How good is Folua?

 He is getting huge credit for the warts win but is it warranted one must ask. Yes he jumped up and snaffled a ball that led to a try. However he was extremely lucky it was not a knock on.

Then he is feted for a try scored but Habana left a hole in the defence and my granny could have scored that one.

One must also realise Vermuelen, Elstadt and Deon were all off injured by then as well.

He tried to run and got caught every time. He got knocked back a number of times. He is also a one footed kicker which is a consideration when playing 15.

Yes he shone against a non tackling queens side last week but never really looked extraordinary against the Stormers even with their small backs.  Note however how good Jean was defensively something he is not often given credit for.

He is a good player but is he being overhyped. Will he start for the Wallabys. He is also a big target and at test level he had better be ready to take some hard knocks. They were talking how big he was at 103 kg. JP is 106 kg etc. 103 is not that big these days and he is tall. Against the Bulle Basson ran him down like he was standing still He has good feet and a hand off but how good is his speed?

I see ou keo is waxing lyrical about Luke who was the man who inspired the kings to win in his opinion. Hahahahahahahaha pity then that Cornell du Preez was man of the match! His agenda prevents him being objective and hence his slanting of the situation.

The Tongan side is pretty good Beans for their best player to sink South Africas top team, Watch out for Tonga mate.

 Stain larger have you had one too many? What are you on about?

Beans what are you on about -  i've never heard of Folua.

Folau is a Tongan dude just to update you. A Polynesian player from here in Polynesia that put the hapless Stormers away.

Geography lesson for you Beans - Australia is'nt part of Polynesia but NZ is so perhaps he should be playing for the Kiwis.

Soon all Australia's team will be from here in Polynesia as this is where it's all happening mate.

Aussies always pinching our stuff...

Beeeno

There is apparently at present  big debate on Folau in Austalian rugby circles.   Some thinks that he is not committedto Rugby Union and may not sign a longer-term vcpontrst that would be sufficient to be a Wallaby contract by the ARU.

There is however, no debate about him as a player - he no doubt performs well as a full back - well enough to nsure his selecion in that position.   I do not thnk he is suitable to play in other position either.   Definitely not at 13 - where he will be rather ineffective.   His great strength is running from the back and beating defenders when doing so.   At center that would not be possible at all and he would probably be ineffective.   I think that Folau will be selected as full back for the Wallabies - especially if Deans decide on playing O'Connor in a different position and not at full back.

 Initially I heard the long term plan was to move him to 13 when he understands union in great detail.

Robbie Deans has initially seen him more as a wing option. 

I can see him being strong in all 3 positions. Wing and fullback mostly because of how strong he is in the air. 

Outside centre because of his offload ability and strength in the tackle. 

I think he might be a bit short of pace for a wing, and maybe kicking the ball behind him may be an achilies.

I think he has Sunny Bill potential as a centre because of his ability to stand in the tackle, strength and offload capability.  

 A tongan you say stain larger. That is a suprise as I wasnt sure the tongaans were stll playing the game. 

At the moment the polynesians are used to supplement the abs and nw the aussie teams. you seem to be rugby colonies of nz and Oz. One wonders if you will ever become independent. Hahahahahahahahahaha

Well just bear in mind he has not been tested at TEST  level. If he is picked against the Lions we shall see how good he really is. 

hahahahaahaaa by Steinlager's logic then the Blues / chiefs / hurricanes are all either soaman or tongan teams then..... ahahah -

Correct that Folau is tongan descent - but born and bred in Aust - like many many other polynesian family/s... can believe the idiocy or hypocrisy of that comment steinlager..... still laughing....

RE Folau - remember this is STILL only his 12th or so game (including trials) of rugby @ this level. He outpoerformed in RL at top level (state of origin) @ 21yo. He was easily amongst the top couple of players in RL. Compared to SBW who was top 20 best at tleague and played 2x seasons in france before even coming to SXV level and yes (saffex) Ive seen how you carry on about SBW..... perhaps somewhat merited. Folau is easily better athlete (for rugby outside back) that SBW and you've yet to even see half of what hes capable of..

