Why are the All Blacks so weak in the gym?

[Duff Paddy]

They should play XV powerlifters instead

[booji boy]

Let an NRL forward pack scrummage against the All Blacks forward pack and then get back to us about how weak they are.

[Mr Mike]

Always important to get the right balance of weights and speed work.

[Ali's Choice]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNjZyQrc9UI

LIke they barely look like athletes compared to your average NRL player

Average NRL player? Taupau is the strongest man in the NRL and reknown for his gym work. He also struggles with his mobility compared to many other NRL props.

[ScarfaceClaw]

There’s not a lot else other than weights to do when in prison so I guess that’s why most of the NRL players are better at it.

[Nolanator]

This is obviously a particularly special thread, but the video clearly shows them working primarily on power/speed stuff, not brute strength training.

[mr bungle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNjZyQrc9UI

LIke they barely look like athletes compared to your average NRL player

Average NRL player? Taupau is the strongest man in the NRL and renowned for his gym work. He also struggles with his mobility compared to many other NRL props.

Fixed

[Nieghorn]

There's an official ABs youtube clip from a while back with their S&C guy saying, as mentioned above, the balance is important in rugby. He said they don't want a player, essentially, carrying the equivalent of a backpack full of bricks around the pitch if it's not necessary for their positional demands. He added that some bulked up too much in the offseason (also hinting it wasn't just snack 'bulking') and had to get leaner once the season started.

[MrDominator]

It's a fair question.

The All Blacks could have done with a few more KGs against England in Yokohama.

[Zakar]

Weren't the Frank's brothers basically powerlifters?

Taniella Tupou would be the top ranked powerlifter in Queensland based on his recent gym numbers.

[shanky]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNjZyQrc9UI

LIke they barely look like athletes compared to your average NRL player

Average NRL player? Taupau is the strongest man in the NRL and reknown for his gym work. He also struggles with his mobility compared to many other NRL props.

Garbage. Taupau is an absolute unit.

Here, enjoy some scary highlights...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f89yMAXHekU


and for a bonus, check out the 310kg deadlift
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/ ... 10kgs.html

[Ali's Choice]

Garbage. Taupau is an absolute unit.

Here, enjoy some scary highlights...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f89yMAXHekU


and for a bonus, check out the 310kg deadlift
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/ ... 10kgs.html

He is a unit. But a relatively slow unit. How would you even know how he goes, you don't watch the NRL do you?

[UncleFB]

Here's some average NRL players.

[Taranaki Snapper]

Mad Skillz, Bro?

[Jerome Manning]

They're two different sports that create two different types of athletes. I wouldn't want league props in a union scrum and I wouldn't want union props doing league style hit ups.

[shanky]

Garbage. Taupau is an absolute unit.

Here, enjoy some scary highlights...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f89yMAXHekU


and for a bonus, check out the 310kg deadlift
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/ ... 10kgs.html

He is a unit. But a relatively slow unit. How would you even know how he goes, you don't watch the NRL do you?

You obviously didn't watch him chase down Dane Gagai, the length of the field, when playing for the Kiwis a few years ago

Here it is, fast forward to 1:07

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IFPY2I ... dex=3&t=0s

Incidentally, Gagai has been clocked running faster than both Latrell Mitchell and James Tedesco

Fair weather fan.

[shanky]

Here's some average NRL players.

That's racist

[Zakar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNjZyQrc9UI

LIke they barely look like athletes compared to your average NRL player

Average NRL player? Taupau is the strongest man in the NRL and reknown for his gym work. He also struggles with his mobility compared to many other NRL props.

He looks like he is a

Huge
Gym
Human

Some That Eat Rolled Oats In Day Time Always Keenly Enhance Results in the gym.

It's all about diet.

[CrazyIslander]

Tongan league team has a huge forward pack. All top grade players. However it has a down side in defence.
They beat NZ one week then nearly lose to Lebanon in the next. The defence is a mess, opposition halves running them ragged. In their victories they rely on guys coming up with huge defensive plays. Unfortunately, there's no depth.

[UncleFB]

Here's some average NRL players.

That's racist

It's deliberately not racist, a skinny fat white guy, a fat fat Aboriginal guy, and a ginga.

[UncleFB]

Tongan league team has a huge forward pack. All top grade players. However it has a down side in defence.
They beat NZ one week then nearly lose to Lebanon in the next. The defence is a mess, opposition halves running them ragged. In their victories they rely on guys coming up with huge defensive plays. Unfortunately, there's no depth.

Also, the lack of halves means that a team with a decent pack can easily shut them down - especially when they don't have an idiot for a coach like Kidwell.

[shanky]

Tongan league team has a huge forward pack. All top grade players. However it has a down side in defence.
They beat NZ one week then nearly lose to Lebanon in the next. The defence is a mess, opposition halves running them ragged. In their victories they rely on guys coming up with huge defensive plays. Unfortunately, there's no depth.

They beat Australia!

