Front Row stocks - 2010 S14 line-ups

[wobbly]

The S14 threads are great. I was just scanning through them and thinking about our emerging Front Row depth. Fat Cat’s world class and Alexander has improved immensely this season, but the cupboard is still very bare. With Alexander becoming our 1st choice THP and Deans thinking of using Pek Cowan as a reserve hooker, there’s some considerations around these positional changes for next seasons S14.

I’m sure someone can fill me in on which side these guys play and who might emerge as a Wallaby contender.

Brumbies
Their obvious front row from this season is 1. Alexander 2. Moore 3. Shep, but surely after potentially another 6 tests in 2009 at THP Alexander should continue in that role.
Ma’afu – I read he’s a massive beast @ 126Kg, what side does he play?
Yanuyanutawa – an unknown to me, any good?
Are Ma’afu or Jerry Y any realistic chance of pushing Shep from the starting team? Presumably they toured France – anyone know how that went?

Tahs
No doubt they’ll start with 1. Robinson 2. TPN 3. Baxter, with Kepu and (hopefully) Fitzpatrick on the bench
Is that gnome Freier still there?
Heard someone had wraps on Dan Palmer – is he a tighty or loosey?

Force

With thanks to Ash (Force 2010 thread):
Pek Cowan (LH) - may cross train as hooker or TH
Matt Dunning (LH/TH) - may cross train as hooker, can play both sides, good recruit
Tim Fairbrother (LH/TH) - can play both sides?, good recruit (Force website: At 27 years of age and 119kg, Fairbrother is very much in his prime and arrives with the Force ready to make an impact. He is eligible to play for the Wallabies if he impresses sufficiently, but his focus first and foremost is to earn the respect of his new team.)
Nic Henderson (LH) - interesting recruit, could be good
Kieran Longbottom (LH?) - born and bred in WA
Ben Whittaker (Hooker)
Ryan Tyrrell (Hooker) - Academy, another born and bred in WA
The Force have lost journeyman hookers McIsaac and Holmes. Likely that the Force will Cowan or Dunning as maybe their first choice hooker? Whittaker is still a bit young and raw. Otherwise, this is the weakest position at the Force.

They lost Gareth Hardy to Europe which was a shame I thought, and also Ben Castle (promised a lot and didn’t deliver) and Troy Takiari. All up I agree it’s potentially a massive gain for them. Will be interesting to see who ends up starting in each position. A possibility is 1. Fairbrother 2. Cowan 3. Dunning with Henderson and Whittaker on the bench. Would be great to see one of the WA bred guys push through for a Wallaby spot in the next couple of seasons.

Will converting to hooker fuck up Cowan's Wallaby potential or add an extra string to his bow?

Reds
Noddy has penciled in 1. Holmes 2. Hardman 3. Weekes
What happened to Holmes? He fell off the radar after a great season in 2006 and injury before the world cup.
What about Dayna Edwards? Is he still there? He seemed to go OK for a while.
Who is this Laurie Weekes character and is he any more than a S14 journeyman with the most dysfunctional franchise?
Young Daley – any good? Tighty or loosey?
On paper the Reds have the weakest Front Row. Like everything it seems to have gone from promising to shit. Remember the hype when they had Holmes Moore and Blake lining up?

 

[Ash]

Brumbies
Ma’afu – I read he’s a massive beast @ 126Kg, what side does he play?

TH

Yanuyanutawa – an unknown to me, any good?

Formed a very very good Syd Uni front row a few years ago with Laurie Weeks (now Reds) at TH, Nathan Charles (now Brumbies) and Jerry Y at LH. I think he's pretty highly rated, and has some potential. That Syd Uni front row was devastating at club level.

Are Ma’afu or Jerry Y any realistic chance of pushing Shep from the starting team? Presumably they toured France – anyone know how that went?

Ma'afu is certainly a big unit, but has a history of brain explosions. Technically, I think he needs to be better at the S14 level despite his size. Thought he would have improved more, but he I think didn't get a lot of game time last year either.

I'd like to see how a front row of 3. Alexander 1. Jerry Y goes at the Brumbies.

