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Last year a number of players parted ways with the Queensland Reds.
Dom Shipperly announced a move to the Rebels, and is delivering good results for the Melbourne men.
Another back who moved to the southern capital is Mike Harris. So far he has scored 49 points, which exceeds the total points scored by the entire Reds team.
Others to depart include Ben Lucas (Montpellier), Rod Davies (Biarritz), Aidan Toua (Agen), Jonah Placid (Rebels) and Blake Enever (Brumbies).
In return, the Reds imported several big guns from Japan, New Zealand and New South Wales. Is it enough?
Weighing up the results, so far
The Reds hired 122 kilogram tighthead prop Sam Talakai. At 112 kilograms, Adam Thompson adds around 5 kgs over Eddie Quirk. Henry Tsui is around the same weight as Jake Schatz. He is currently injured, and his form will be revealed in due course.
The Brumbies forwards are around 30 kg heavier than the Reds. A big part of this comes from the back five. The weight difference is about the same as the score difference: 29 to be exact.
The Waratahs have the same pack-weight advantage, and they too scored a similar number of points over Queensland.
The Highlanders’ forwards are 22 kg heavier than the Reds, and the team from Otago also triumphed. Their back-five weight advantage is 9kg, which is close to the Reds’ seven-point loss.
The Reds pack is 10 kg heavier than the Western Force, which is roughly the amount the Reds beat the Perth team by.
The trend, so far: Queensland fubared the recruitment
The force has 120kg Adam Coleman. The Brumbies have 120kg Rory Arnold. The Rebels have 123kg Lopeti Timani. The Waratahs have 140kg Will Skelton, and 120kg Sam Lousi, who is playing dangerously. Wycliff Palu (120kg) joins them at the back, with 120kg Sekope Kepu propping up the front.
The heaviest Reds forward is Sam Talakai. The lightest Red is also one of the lightest in Australia, Liam Gill. The heaviest of the back five is 116kg James Horwill.
The Reds forwards are not so big. Neither are the results, so far.
The lock stocks
I prayed for a heavy lock or two during the recruitment drive. A big eight would also be good. But none arrived.
The Reds were southern hemisphere champions with the lock pairing of 120kg John Eales and 122kg Garrick Morgan.
Rucking like monsters. Terrorising lineouts. Slotting penalties. Why haven’t the Reds unearthed the next ones, especially with the funds available?
Will the healed players heal the Reds form?
I hope so, despite statistics and on-field form.
Samu Kerevi is back. At almost 110kg, he is as heavy as Sonny Bill Williams, with a fantastic, fast, powerful, short profile. But like Digby Ioane, his power will be wasted without space – and may end up used as a battering ram. Conversely, with a bit of space combined with Quade Cooper, Will Genia and James O’Connor, he can cause major damage.
In their game versus the Brumbies, the Reds pack delivered some good attacking opportunities for the backs, but they were squandered. The game versus the Lions will be a benchmark for the team’s reform programme. Fans should expect a much, much better performance. The consequence being obvious for the management and coaches.
When Rob Simmons and Henry Tui return, the team’s power and mobility may improve. However, as shown by other teams, a couple of 120kg strategic hires goes a long way. Meantime, fans can only hope for a miracle turnaround to win the 2015 Super Rugby.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.