Bam Bam Pocock looking favoured to win the 2013/2014 John Eales Medal.
The John Eales Medal 2012/2013
- Thread starter Hugh Jarse
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Hawko
Tony Shaw (54)
It never ceases to amaze me. Palu is criticised for:
- Never making a physical difference. Comments like "didn't do anything", "invisible" etc.
- Always being injured.
His injury problems are over-rated when you look at the way he plays. Physically imposing, he really puts his body on the line. That's what causes the injuries. Now Higgers is playing like Palu, guess what. He is getting injured too. Palu played for nearly nine months straight - EOYT, Super season, home tests before he then got injured. That doesn't mean he's made of glass, just means that players now in positions like his are grossly overworked. Compare his workload with say Mark Loane or Totai Kefu who had a similar style of play. He is playing 2-3 times more tests in a year and 18 rounds of Super comp vs 11 for Super 12. We just have unrealistic expectations of what human bodies in certain positions can take before they break. It is no surprise that we have nearly half the possible Wallaby candidates in the pack back five in team rehab.
Meanwhile keyboard warriors insist that Palu is finished and as soon as Higgers is back he will never get injured again. Time to get back into the real world I think and give proper credit to one of the legends of our pack in the last seven or eight years.
There is often selective memory of the injured
The positives to me is when you can add Palu, Higgers & Pocock to the mix of the backrow and the bench, it starts to look some serious threat
Because as Link has said, our bench hasn't consistently offered enough
At the Reds, Link had Samo , while at the Tahs he had Palu and TPN. It would be nice to see the Wobs having the same again with say Palu coming on for Higgers and Hooper coming on for Pocock
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The positives to me is when you can add Palu, Higgers & Pocock to the mix of the backrow and the bench, it starts to look some serious threat
Because as Link has said, our bench hasn't consistently offered enough
At the Reds, Link had Samo , while at the Tahs he had Palu and TPN. It would be nice to see the Wobs having the same again with say Palu coming on for Higgers and Hooper coming on for Pocock
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Looking forward to more people joining me on the Palu bus, but I somehow doubt they will.
As I said many times before, he was huuuuge on the last EOYT, and lead the stats in every game. Then he was good again vs the Lions, especially in the 2nd and 3rd tests.
The thing about Palu is he doesn't do what it says on the label. People think Islander #8 they think they should be charging round the field making massive hits and linebreaks. But Palu isn't like that, he is a worker. He hits ruck after ruck, makes tackle after tackle, and runs well and often in tight.
He does all the stuff that no-one sees. That is why he is consistently ahead in the stats, consistently behind on our player ratings and consistently high up in 'player's player' polls.
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As I said many times before, he was huuuuge on the last EOYT, and lead the stats in every game. Then he was good again vs the Lions, especially in the 2nd and 3rd tests.
The thing about Palu is he doesn't do what it says on the label. People think Islander #8 they think they should be charging round the field making massive hits and linebreaks. But Palu isn't like that, he is a worker. He hits ruck after ruck, makes tackle after tackle, and runs well and often in tight.
He does all the stuff that no-one sees. That is why he is consistently ahead in the stats, consistently behind on our player ratings and consistently high up in 'player's player' polls.
.
scaraby
Ron Walden (29)
ha...you are the ultimate clubman Dave.....love it
scaraby
Ron Walden (29)
when you write down 7-Pocock/Hooper.8-Palu and 6-Higgers/Mowen it send a shiver down the spine...I think Fardy probably starts at 2nd row and you can switch him if needs be......
Dave Beat
Paul McLean (56)
Imagine if George Smith was also available for the # 7.
Fardy has been playing good rugby, who would he put on the pine?
scaraby
Ron Walden (29)
I think if he's in you need size with him......just quietly after his efforts last year particularly agst the lions I think Skelton will be playing Wobs very soon possibly next year. He is a star in the making but at the moment Timani for mine.
tigerland12
John Thornett (49)
I've always thought Palu is a must when full fit.
We get knocked around physically by the AB's and Boks, and a player like Palu (and also Higginbotham) are needed to combat that physicality.
This is why smaller, less physical players like Mowen get smashed by the likes of Messam, Vermuelen, McCaw, Alberts etc.
Give me a backrow of Higginbotham, Pocock and Palu because they are physically what an international backrow should look like. Not to mention they are better players than the one's we have now (Hooper is good, but not Pocock good).
We get knocked around physically by the AB's and Boks, and a player like Palu (and also Higginbotham) are needed to combat that physicality.
This is why smaller, less physical players like Mowen get smashed by the likes of Messam, Vermuelen, McCaw, Alberts etc.
Give me a backrow of Higginbotham, Pocock and Palu because they are physically what an international backrow should look like. Not to mention they are better players than the one's we have now (Hooper is good, but not Pocock good).
Shiggins
Steve Williams (59)
Is Mowen smaller then Higgers?
Meanwhile, the news hits South Africa...
Read it again if you didn't get it the first time.
Read it again if you didn't get it the first time.
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