Ulugia, who they cross trained as a hooker, probably won't be sighted.

Tahs
No doubt they’ll start with 1. Robinson 2. TPN 3. Baxter, with Kepu and (hopefully) Fitzpatrick on the bench
Is that gnome Freier still there?
Heard someone had wraps on Dan Palmer – is he a tighty or loosey?

Freier is still there. Agree with Lindommer - he should be at the Force, or even Reds. Fitzpatrick is worth developing off the bench, but he's still only 20 and still has to develop, mature and bulk up. TPN will start and Freier will be on the bench next year, but I suspect it won't be long until either TPN or Freier will get an injury and give a chance to Fitzpatrick.

Dan Palmer was probably the dominant TH in the U20 world cup a year or two back. Big potential, and he carried himself well in the scrums for a young prop when he got on the field this S14. Like Fitzpatrick, he's still a bit young for a front rower and could do with another year or two of development. I wouldn't be surprised if Baxter and Freier depart either end of this season or the next, and Palmer and Fitzpatrick slip right in.

Force
A possibility is 1. Fairbrother 2. Cowan 3. Dunning with Henderson and Whittaker on the bench.

Will converting to hooker fuck up Cowan's Wallaby potential or add an extra string to his bow?

That's what I thought, but 1. and 3. may be swapped.

I think Cowan is a flash in the pan selection.

Reds
Noddy has penciled in 1. Holmes 2. Hardman 3. Weekes
What happened to Holmes? He fell off the radar after a great season in 2006 and injury before the world cup.

What about Dayna Edwards? Is he still there? He seemed to go OK for a while.

Who is this Laurie Weekes character and is he any more than a S14 journeyman with the most dysfunctional franchise?

Young Daley – any good? Tighty or loosey?

I don't think that Holmes has progressed technically and is constantly hampered by injuries. Was shunted to the bench for Daley at times last S14. Reds should try to get him playing both sides - think he has in the past?

Edwards has had some injury problems, and is not very mobile. Was overlooked for Weeks and Kennedy this year. Weeks looked to be about Edwards level in the scrums, but a lot more handy around the ground - ie Weeks actually could make some tackles instead of being run past constantly midfield. I wouldn't be surprised if he is let go.

Laurie Weeks, as above, was signed from Syd Uni and looks to have some potential. Hopefully the Reds don't ruin him.

Daley is LH who can apparently play both sides at club level, and looks to be the goods. Was good enough to force Holmes to the bench.

The Reds also have Jack Kennedy, who they signed from the Brumbies academy a year or two ago. He has a great build for a TH prop, but technically couldn't cope and also seemed to be on rollerskates backwards. I wouldn't be surprised if he is let go.

The people who watch Brisbane clubland here rate the young TH Slipper very highly. Apparently he goes very well at club level, and was signed into the Reds on the back of that effort.

Anyone know if the Reds ended up signing that promising schoolboy prop from BSHS?

On paper the Reds have the weakest Front Row. Like everything it seems to have gone from promising to shit. Remember the hype when they had Holmes Moore and Blake lining up?

The Reds front row next year will hopefully be better than this year. Inconsistency seems to be the Reds scrum biggest problem (like all over the park) - two years ago they shunted around the Brumbies scrum one game, were solid another, then got shunted by a scrum the Brumbies shunted. This year they went from being strong one scrum, to being stable another, to giving away a stupid TH in another.

Actually, the Reds front row is fairly journeyman, but I don't think it's shit. A few years ago it would've been a decent front row for an Australian team - a sign of how much better we've gotten as a whole.

 

[wobbly]

Thanks Ash.

It'll be interesting who progresses in 2010. There seems to be a lot more promising young options than in recent memory. Just hope we have the coaching structures available for them to prosper.

 

[RugbyReg]

yeah, I'd be picking Daley and Weekes in our Reds front row.

I wouldn't mind Holmes going back to THP where he first debuted.

Slipper and Anae looked the goods, as well as the State High prop alluded to above. But club players Pat Ritchie and Gaven Warren are also well worth a look at as well.