Now Beeno - tahs win was enjoyable last nite and kwiw ref actually did a unbiased job... not sure what the world coming to... Point is that watch that replay again of Folau jumpin and you will see there was no luck involved rather that was shear talent and once again - this is only the beginning... His vertical leap has been honed by aFL and at least 50% of tries in league come from cross kicks... my tip - wait till a GOOD 5/8 eg QC starts putting kicks to his wing..........

Anyway Aussies showed the Saffa teams how to play rugby this weekend / kiwi refs kept their losers in the game again & Folau is going re-write rugby history if he stays in the game..... 

Redsman signing off 

Like i was saying Beans before some dumbarse yarpy butted in.

Polynesian players from these parts are flooding Australia and yarpies like Red are probably gunna have to move back to SA because it won't be white enough for him.

Lomu was another great Tongan player similar to Folau and incidently Tonga thrashed Samoa in league 36 -4 last month so the gap is closing between these two neighbours.

Can't see many Aussies playing in the Wobblies anymore though Beans. They'll all be from here in Polynesia.

steinlager you sound like you've got identity issues..... big time. U obviously live in asutralia / judging by your avatar (thats the pic next to your name....) you like the ABs / u claim to be living in Tonga and have got a chip on your shoulder - which is EXTREMELY kwi to me.... Confsued person.

Bottom line buddy - Polynesians have been welcomed here and have massive communities in Sydney and Logan area (south of Bris) most are now 2nd /3rd generation or more. Also most Tongan's (if you are really one or maybe 1/64th) dont need to talk crap like you as they are more chilled than that... Having a couple of mates that are very close to a couple Tah's players you are soo full of it...

So my assessment is that you're a tryhard kwiw (possibly with removed tongan descent) living in Aus (prbly sponging of welfare) talking crap....

I know a couple of boys that have a cousin playing in this Tah's team and they are 100% NSW / Wallaby supporters... but still proud of tongan heritage... incidentally both are approx 120kg ex 1st grade league players

Such fun pushing the Red button and making the yarpy squirm. 

Dunno wether they've got the internet in Tonga yet though yarpy Red. I'm stuck here in the most beautiful country on earth NZ - the Polynesian capital of the world. Over there in the convict colony they're used to stealing all our stuff.

Now Red claims that Australia is part of Polynesia - leave the colonising to us kiwis buddy . We've already almost taken over all of Queensland and currently working on Sydney and Melbourne and Perth.

It's all part of our plan for world domination. BWawhahahahahaha

 De Jongh had no problem taking him down in space.....and as Hasbeen says Basson reeled him in like a slow truck. My guess is....he ain't that great.

Mozart - think what you may... but IF he stays with rugby he will be the best ever convert. (seriously DAYLight.... and then SBW - who seems to get massive rapts from saffas...). BTW he's quick (not the quickest) but even if basson could catch him tackling him or stopping the offload two very different things which basson doubting could do...

The other thing is after 2yrs of condidtioning to AFL he is a lot leaner than when he played RL - hes probably still 5-10kgs off his playing weight in RL.

Stats show his run more metres in SXV than any other payer this year and hes only play a dozen games....!!! surely that says somethign.?

Think what you may - but you have been warned.... now as for Bruno........... thats seriously a story of overrating...

 Have to agree with Peds here....Folau is every bit as good as SBW given his lack of experience at this level and he could become a great.

Absolutely a waste at fullback though. He should be following in SBW's tracks and playing at inside centre, what with his strength and ability to off load. One thing he possesses that SBW struggled with is a great sidestep which would make him doubly dangerous in the midfield as even only slightly wrong footing an opponent would make him a nightmare to tackle.

Deans HAS to include him in the squad. Never mind whether he stays around in Union for a long time or not; he has to play his most powerful team against the Lions and in the RC.

