Top 10 Over-hyped rugby players

[Hairy Scot]

How about compiling a Table of 10 Worst referees, or 10 Worst Commentators, or even 10 Worst Sports Journalists?

 

[Dizzy]

Wendell Bloody Sailor... I remember when he was in transition from League how in the media he thought he was going to monster Lomu and show him up.... Pfft!, Wendell Sailor wasn't ****!/.

 

[Dizzy]

I woudln't read too much into Gregor Paul's article. I think he has done similar ones exclusively about NZ players.
Plus you have to remember, he saying "overhyped", not "poor players"


Here's my list of over-hyped players:

Pierre Spies: WAS a fantastic player. Sadly, these days he is all hype.

Luke McAlistair: All talent, no heart, and it showed in his play. No loyalty or integrity.

Stephen Brett - cannot stress how much this guy was over-rated simply because he came to Auckalnd from the "Canterbury production line"

Isiah Toeava - As someone mentioned previously; his hands let him down far too often, and can be a liability on defence.

Reuben Thorne - loved in Canterbury, adn made an All Blacks captain under (ex-Canterbury) coach Robbie Deans. An average grafter at best.

SBW - say no more.... all hype and offload... little else. Defence is suspect too.

James Small - sorry SA fans, but I always thought that for his attitude and swagger, he was actually doing more than just being on the end of a backline move... but No- thats pretty much all he ever did. He had some pace, I give him that. But the way he walked around like he was god's gift to rugby was laughable. I especially enjoyed seeing him get shut down against the Blues teams of the 90s.

Gavin Henson - for all the reasons stated previously. And that he is a poser

Pat Lam - Not a player... but all hype and spin, and no meaningful results.

Since you said this, you wanna bring up Robbie Fruean?..

I still don't understand why people hate on SBW.. The guy ISN'T overhyped... He produces far more positive gains for his team than negative, and he always get's over the gainline, get's the offload off and the man can tackle greatly... Why does SBW get so much flack...

 

[Cave Dweller]

What about Andy Farrel? That huge league player who thought he was a big center?

 

[Cave Dweller]

Since you said this, you wanna bring up Robbie Fruean?..

I still don't understand why people hate on SBW.. The guy ISN'T overhyped... He produces far more positive gains for his team than negative, and he always get's over the gainline, get's the offload off and the man can tackle greatly... Why does SBW get so much flack...

I pretty much ignored that when I saw this

James Small - sorry SA fans, but I always thought that for his attitude and swagger, he was actually doing more than just being on the end of a backline move... but No- thats pretty much all he ever did. He had some pace, I give him that. But the way he walked around like he was god's gift to rugby was laughable. I especially enjoyed seeing him get shut down against the Blues teams of the 90s.

That list is nothing about not performing to expectations but personal dislike of the guys attitudes. Hell he was the guy facing Jonah in the WC final and did you ever see someone slingshot Jonah? Well he did. How about that try against Australia think it was in 94 that paved the way for the win that night? The guy won the Currie Cup and have a WC winners medal. Am I missing something?

 

[ZeFrenchy]

As much as the author is a plonker.....its hard to disagree with him on anyone mentioned.

This

 

[McTallshort]

I pretty much ignored that when I saw this



That list is nothing about not performing to expectations but personal dislike of the guys attitudes. Hell he was the guy facing Jonah in the WC final and did you ever see someone slingshot Jonah? Well he did. How about that try against Australia think it was in 94 that paved the way for the win that night? The guy won the Currie Cup and have a WC winners medal. Am I missing something?

Always remember James Small from the 97 Lions tour, where he was all swagger and no substance and was bullied like a girl in the second test by John Bentley but a world cup winners medal is not be sniffed at.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I've never been a Small fan and remember the time he trampled a prone Chester Williams and had a smug grin afterwards when Chester left the field. You could make a case for it being accidental but no need to have a laugh about another player getting injured.

That said he did do a good job (along with Van der Westhuizen) of containing Lomu and his partnership/understanding with the all-class Andre Joubert at both Springbokke and Natal was something special.

 

[Cave Dweller]

Always remember James Small from the 97 Lions tour, where he was all swagger and no substance and was bullied like a girl in the second test by John Bentley but a world cup winners medal is not be sniffed at.

It must have been a girl he was bullying and not Small because he did not play in the second test. Russouw and a center playing on the wing played in that second test. You might remember him his surname was Snyman and ran through the England midfield and around Perry on first phase ball in 97 later that year.

Small also played in the team the smashed the French, England, Australia, Scotland and Italy

 

[cyRil]

did you ever see someone slingshot Jonah?

You're thinking of Goliath mate...

 

[admartian]

did you ever see someone slingshot Jonah?

I have seen Mike Catt do his best interpretation of a potato sack against him though.



To add to the list; Ali Williams. I think even in his best, he wasn't what was advertised. And in between injuries, bad character/attitude, and being out of form, he was rarely at his own best anyway.

