Force keen to sign tough Kiwi prop

[travelling_gerry]

Force keen to sign tough Kiwi prop






Bret Harris | January 28, 2009


Article from: The Australian

WESTERN Force has renewed its effort to recruit New Zealand prop Tim Fairbrother as the Super 14 team continues its international search for a tighthead to anchor the scrum.

The Force showed interest in Fairbrother, a specialist tight-head who plays for the Hurricanes, a couple of years ago.

When the ARU opened the door to foreign players this season, the Force was hoping to find an import to wear the ocean blue No3 jersey. They had discussions with Springboks prop Jannie du Plessis, but he wanted to come as a package deal with his Test hooker brother, Bismarck.

While teams are allowed to sign two imports, they can only sign one "marquee" player, which ruled out bringing in both the brothers.

The bonus with Fairbrother is that he would not take up one of the Force's import spots because he is already eligible to play for the Wallabies.

One of the best props in New Zealand not to have played for the All Blacks, Fairbrother, 26, has an Australian grandparent.

A strong scrummager, Fairbrother's promising career has been interrupted by injury and illness but he would be a valuable acquisition for the Force.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html

[chiselhead]

Sign him up

[lara93]

yeah i hope they do

[BDAVEY]

it must nearly too late to sign someone up, dont under estimate Cowan and LongBottom (?) gee hes bulked up as well

[robyn <3]

Are we asking for them this season? I think we should wait. Longbottom and Cowan are coming up the ranks, as Bdavey said, and this will be a major season for those two boys. I want to give them a shot first, and see how they go as regular regular super14 starters or bench players... I don't think we need an import for this season. If next season our front row has not improved then I think it would be time, but Longbottom especially needs to be given a proper shot, as the first guy WA born and bred and educated and everything else-d.

[joondalup dave]

Are we asking for them this season? I think we should wait. Longbottom and Cowan are coming up the ranks, as Bdavey said, and this will be a major season for those two boys. I want to give them a shot first, and see how they go as regular regular super14 starters or bench players... I don't think we need an import for this season. If next season our front row has not improved then I think it would be time, but Longbottom especially needs to be given a proper shot, as the first guy WA born and bred and educated and everything else-d.

this may well be true but both cowan and longbottom are looseheads, fairbrother is a tight head.

The best way to describe it is that it would be like trying to switch driver sides midway through the baturst 1000. the muscle memory is entirely different and the technique required is counterintuitive.

[BDAVEY]

Agree Robyn, lets give them a go there is too much importing of players, give them a go. I reckon the front row will surprise some this year. The game has changed and we need running bulk, see how well Robinson (?) developed on the Wallabies in the UK. The pressure will be on Hardy big time, he hasnt done too much in last few years.
Hooker: Tai looking fit, if Holmes could get more bulk he would go the next step.

[TOCC]

surely Tai is looking at retirement soon?

[James]

No one is suggesting Tim Fairbrother for this year. The season is about to start and he's contracted for 2009 with the Hurricanes.

We don't have any problems at loosehead. Stocks are great there. The problem at the Force and in general with Australia is good quality tighthead props. Tim Fairbrother is a good quality tighthead prop. You can't win the Super 14 without a steady scrum and not even Johnnie Cochran with the Chewbacca defense could convince the other S14 franchises that we don't have a weak scrum (if not the weakest in the competition). Isn't it better that we bring in a guy who is eligible to play for Australia than bring in a marquee player who isn't (as they tried to do with Jannie du Plessis)?

[BDAVEY]

Should stick a few of these EWF staff on the plane to NZ and tell them to look there must a be a few over there that would like a change what about some Northern Hemisphere boys..... (no poms - never want to see a pom in blue)

[James]

Should stick a few of these EWF staff on the plane to NZ and tell them to look there must a be a few over there that would like a change what about some Northern Hemisphere boys..... (no poms - never want to see a pom in blue)

Presumably if Ben Franks was (now capped All Black) eligible for Australia so brother Owen Franks should be (who played agaisnt the Force last Friday). Worth looking into.

[BDAVEY]

Maybe the EWF powers to be read this thread and have signed a some kiwi blood to get some power into the EWF scrum..time will tell.