Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I thought he looked very small in the upper body on TV last night - the jersey wasnt even skin tight: I had heard the AFL had stripped him down.
Thoughts on Folau to rugby
- Thread starter Jnor
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From what I can see doing a few google searches, he is 6'5" and weighs around 98 kilos. Tahs have him listed as 101 kilos on their site currently. Back in 2010, Titan Management listed him at 103 kilos when he was still playing rugby league. So it doesn't look like he has lost a great deal of weight. Even at say 98 kilos now, assuming he can bulk up a few kilos in the meantime, he will be over 100 kilos, pretty much the biggest back the Waratahs have.
I don't think his physical attributes will be the issue. He is big, fast, good under the high ball (was what attracted AFL to him in the first place). The issues are likely to be mental - learning defence patterns and the lines to run, learning skills in terms of ensuring recycled ball, whether that is going to ground himself or supporting teammates. It was these aspects that the former League converts struggled with. That said, both Tuqiri and Sailor had some good games in the Wallabies jersey, so you can't say they were insurmountable. At $250k, seems to me to be a good move. He has the potential to be very good, we are not paying huge bucks and given that the Tahs have driven a lot of fans away over the last few years, he will be a valuable drawcard. Where is the downside.
latrell247
Chris McKivat (8)
Lets say he doesnt make starting 22, Which shute shield club would he play for? Please not Uni for goodness sake
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
All good poinits: maybe I'm too used to seeing our over "pecced" hobbits
D
daz
Guest
Fantastic pick-up by the Tahs.
A young kid full of talent, and didn't break the bank.
Well done. I really hope it works.
A young kid full of talent, and didn't break the bank.
Well done. I really hope it works.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
By location (he lives in Syd's Inner West) you'd say it'd be Woodies, Harbour, or Para.
I say send him to which ever one has the most insightful coaching staff, the quality of the players and results don't matter as it'll just mean more will be asked of him.
It is what it is
John Solomon (38)
Jockeys Chris Munce and Jim Cassidy are Oompa-Loompa's and I think they're both terrific guys.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Love to have him at the Marlins
nugget
Jimmy Flynn (14)
Is he going to get rugby? The gameplay etc. That's the biggest concern. As a winger in league it's just so friggin' simple: stand on the sideline, run up at the kick on 5th, catch in air, flop over try line for try. Repeat.
We all know modern union wingers do a lot more than that. Have read some posts on here saying he'll do well in the centres too, that is crazy talk! If he plays in the centres I'll eat what's left of p.tah's hat.
I reckon he's going to struggle big time with the thinking stuff, reading the article referenced in the front page here is scary. Surely being coached at the highest levels of a code, any code, for 2 years, anybody should be able to follow the run of a game. Surely it's not rocket surgery, I mean, Victorians seem to get it so it mustn't be that hard.
http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/...game-last-season/story-e6frfkp9-1226510078293
"I remember playing against him earlier this year at the Gabba, we were up by 70 and I was confident we would win," Black recalled.
"The ball came into Izzy's forward line so I told him where to run. I said to Izzy 'mate, run over there and you will get the ball'. But he didn't. He just had no idea."
Black's unsuccessful attempt at in-game coaching is the crux of why the State of Origin star's bold cross-code foray failed.
He simply never got it.
Black, Giants coach Kevin Sheedy, premiership-winning coach Mark Williams, full back of the century Stephen Silvagni and Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton all tried to make Folau a regular senior player. They failed.
Will be interesting to watch anyway.
We all know modern union wingers do a lot more than that. Have read some posts on here saying he'll do well in the centres too, that is crazy talk! If he plays in the centres I'll eat what's left of p.tah's hat.
I reckon he's going to struggle big time with the thinking stuff, reading the article referenced in the front page here is scary. Surely being coached at the highest levels of a code, any code, for 2 years, anybody should be able to follow the run of a game. Surely it's not rocket surgery, I mean, Victorians seem to get it so it mustn't be that hard.
http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/...game-last-season/story-e6frfkp9-1226510078293
"I remember playing against him earlier this year at the Gabba, we were up by 70 and I was confident we would win," Black recalled.
"The ball came into Izzy's forward line so I told him where to run. I said to Izzy 'mate, run over there and you will get the ball'. But he didn't. He just had no idea."
The Lions eventually won 132-40 and Folau finished with two kicks and five disposals.Black's unsuccessful attempt at in-game coaching is the crux of why the State of Origin star's bold cross-code foray failed.
He simply never got it.
Black, Giants coach Kevin Sheedy, premiership-winning coach Mark Williams, full back of the century Stephen Silvagni and Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton all tried to make Folau a regular senior player. They failed.
Will be interesting to watch anyway.
p.Tah
John Thornett (49)
it was a tasty hat, you'll enjoy it 
If an opposition coach told me to do something, not sure I'd trust him. Anyway we'll have see how it goes.
Brumbies Guy
John Solomon (38)
Not many are unsuccessful, and most played both codes growing up. All the talk of good League players 'not getting it' is a bit of an exaggeration I find. Maybe it's a Rugby vs League mentality to put Rugby on a pedestal over League in terms of skill. Fact is they're all generally great athletes and adapt pretty well to the game.
Look at some recent league converts:
Sonny Bill Williams - All Blacks
Berrick Barnes - Wallabies
Joe Tomane - Wallabies
Cooper Vuna - Wallabies
Lote Tuqiri - Wallabies
Wendell Sailor - Wallabies
Mat Rogers - Wallabies
Even the less successful ones:
Ryan Cross - Wallabies
Timana Tahu - Australia A
Clinton Schifcofske - Australia A
Jesse Mogg - Brumbies
They make a good fist of it more often than not.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
There are a few more similarities between league and union than between either and Aussie Rules. Similar catch/pass skills, similar tackle skills, similar in that you can only pass to a player behind you and you need to be behind the kicker to become involved in the play, whereas in Aussie Rules - no offside, the ball can be kicked or handpassed to you from any direction, support players and defenders are coming at you from all directions.
Yes, there are important differences between the 2 codes and rugby has more facets of play than league and there is more to think about when you are in possession, so is a little more comlex. I think, however, that some rugby people overestimate this complexity a little. Some of the best coaches will tell you that rugby is a simple game.
Many of the players in our NGS and JGS also play representative league at age group level, so it's obviously possible to be good at both.
2 years out of the heavy contact of the rugby codes in his early 20s, while still maintaining elite fitness in AFL might even be a blessing for his longevity as a rugby player.
I hope he makes it and I have the feeling that he will.
Brumbies Guy
John Solomon (38)
They were all there as examples, I wasn't rating or ranking them, just a quick list off my head.. probably agree and you can get as pedantic as you like and go through them all, but that wasn't my point.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Spot on.
The Rant
Fred Wood (13)
Out of brumbies guys list - I would only classify Tahu as a flop. And even then - he was just starting to get it when he quit cos he hated the travel. Vuna's been good for melbourne and Mogg and Schifcofske (write that 5 times) great at state level. Cross was pretty good at his best and never let Aus down.
The real questions is:
WHAT THE FUCK DID TUQIRI DO? MYSTERY OF THE FUCKING CENTURY.
The real questions is:
WHAT THE FUCK DID TUQIRI DO? MYSTERY OF THE FUCKING CENTURY.
Brumbies Guy
John Solomon (38)
Or other successful converts like Brad Thorn, Andrew Walker... I wasn't listing them all, just giving an example that more often than not they are good athletes and successful in Rugby.
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