SPANNER IN THE WORKS

[Burgs]

Name DOB
Mark Bartholomeusz 30/06/1977
Nathan Sharpe 26/02/1978
Matt Dunning 19/12/1978
Andre Pretorius 29/12/1978
Brett Sheehan 16/09/1979
Ryan Cross 6/10/1979
Sam Harris 30/01/1980
Chris O'Young 3/03/1981
Nic Henderson 1/05/1981
Matt Hodgson 25/06/1981
Tim Fairbrother 12/03/1982
Haig Sare 25/03/1982
Ryan Tyrrell 9/11/1983
Cameron Shepherd 30/03/1984
Richard Brown 28/08/1984
Filipe Manu 12/10/1985
Kieran Longbottom 20/12/1985
Tom Hockings 22/02/1986
Joelin Rapana 23/04/1986
Richard Stanford 25/04/1986
Pekahou Cowan 2/06/1986
Josh Tatupu 6/11/1986
Nick Cummins 5/10/1987
Ben McCalman 18/03/1988
David Pocock 23/04/1988
Sam Wykes 25/04/1988
Mitch Inman 24/10/1988
Dane Haylett-Petty 18/06/1989
Ben Whittaker 10/10/1989
Justin Turner 12/02/1990
James O'Connor 5/07/1990
Mark Swanepoel 26/10/1990
Luke Jones 2/04/1991
Stefano Hunt 11/08/1991

[beloveit]

why have a go for? all i was saying that its GREAT to see they getting a go... FINALLY!

and yeah cummins is injured and pocock and browny.. but these guys are young and will recover quite quickly...

older you are the harder it gets ay.

[TOCC]

some clubs sign players over 30 to only 12month contracts, generally speaking its all downhill from 30, there are freakish players out there that can get another few years out of there bodies, but not many.

Forwards gerneally seem to be able to last a season or two longer then backs, whether thats due to the nature of there physicality or the fact that they dont really make the professional sides until 21/22 as opposed to backs who are thrown in from 18/19 years old who knows.

[James]

There is more technique to being a forward and that doesn't really deteriorate with age. Not as much as speed does anyway Johan Ackermann was still playing for the Sharks at 38 wasn't he? Scored a Bok cap at 37. Backs tend to stuff up their legs a lot from the high speed collisions but in the tight five you really don't build up that much speed and for the front row you have a ready made pillow to cushion your fall. It might also be the later start though.

[mudskipper]

It goes without saying… Backs go to great lengths to avoid extreme contact; Forwards go to all lengths to make devastating contact...

[zimeric]

id say its more a factor of athleticism your muscles start to tighten up around 28yrs and it becomes harder to maintain agility and speed conditioning after this age.

Stamina however can be maintained for quite a few more years.

[James]

Yeah you look at those marathon runners and they are all in their 30s and 40s.