"Big Dog" coming back to the Force!!!

[travelling_gerry]

Manawatu rugby's 'Big Dog' heads to Perth

By PETER LAMPP - Manawatu Standard | Wednesday, 03 December 2008

David Te Moana's departure to the Western Force now means the Manawatu Turbos have 12 players involved at a higher level rugby in the offseason.


Such an overview warms the cockles of coach Dave Rennie whose team finished bottom of the Air New Zealand Cup competition this year.

Te Moana, 26, returns to John Mitchell's Western Force Super 14 squad. He played for the Force in 2006 in seven Super 14 games, all as a substitute tighthead prop before arriving in Manawatu in July that year.

The following season he played the last five games for the Queensland Reds.

The first approach this time wasn't enough to entice 130kg tighthead prop Te Moana, but when the Force came back with another offer, he accepted it.



rest here....

[brokendown gunfighter]

interesting,maybe things have changed.I was led to believe he was let go originally not neccessarly because of his on field form

[James]

interesting,maybe things have changed.I was led to believe he was let go originally not neccessarly because of his on field form

Yeah it was a funny one hey. Mitch started off with Fitter and decided he couldn't last long enough and then moved onto Dave and then I think figured the same and then moved on to Angus Scott. Never heard of anything off-field though.

I gathered when he came in for the Reds he did so without any form of pre-season or proper conditioning so I don't think his time there should be held agaisnt him anyway.

Who knows I mean maybe he's really come through as a prop and has really worked on his fitness. Against a grinding team like the Bulls having an option that isn't as mobile (like them) but can handle the power is always a plus. Since he qualifies to play for the Force naturally anyway are spots being left open for the 2 non-Aussies?

[travelling_gerry]

I heard more physical reasons why he was let go...but...

If he comes back maybe instead of hearing "beast" we start our own cry of

"DOG"

[robyn <3]

Being so very young like I was in 06, I don't really remember the bloke. Was he super-awesome, or just awesome?

I heard more physical reasons why he was let go...but...

If he comes back maybe instead of hearing "beast" we start our own cry of

"DOG"

That's a really really good idea!! At scrum time the crowd battles it out, screaming "BEAST" "DOG" "BEAST" "DOG" "BEAST" "DOG"! Oh, I love it!

[lara93]

this was interesting news to find out
but good news aswell

[TOCC]

he is 100% crap

[Flamethrower]

Is that crap with potential to grow into something or crap as in waste of time??

Crap can produce some good stuff at times.

[TOCC]

im happy to be proven wrong, any player who contributes to the strenght of australian rugby is a plus..

but to put it into perspective, he wasnt re-signed by the Force, he couldnt pick up a contract until the Reds had 4 props out injured and had to call in replacements, then after that season he was again released..

His only making up number

[AndyS]

He was a bit, um.....disappointing. Looks the goods, probably could be anything, but wasn't. But who knows, fingers crossed something has changed. If we do end up with Trevor Woodman, maybe he can make something of him.

[James]

Been looking through the ANZC results to see how he's been doing for them. Played most of the games last season as a starter- good experience at least. Scored a try against Waikato even.

I'm willing to keep an open mind anyway.

[GIGS20]

I'm guessing those stats don't have anything that you'd really want to know about a prop in them though would they James?

[James]

I'm guessing those stats don't have anything that you'd really want to know about a prop in them though would they James?

I didn't so much see the stats as read the match reports. Couldn't find any stats but then I didn't look that hard. What I did see was that for the last 2/3 of the season he was the starting tighthead. Whether that was through injury or if he worked his way there I don't know but in the games when Manawatu did well (a win over Canterbury and a draw with Waikato) a lot of credit was given to the teams tight-five. The sad truth is that this was during the first 1/3 of the season when he was the bench prop.

[Burgs]

This is another that the news doesn't match the new Player Profile list???

[brokendown gunfighter]

bit strange