I find it amusing that people act like he is some generational talent when he's not. First he was playing fullback and the next GI, then he played centre and was the next Folau. Probably the next SBW now he's in the second row.
Wade Graham, SBW, Cordner were better second rowers at the same age, just off the top of my head. Hopefully he turns out as good as they are.
Which of the players you just named were 20 year old centres? Which of them played their first game of second row in first grade?
Disregarding that you ignored that relevant stipulation - I would say with the exception of Sonny Bill, you could compare Sione's first games as a backrower with any of those you've mentioned pretty favourably. How many games has Sione played as a backrower in his life?
Nope, he's not going to be the next SBW. He could be anything between a very good first grader to some level below SBW, though. With a tiny handful of games under his belt in the position, it's hard to say... but the signs are as good as ANY second rower I've ever seen in the red and blue at the same point in their careers. That is cause for optimism, even if you want to shit all over it every chance you get.
Let's continue. I've never said he was the next GI, so that's not a relevant argument here. Maybe some people have, I don't know... to be honest I think that's mostly fabricated in the same way people called Clydsdale "the next Cam Smith" - another fallacy you like to go on with. Just because someone compares a juniors game to a current player, doesn't in any way suggest that said junior will actually rise to the heights of that player - you are comparing skillsets and the way they play. You know this as well as I do, but it doesn't fit your little narratives, so you disregard it for a cheap shot. I don't think anyone, ever, that I have read has compared Sione to Folau. Not as far as potential goes, nor as far as their respective playing styles goes. If they have - I missed it. I think you've got your wires crossed with something you read over at clown college. Sounds like something they would say.
I look at a blokes like Beau Scott and Ben Creagh to judge how far Sione could go. Both centres-turn-backrowers. If he has a career to match either of those blokes, he'll be doing very well. He could easily be better than both. Apparently that's nothing to be excited about in your book. Actually, we should expect more?
I can't fathom why you want to shit on everyone feeling good about actually producing a great junior. You were dead set deathriding the bloke at the start of the year. There's only a small handful of players his age in the country that I would swap for him.