Jeez, you're a hard marker!

[RandomNavigat0r]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNjZyQrc9UI

LIke they barely look like athletes compared to your average NRL player

Average NRL player? Taupau is the strongest man in the NRL and reknown for his gym work. He also struggles with his mobility compared to many other NRL props.

Had never even heard of that guy.

[CrazyIslander]

Tongan league team has a huge forward pack. All top grade players. However it has a down side in defence.
They beat NZ one week then nearly lose to Lebanon in the next. The defence is a mess, opposition halves running them ragged. In their victories they rely on guys coming up with huge defensive plays. Unfortunately, there's no depth.

They beat Australia!

Jeez, you're a hard marker!

They played really well in that game but the defense was terrible, not even NRL standard. Australia played badly.

[UncleFB]

Tongan league team has a huge forward pack. All top grade players. However it has a down side in defence.
They beat NZ one week then nearly lose to Lebanon in the next. The defence is a mess, opposition halves running them ragged. In their victories they rely on guys coming up with huge defensive plays. Unfortunately, there's no depth.

They beat Australia!

Jeez, you're a hard marker!

They played really well in that game but the defense was terrible, not even NRL standard. Australia played badly.

It will be interesting to see how Tonga goes after the current golden generation have moved on ... have they done enough to ensure all Tongan heritage players will choose Tonga moving forward?

[CrazyIslander]

Tongan league team has a huge forward pack. All top grade players. However it has a down side in defence.
They beat NZ one week then nearly lose to Lebanon in the next. The defence is a mess, opposition halves running them ragged. In their victories they rely on guys coming up with huge defensive plays. Unfortunately, there's no depth.

Also, the lack of halves means that a team with a decent pack can easily shut them down - especially when they don't have an idiot for a coach like Kidwell.

Yeah, the metres the forwards make should've ended with huge victories for Tonga but no halves to take advantage of it. Actually we had Kotoni Staggs running as halfback, he'd atleast add something more. Our previous halfback was playing second grade in Sydney.

[CrazyIslander]

Tongan league team has a huge forward pack. All top grade players. However it has a down side in defence.
They beat NZ one week then nearly lose to Lebanon in the next. The defence is a mess, opposition halves running them ragged. In their victories they rely on guys coming up with huge defensive plays. Unfortunately, there's no depth.

They beat Australia!

Jeez, you're a hard marker!

They played really well in that game but the defense was terrible, not even NRL standard. Australia played badly.

It will be interesting to see how Tonga goes after the current golden generation have moved on ... have they done enough to ensure all Tongan heritage players will choose Tonga moving forward?

Actually Tonga should be better in the future tbh. We picked guys like Fifita out of loyalty and influence but once we move on we should a more balanced forward pack.
The current generation have done all they could to attract young players. However, the NRL are not happy with players missing Origin. They need to come up with a compromise. Guys like Staggs, Pangai jr will still ensure high profile players there.

[UncleFB]

They beat Australia!

Jeez, you're a hard marker!

They played really well in that game but the defense was terrible, not even NRL standard. Australia played badly.

It will be interesting to see how Tonga goes after the current golden generation have moved on ... have they done enough to ensure all Tongan heritage players will choose Tonga moving forward?

Actually Tonga should be better in the future tbh. We picked guys like Fifita out of loyalty and influence but once we move on we should a more balanced forward pack.
The current generation have done all they could to attract young players. However, the NRL are not happy with players missing Origin. They need to come up with a compromise. Guys like Staggs, Pangai jr will still ensure high profile players there.

But the guys like Fifita and Judas Dead to Me Taumalolo have drawn in a bunch of players through their personal mana (not sure if you blokes use mana, but you get my point) and when they've gone who will draw the guys like Staggs over?

[CrazyIslander]

They beat Australia!

Jeez, you're a hard marker!

They played really well in that game but the defense was terrible, not even NRL standard. Australia played badly.

It will be interesting to see how Tonga goes after the current golden generation have moved on ... have they done enough to ensure all Tongan heritage players will choose Tonga moving forward?

Actually Tonga should be better in the future tbh. We picked guys like Fifita out of loyalty and influence but once we move on we should a more balanced forward pack.
The current generation have done all they could to attract young players. However, the NRL are not happy with players missing Origin. They need to come up with a compromise. Guys like Staggs, Pangai jr will still ensure high profile players there.

But the guys like Fifita and Judas Dead to Me Taumalolo have drawn in a bunch of players through their personal mana (not sure if you blokes use mana, but you get my point) and when they've gone who will draw the guys like Staggs over?

Yeah, we owe Fifita and Taumalolo. However the public reaction and support will be more influential in the future tbh. The games reached most Tongan households around the globe. It will influence the kids. More worrying is the clash with Origin.

[UncleFB]

They played really well in that game but the defense was terrible, not even NRL standard. Australia played badly.

It will be interesting to see how Tonga goes after the current golden generation have moved on ... have they done enough to ensure all Tongan heritage players will choose Tonga moving forward?