Well you chaps told us Quaalude Cooper was going to change the RWC, and he did....he gifted NZ the semi and ultimately made it possible for them to win a RWC. I'm from St Louis on this one...especially as nobody seems to agree what position he should play. Bruno as you call him, has already proven his test worth.

I never raved about QC and to this day I thinkj he is exceptional in the right envrionment (right coach v important to him obviously). I just cant wait to see IF QC and folau can combine - get ready for some entertainment then...

Mate you're only as good as the players around you and if its Quade thats around Folau when the Wobblies play us in the Bloodyslow Cup then he'll be ALL SHIT like the Tokoroa Huhus.

  Just look at the players SBW had around him inside the likes of DC and Cruds and on the outside all class left right and center not to mention Dagg. Major advantage not having insignificant Wobblies muddling around you like clumsy fks

That said Folau being a Polynesian brother from the hood will be dangerous and Dingo Dawg Deans will be drooling at the mouth at the prospect of Folau supplementing a weak aussie side...

ive always liked james oconner at fullback, i think thats his best postion, but after watching folau against the chiefs & the stormers, thats the acid test he passed with flying colours.
kings is meh, they are a useless team who have done amazingly well in 2013 to what is shaping up as them avoiding the woodenspoon, but make no mistake they are useless which is why i dont think much of folaus demolition act. but against teams fo the calibre of the cheifs and stormers, and to preform like that, now that is impressive.

the debate of wether he is the best league convert ever requires one thing and thats the test of time. IMO had SBW stayed, he had the biggest potential of every league converrt to be the best, but IMO jason robinso in the best league convert followed closely by thorn.
if folau stays in union and continues to preform, then he could very well be the best, hes gone from a real green novice in round 2 to the best fullback in the comp, scary considering the improvement came in 11 short weeks.

i think folau would be wasted ion the centers, true he has that great step, but his ability to counter attack especially against teams of a 10man rugby nature like the Boks and all of NH, will be a huge assest.
hes also the best under the highball and against SA that is always going to be huge as they do more up and unders then the whole world combined IMO.

we also need to ask if this is how good folau is in the waratahs, how good will he be in the wallabies when surround by australias best??? o_O

I rate Folau, in fact he would be close to my no1 choice amongst many of the top players in Aussie rugby league who I thought could make the shift to union ..... take him before SBW . He could be potentially a huge asset to Oz rugby .

Bobbok again I say what did he do against the Stormers. The try he scored was a straight run in. He is not quick and makes a big target. I suspect he will be worked out a bit and the hype may not match the reality.

One will need to see him operating at test level against good sides to get a better sense as to how good he really is. I was just also trying to think how good is his defence and tactical kicking game?

Stain larger what surprises me is the way in which the Islander meekly accept their humble position of rugby servants to nz and oz. Have you guys no pride or ambitions of your own?

I am on record saying a combined Islander team would be, on a regular basis, in the top 5 in the world. But after all these years you remain merely suppliers to supplement nz and Oz sides who remain your rugby colonisers. Some relief at WC times and then is goodby again.

Man I would hate us to be in that position! Of course the status quo suits Oz and Nz to  a tee. 

@beeno1 aka storminged,

u full of kak bro, u need to know what ur talking about when u talk about islanders playing for NZ or OZ, i notice that SA have no problems doing the exact same thing with their neighbouring countries??? why dosent rghule stay in ghana, or beast stay in zimbabwae??? no pride an ambition of their own???

when u look at the main answer, u will see its the exact same reason, except the All Blacks in their last  squad have no islanders born outside of NZ.

so by ur logic, australian born folau should go play for tonga??? o_O
no wonder cj stander would rather play for ireland and timo sweil would rather play for england, too many mentally challenged people in SA, :oP

Pacific Islands only hope to generate sufficient income to even compete with what international clubs are offering is to come up with a revenue-sharing Super Rugby format which includes Japanese , Korean and Pacific Island clubs.

If SA clubs are unable to keep their players from going to NH it is unreasonable to expect the Pacific Islanders to stay domestic.