for line bending but over time he developed a much wider range of skills.
We refer to 12 and 13 as the Centres do we not?Not in my experience. Usually "mid-field".
2nd five-eighth and centre (or centre three-quarter).
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@Stargazer said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@nzzp Geez, what a bs, haha. Bridge is way better and much more than "just a finisher". He's awesome under the high ball, fast, good on defence, great footwork. Yes, he's isn't Ben Smith level yet, but that may still come. But even if he doesn't reach BFA level, he's still a very good wing and fully deserves a further AB call-up.
He doesn't have great footwork. It's his one big work-on in his game.
He's got plenty of strengths to his game (workrate, good speed, underrated power etc) but he doesn't have great footwork.
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@booboo said in Top Ferners underrated players:
Not in my experience. Usually "mid-field".
2nd five-eighth and centre (or centre three-quarter).Yep, backs are only ever a fraction of a player, except fullback. Fuck knows why they get an exemption, worst of the lot at avoiding work.
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@Snowy said in Top Ferners underrated players:
@booboo said in Top Ferners underrated players:
Not in my experience. Usually "mid-field".
2nd five-eighth and centre (or centre three-quarter).Yep, backs are only ever a fraction of a player, except fullback. Fuck knows why they get an exemption, worst of the lot at avoiding work.
Nice. Love your work.
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Me.
I think I am both underrated player and a top ferner.
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@Magpie_in_aus said in Top Ferners underrated players:
Me.
I think I am both underrated player and a top ferner.
Who are you ? don't think I've seen you on here before.
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https://i.imgur.com/wF46vn1.jpgLooking at that, one could conclude that Cane is underrated by Sky or possibly overrated by AB selectors...
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This thread is brilliant. @MN5 pretending he watches rugby and then not so subtly trying to get everyone to talk about players from 10-20 years ago.
Funny with the Bridge pile on I've been watching him a bit closer and been surprised at his impact in traffic. He's "powered" his way in for a couple of tries too hasn't he? So the impression he folds at the first sign of a tackle seems way off.
