2019 Rugby Championship
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Papalii is a fair bit bigger than Gibson - has about 10kgs on him and is taller.
Now that we are talking about the size of loose forwards I'm sure there's an Ardie comment coming along any moment now.
@KiwiMurph Wow. Got that horribly wrong. On the field you would thing the other way around but thanks for the correction.
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So can all the other players he is competing against for the very few midfield spots available, most of who are fully fit (Ryan Crotty excepted).
@Higgins said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
So can all the other players he is competing against for the very few midfield spots available, most of who are fully fit (Ryan Crotty excepted).
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So can all the other players he is competing against for the very few midfield spots available, most of who are fully fit (Ryan Crotty excepted).
@Higgins said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
So can all the other players he is competing against for the very few midfield spots available, most of who are fully fit (Ryan Crotty excepted).
I don't think they can in the same way - he's unique. That's not to pretend he doesn't have his downsides but the upside can't be denied.
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I think they want SBW as a counter to the fast rushing defense.
He hits the line and they have to cover his offload, I guess it helps create indecision and pulls in defenders.@Darren yep, I think they see his game as the ultimate foil to the rush defence that has hampered us, just a shame he has had so many injuries of late that we havent been able to see if they are in fact right or they have invested so much into a lost cause...
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TBH it’s hard for us all to know where SBW is at because he’s barely played in 2 years. In that time he’s made Crotty look like a man of steel who doesn’t get injured.
It could work out for us because he’ll be fresh. Or it could go pear shaped because he’s underdone.
I feel there’s some people going a little overboard on his selection though. These coaches have 95% kept injured players around and given them a chance to get up to speed.
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SBW is a point of difference compared to the other 2nd five options.He adds something different to attack those inside channels with.
Not a great fan of his selection But I understand why.@Chris said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
SBW is a point of difference compared to the other 2nd five options.He adds something different to attack those inside channels with.
Not a great fan of his selection But I understand why.What's SBW's 'point of difference'? Being able to hit contact hard and offload isn't amazing like it was when he first got going. ALB has soooooo many offloads this season. Laumape, too, and he can hit the line and kicks better than SBW. It's not like the acceleration/speed of BB at ten, there's no one else there. Hard hitting offloading centres are common, SBW started it but times have moved on.
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@Chris said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
SBW is a point of difference compared to the other 2nd five options.He adds something different to attack those inside channels with.
Not a great fan of his selection But I understand why.What's SBW's 'point of difference'? Being able to hit contact hard and offload isn't amazing like it was when he first got going. ALB has soooooo many offloads this season. Laumape, too, and he can hit the line and kicks better than SBW. It's not like the acceleration/speed of BB at ten, there's no one else there. Hard hitting offloading centres are common, SBW started it but times have moved on.
@Machpants Yeah, and there were some issues with SBW's defence, too, IIRC.
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@Chris said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
SBW is a point of difference compared to the other 2nd five options.He adds something different to attack those inside channels with.
Not a great fan of his selection But I understand why.What's SBW's 'point of difference'? Being able to hit contact hard and offload isn't amazing like it was when he first got going. ALB has soooooo many offloads this season. Laumape, too, and he can hit the line and kicks better than SBW. It's not like the acceleration/speed of BB at ten, there's no one else there. Hard hitting offloading centres are common, SBW started it but times have moved on.
@Machpants Taller and longer arms I would think so he can push through the tackle easier,Harder to wrap him up as hes tall so harder to shut down his offloads.
That would be the point of difference as I see it not that others can't off load,that his height and long arm span makes it different.Harder to contain. -
A young rugby star has been granted a discharge without conviction
Seems like that is not something that should be help against you then? If you are not convicted of a crime.
Judge Clark said a conviction would have ended the Fijian-born player's Irish contract - and that would have been out of all proportion to the gravity of the offending.
"I have considered your circumstances and it's certainly not the case that because you are good at playing rugby that you get the opportunity to be discharged without conviction."
The court heard that in the early hours of July 1, a heavily intoxicated Reece got into an argument with his partner of two years in the Hamilton central business district.
Reece yelled at his partner to "shut up, in much more colourful language than that", and chased her down the street, dragging her to the ground.
She suffered bruising to the side of her face and waist and bleeding to her knee.
The police prosecutor said Reece was already on notice after being blacklisted by the Chiefs rugby side and his offending comes at a time when the Government was spending large amounts of money to deter family violence.
But Judge Clark accepted that the victim had forgiven Reece, that the couple were undergoing counselling, Reece had admitted a problem with alcohol and had been sober for three months.
"And further an affidavit from Mr McConnell who has attached to that a letter from the head of rugby operations from Connacht where you have been offered a contract to play overseas.
"It indicated that if you are convicted your contract will not be offered to you."
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@Chris said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
SBW is a point of difference compared to the other 2nd five options.He adds something different to attack those inside channels with.
Not a great fan of his selection But I understand why.What's SBW's 'point of difference'? Being able to hit contact hard and offload isn't amazing like it was when he first got going. ALB has soooooo many offloads this season. Laumape, too, and he can hit the line and kicks better than SBW. It's not like the acceleration/speed of BB at ten, there's no one else there. Hard hitting offloading centres are common, SBW started it but times have moved on.
@Machpants said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Chris said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
SBW is a point of difference compared to the other 2nd five options.He adds something different to attack those inside channels with.
Not a great fan of his selection But I understand why.What's SBW's 'point of difference'? Being able to hit contact hard and offload isn't amazing like it was when he first got going. ALB has soooooo many offloads this season.
those SBW offloads though, are still better than most in the game. There's offloads and offloads - others have caught up somewhat, but his arms are incredible. Two defenders on him, and he manages to get the ball away.
The coaches clearly rate him as an athlete and team player.
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@Jaguares4real Except he’s shown he doesn’t have a commitment to NZ in the past to go along with his DV. He was out the door before his overseas contract was cancelled. The guy was 21 and had given up on making the ABs, gets in trouble with the law and then he’s all yep I’m a kiwi again, stick you Fiji.
Oh and he’s poachie as fudge!
@Magpie_in_aus Wearing eye liner is evidence of not being a good person now.
Well, TBF Michael Laws ...
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@Machpants said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Chris said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
SBW is a point of difference compared to the other 2nd five options.He adds something different to attack those inside channels with.
Not a great fan of his selection But I understand why.What's SBW's 'point of difference'? Being able to hit contact hard and offload isn't amazing like it was when he first got going. ALB has soooooo many offloads this season.
those SBW offloads though, are still better than most in the game. There's offloads and offloads - others have caught up somewhat, but his arms are incredible. Two defenders on him, and he manages to get the ball away.
The coaches clearly rate him as an athlete and team player.
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@Nepia he didn’t give up on NZ. NZ gave up on him by not giving him a super contract until crusaders offered him
@Yeahtheboys said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Nepia he didn’t give up on NZ. NZ gave up on him by not giving him a super contract until crusaders offered him
He didn’t make a squad when he was 20 - lots of players don’t ... that’s not NZ giving up on him.
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@nzzp they sure do, I don't, not anymore after his wasted time league & sevens, and losing us the Lions tour. But I'm not the selector, and I really hope they're right.
@Machpants said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@nzzp they sure do, I don't, not anymore after his wasted time league & sevens, and losing us the Lions tour. But I'm not the selector, and I really hope they're right.
remember he basically won us the Blues game against the Lions too - had a massive contribution that night.
