Gotta feel sorry for the kid but.....

[PrincessBandit]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league...port-they-love

When you read sentences like:
The game came naturally to Manase. He skittled defenders and carried opposition players down the field time and time again, much to his parents' delight. Well, at 110kg he's more than half my weight again - he'd be like a freakin' Sherman tank charging into other kids! He might be a "gentle giant" and "not want to hurt anyone" but any 110kg 9 year old playing against other 9 year olds is very likely to do damage regardless of intent when they impact another player.

Health issues aside (and I am assuming that if he had any/many of those he'd hardly be playing league) how can anyone let their 9 or 10 year old get to 100- 115 kg? Surely this is clinically obese? If a kid is weighing that kind of tonnage and really loves the game that much, how about losing some of that bulk and trimming down? There is certainly a place for sportsmanship on the field and the sidelines so yelling out abuse to him is definitely offensive but sheesh, can't the parents see that their boy is likely to be an easy target when the opposition are mostly average sized kids? I certainly wouldn't want any 9 year old of mine weighing barely 50 kg (if that) coming up against a kid over twice their weight!

[russd7]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league...port-they-love

When you read sentences like:
The game came naturally to Manase. He skittled defenders and carried opposition players down the field time and time again, much to his parents' delight. Well, at 110kg he's more than half my weight again - he'd be like a freakin' Sherman tank charging into other kids! He might be a "gentle giant" and "not want to hurt anyone" but any 110kg 9 year old playing against other 9 year olds is very likely to do damage regardless of intent when they impact another player.

Health issues aside (and I am assuming that if he had any/many of those he'd hardly be playing league) how can anyone let their 9 or 10 year old get to 100- 115 kg? Surely this is clinically obese? If a kid is weighing that kind of tonnage and really loves the game that much, how about losing some of that bulk and trimming down? There is certainly a place for sportsmanship on the field and the sidelines so yelling out abuse to him is definitely offensive but sheesh, can't the parents see that their boy is likely to be an easy target when the opposition are mostly average sized kids? I certainly wouldn't want any 9 year old of mine weighing barely 50 kg (if that) coming up against a kid over twice their weight!

yup, as an adult at just on 6' at 110kg I was considered morbidly obese, mind you it does take a big motor to keep a man this good going

[BuzzardNZ]

that's kinda why I had to quit rugby as a kid, walked over by too many big polys ( as were many others )

[EJK]

They misspelt the word big, instead of fat.

[jasonu]

In the early 1980's the Mt. Albert Grammar School 1st 15 total weight was around the same as the All Slacks. Lotsa big Polys.

[FROSTY:Me]

This isn't in any way newsworthy. The PARENTS have the option to put their kiddo in an appropriate team. The structures are in place to deal with this.
But ohh no --the parents want him in that specific team