It could also illustrate his position of strength in the All Blacks scrum, it seems an appropriate image for rugby's tighthead prop. Not that Franks views it that way.
"I've never thought about it like that," he said ahead of tomorrow's Bledisloe Cup set piece battle with the Wallabies at Etihad Stadium.
"A lot of our family come from the sea and are fishermen. It is basically just that, nothing too special."
Approaching his 15 test cap, the 22-year-old is arguably developing into something special in the front row.
When the All Blacks scrum is analysed these days two words are conspicuous by their absence: Carl and Hayman.
Regarded as the world's premier tighthead when he ended his All Blacks career at the 2007 World Cup, the New Zealand Rugby Union was desperate to bring Hayman home from the north of England for the 2011 edition.
A farm in Taranaki was among the enticements but Hayman opted for a cash crop in Toulon ahead of reviving his 45-test career.
When the 30-year-old announced his career choice in March it was considered a serious setback for next year's bid to regain the Webb Ellis Trophy, test quality tightheads were supposedly at a premium.
Franks made his debut nine months before the NZRU courted Hayman -- hardly a vote of confidence in the rookie's future.
"It didn't actually affect me too much," Franks said.
"You can't argue he's the best tighthead in the world. It would have been pretty arrogant of me to say I'm better than him.
"I just have to keep proving myself and show people I'm a good tighthead.
"It's pretty hard for me to live up to Carl Hayman's reputation at this minute, but I do my best every week to improve and hopefully get to where he was."
Franks seems to be taking a step in the right direction by seeing off the challenge of Neemia Tialata and John Afoa as the first choice No.3.
Starting against the Springboks in Auckland and Wellington suggests Franks has a lock on a role he knows takes a multitude of scrums to perfect.
"Even if you're a 35-year-old veteran, the minute you get complacent is the minute you get done. You have to keep learning and checking your technique."
Franks took confidence from his performances against South African loosehead Gurthro Steenkamp, Benn Robinson is the next to front up.
The Australian scrum never carries the reputation of the Springbok set piece but Franks insisted they could not be taken lightly.
"They've been given a bad name for no reason really."
However, there was no ignoring England's demolition job in Perth last month although Robinson, hooker Stephen Moore and first choice tighthead Ben Alexander were unavailable.
Alexander's understudy Salesi Ma'afu was given a torrid time as the English were twice awarded penalty tries as the Wallabies pack concertinaed.
As a relative newcomer to test football himself did Franks feel for Ma'afu, who faces his first All Black haka tomorrow night?
"You feel a little bit of sympathy," he admitted.
"It's not easy when that's constantly happening in front a big stadium."
Franks has so far avoided a public humiliation at test level but learned the hard way when packed down as a teenager in Christchurch club rugby for Linwood.
"I took a bit of punishment then which has stood me in good stead."
His first game for Canterbury was also a painful experience, Franks only lasted a couple of minutes against Counties at Mt Smart Stadium.
"I dislocated an elbow," he recalled, before quickly adding: "That wasn't from taking a hiding."