 

[FlukeArtist]

Re: James Small.
Just my opinion, but I think he was overhyped.
Most wingers coudl score the tries he did, and to try and bring up one tackle in order to prove the point is a bit of a nonsense. I also saw Lomu mandhandle him umpteen times. Also, I don't recall Small being the main reason Lomu was contained. Small was simply one part of a well executed team plan.
Again- its just my opinion Chief.
But I will say that it used to irk me, the way that the SA commentators would bang on and on about the guy.
I have the 96 and 97 Super seasons at home. I think in 96 Small was the top try scorer (and before you say anything - yes that is nothing to be sniffed at) but in all honesty, the vast majority of credit for those tries should go to the players inside him for putting Small into space. They did the work 90% of the time. A few of those tries, all Small had to do was catch the ball and fall over. But the way the commentators hyped him, you would think he was demolishing backlines.
So thats why I say he was over-hyped.

 

[admartian]

Re: James Small.
Just my opinion, but I think he was overhyped.
Most wingers coudl score the tries he did, and to try and bring up one tackle in order to prove the point is a bit of a nonsense. I also saw Lomu mandhandle him umpteen times. Also, I don't recall Small being the main reason Lomu was contained. Small was simply one part of a well executed team plan.
Again- its just my opinion Chief.
But I will say that it used to irk me, the way that the SA commentators would bang on and on about the guy.
I have the 96 and 97 Super seasons at home. I think in 96 Small was the top try scorer (and before you say anything - yes that is nothing to be sniffed at) but in all honesty, the vast majority of credit for those tries should go to the players inside him for putting Small into space. They did the work 90% of the time. A few of those tries, all Small had to do was catch the ball and fall over. But the way the commentators hyped him, you would think he was demolishing backlines.
So thats why I say he was over-hyped.

Yep, this is pretty much how Guildford works.

There's no tearing up opposition singlehandedly the way Sivivati, Lomu, Rokocoko or Cullen did in their prime.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Re: James Small.
Just my opinion, but I think he was overhyped.
Most wingers coudl score the tries he did, and to try and bring up one tackle in order to prove the point is a bit of a nonsense. I also saw Lomu mandhandle him umpteen times. Also, I don't recall Small being the main reason Lomu was contained. Small was simply one part of a well executed team plan.
Again- its just my opinion Chief.
But I will say that it used to irk me, the way that the SA commentators would bang on and on about the guy.
I have the 96 and 97 Super seasons at home. I think in 96 Small was the top try scorer (and before you say anything - yes that is nothing to be sniffed at) but in all honesty, the vast majority of credit for those tries should go to the players inside him for putting Small into space. They did the work 90% of the time. A few of those tries, all Small had to do was catch the ball and fall over. But the way the commentators hyped him, you would think he was demolishing backlines.
So thats why I say he was over-hyped.

Can't disagree much here, but James Small was the beginning of a tradition that gave our rugby nation a lot of hope and pride. The small (no pun intended) guy stood up to the giant, and denied him countless opportunities to score tries. Since this day, we are the Only big nation against whom Jonah Lomu has not scored a try.

 

[welshglory]

I'm not sure if i agree with Henson being so high up on that list. When he's actually played he's usually been brilliant and he's also contributed a hell of a lot more to Wales and the Ospreys than just a tackle and a kick as this couch critic seems to think. Injuries and a fairly simple brain haven't helped his career... and to be honest I would actually say he's underrated by most people who haven't really followed his career and just read about him in the press

 

[Teh Mite]

All Henson's ever achieved is 1 tackle on an 18 year old boy (on his debut) and one slightly tricky kick. In one game, Umpteen years ago.

He's a joke.

 

[welshglory]

Sorry mate but all coaches who have coached him, except for surprise surprise Baber and Brunnell have said great things about him. He's a very talented player who has been extremely unfortunate with injuries and has caught the imagination of the Welsh press a bit too much.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

He's a very talented player who has been extremely unfortunate with injuries and has caught the imagination of the Welsh press a bit too much.

That's exactly why he's on the list, though.
His injuries and then sabattical from rugby, and then more injuries has meant he's never consistently lived up to his potential (or at least hasn't in X amount of years) meaning he's very over hyped due to everyone saying how good is he/could be yet him not showing it!

 

[sonnench]

Andre Taylor.....jk How the hell did he not make the AB's??

But in all seriousness, I don't understand the praise Elton Jantjies always seemes to get. I think people over hyped him to quickly because he was something us South Africans were not used to having, because of his attacking ability ala Carlos Spencer. In my honest opinion he is quite far down the pecking order of Flyhalfs in S.A.

Others that come to mind are Ben Robinson, Ali Williams and Juan de Jongh.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Ali Williams was pretty good a few years ago, I don't think he's in great form now, but he has played well for the country. His prime was probably ~2006 though. He's hardly over hyped at the moment