Actually Tonga should be better in the future tbh. We picked guys like Fifita out of loyalty and influence but once we move on we should a more balanced forward pack.
The current generation have done all they could to attract young players. However, the NRL are not happy with players missing Origin. They need to come up with a compromise. Guys like Staggs, Pangai jr will still ensure high profile players there.

But the guys like Fifita and Judas Dead to Me Taumalolo have drawn in a bunch of players through their personal mana (not sure if you blokes use mana, but you get my point) and when they've gone who will draw the guys like Staggs over?

Yeah, we owe Fifita and Taumalolo. However the public reaction and support will be more influential in the future tbh. The games reached most Tongan households around the globe. It will influence the kids. More worrying is the clash with Origin.

Yeah, although I think Tonga has to keep winning and that will get harder once these Talisman players drift into the sunset. Plus, it's always going to be a crunch game with the Kiwis now, I reckon you'll struggle to win many games against them now.

[MungoMan]

Here's some average NRL players.

That's racist

It's deliberately not racist, a skinny fat white guy, a fat fat Aboriginal guy, and a ginga.

TBF, it is a marvellous selection for those very reasons. And also because Georgie Rose is a deadset legend.

I saw him interviewed on Nein's (usually abominable) footy show and by christ he was funny as buggery. Even Ms MungoSpouse, who doesn't have a lot of time for RL, was mildly astounded by how he was charming the socks off the knuckleheads chatting with him.

[Mog The Almighty]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNjZyQrc9UI

LIke they barely look like athletes compared to your average NRL player

For starters, that's not "the average NRL" player, and for seconds, he certainly looks as though he might have had a bit of "help" there. Lastly, the amount of weight on the bar in a promo shoot gym session doesn't mean anything. Even minus the promo shoot it doesn't mean anything much. I have very little doubt that the average rugby forward would be much stronger than the average league forward. It's just the nature of the sports are different.

[mr bungle]

It's a fair question.

The All Blacks could have done with a few more KGs against England in Yokohama.

[shanky]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNjZyQrc9UI

LIke they barely look like athletes compared to your average NRL player

For starters, that's not "the average NRL" player, and for seconds, he certainly looks as though he might have had a bit of "help" there. Lastly, the amount of weight on the bar in a promo shoot gym session doesn't mean anything. Even minus the promo shoot it doesn't mean anything much. I have very little doubt that the average rugby forward would be much stronger than the average league forward. It's just the nature of the sports are different.

Well, if you wanted to, you could google numerous complete videos of his training sessions, they’re quite famous.

Furthermore, you might find out he’s a respected family man married to a quite famous TV executive.

I expect that wouldn’t fit your narrative though.

[shanky]

It's a fair question.

The All Blacks could have done with a few more KGs against England in Yokohama.

It’s Dublin Dynamo.

[Mog The Almighty]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNjZyQrc9UI

LIke they barely look like athletes compared to your average NRL player

For starters, that's not "the average NRL" player, and for seconds, he certainly looks as though he might have had a bit of "help" there. Lastly, the amount of weight on the bar in a promo shoot gym session doesn't mean anything. Even minus the promo shoot it doesn't mean anything much. I have very little doubt that the average rugby forward would be much stronger than the average league forward. It's just the nature of the sports are different.

Well, if you wanted to, you could google numerous complete videos of his training sessions, they’re quite famous.

Furthermore, you might find out he’s a respected family man married to a quite famous TV executive.

I expect that wouldn’t fit your narrative though.

I'm not sure what any of that has got to do with anything at all.

[shanky]

You accused him of taking steroids, based on a photo

Just thought you’d like to hear some other evidence tonthe contrary.

[Mog The Almighty]

You accused him of taking steroids, based on a photo

Just thought you’d like to hear some other evidence tonthe contrary.

That is only clear evidence that you have no idea what you're talking about on that subject.

BTW, I didn't "accuse" him. I was just making an observation. There's one person alive that knows for sure what he has done: him. I wouldn't accuse him, he doesn't have a physique where you know with deadset certainty. Certainly pushing it though.

[Nolanator]

Garbage. Taupau is an absolute unit.

Here, enjoy some scary highlights...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f89yMAXHekU


and for a bonus, check out the 310kg deadlift
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/ ... 10kgs.html

Decent deadlift, but hitching.
He's obviously extremely powerful, but threatening to kill someone because of a slightly iffy tackle and smashing his forearm into the face of a prone guy? Nah. Not about that.

[shanky]

You accused him of taking steroids, based on a photo

Just thought you’d like to hear some other evidence tonthe contrary.

That is only clear evidence that you have no idea what you're talking about on that subject.

BTW, I didn't "accuse" him. I was just making an observation. There's one person alive that knows for sure what he has done: him. I wouldn't accuse him, he doesn't have a physique where you know with certainty.

My ‘evidence’ is about as credible as yours, you fcking idiot

That was the point being made