You know what else is a cool story? The amount of average and sometimes below average players in League who have gone to union and excelled?
[citation needed]
You know what else is a cool story? The amount of average and sometimes below average players in League who have gone to union and excelled?
You know what else is a cool story? The amount of average and sometimes below average players in League who have gone to union and excelled?
The successful:
- Lote Tuqiri: One of the best wingers of the NRL in the late 90s, had good success in the early part of his rugby career.
- SBW: One of the best players in league, actually learned how to pass after playing outside of Jonny Wilkinson, Dan Carter etc.
- Brad Thorn: One of the best forwards in league at the time, best convert of all time hands down given the technical requirements.
- Berrick Barnes: Played a few games for the Broncos. Another decent convert, but I wouldn't say he's exactly set the world on fire, but his schoolboy sporting record is very impressive, good cricketer and state level swimmer. Also was in the First XI Cricket for 5 years and First XV Rugby for 4 years, no mean feats. May just be a case of talented sportsman.
- Chris Ashton: Good player in both codes.
The average:
- Wendell Sailor: Also one of the best wingers in the same era as Tuqiri, did not do as well.
- Mat Rogers: Good league player, never nailed down a position in rugby though.
- Leon Bott: Was the next big thing in league, winning and being nominated for a few rookie gongs; the biggest rugby flop, what's he doing these days?
- Timana Tahu: Good 'ol Tim-Tam got found out in a game against the Boks when he didn't know how to defend in 2 directions.
- Cooper Vuna: Holds a record for try scoring against other clubs, earned 2 caps for the Wallabies, no tries, pretty average stats really but I liked his enthusiasm as a player.
- Shontayne Hape: Not a bad league player, pretty average at rugby, earning 1 league cap more than his rugby career (given how many test matches league has this is a pretty bad stat), has scored 56 points in league (14 tries) but 10 points in rugby (10 tries).
This is about all I can be bothered to do, but do you mind telling me which average league player has excelled in rugby?
You know what else is a cool story? The amount of average and sometimes below average players in League who have gone to union and excelled?
Care to name some.
And if they have been below average at mungo ball and excelled in a far superior game, it just confirms what a silly and irrelevant past time five kick actually is, and how misguided their original choice of recreational activity was.
Cooper Vuna could barely hold down a spot in a struggling Newcastle Knights team. But when he switches to Union within two years plays for the wallabies. So for someone to excel i would say playing for the number 3 nation in the world is pretty impressive.
Same goes for Joe Tomane. Leon Bott never made a rep team in league so it is ridiculous to include him.
Also Jason Robinson is another leaguie who has dominated the union game
I beleive it shows evidence quite the contrary. That the union teams worldwide need to buy the rugby league players just so that they can gain crowds and media. Prime recent example: Israel Folau
It's a drawing a pretty long bow to say league players are more skilled than union players. None if the forwards can catch and pass. Only about three of the backs in each team can.
They can't seem to handle a simple man on man defensive line duty, and can't put a bloke on the deck when it really counts. Yet they can't seem to score tries without kicking about 60% of the time.
The tackling is awful - I saw five minutes of Souths run over Manly tonight and the sheer lack of technique was horrific for supposed professionals.
I think the NRL packages a decent product - and their commentators will browbeat you into believing so - but they'd be a lot better if they spent less time in the gym.
There are also quite a few league players who failed, but they weren't high profile enough to warrant notice. Tahu was fucking ordinary though.
I think SBW summed it up best: felt embarrassed to take a notepad and pencil into the team meeting. Not like there is anything to remember.
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I hate autocorrect .
The troll is strong in this one.
Folau was an AFL player that converted to rugby. He was playing AFL because he got bored with counting up to 5 and waiting to chase a kick. I am yet to see any listing of below average mungoballers to support your assertion that these have set the world game of Rugby on fire.
It's a drawing a pretty long bow to say league players are more skilled than union players. None if the forwards can catch and pass. Only about three of the backs in each team can.
They can't seem to handle a simple man on man defensive line duty, and can't put a bloke on the deck when it really counts. Yet they can't seem to score tries without kicking about 60% of the time.
The tackling is awful - I saw five minutes of Souths run over Manly tonight and the sheer lack of technique was horrific for supposed professionals.
I think the NRL packages a decent product - and their commentators will browbeat you into believing so - but they'd be a lot better if they spent less time in the gym.
There are also quite a few league players who failed, but they weren't high profile enough to warrant notice. Tahu was fucking ordinary though.
I think SBW summed it up best: felt embarrassed to take a notepad and pencil into the team meeting. Not like there is anything to remember.
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I hate autocorrect .
To say that league defense is horrible is quite ironic seeing that numerous rugby union teams have hired rugby league players and coaches to instruct on how to tackle. Most notably Brain Smith with the brumbies and how did that work out?
One of the more ridiculous comments i have heard to say that Israel Folau left for entertainment when he admitted he did it for money with his family. Joe Tomane, Cooper Vuna and soon to be Benji Marshall
./...snip.../. League would be in serious trouble.
What do you mean would?
It is in serious trouble. It has zero international relevance. Some poeople in NSW and Queensland like it. A few new Zealanders think it is interesting and some Soap Dodgers in the North of England, but like working down the mines or at the cotton mill, that is dying off a slow and painful death.
No one else plays this incestuous little overhyped simplistic game. Hardly worth worrying about.
What do you mean would?
It is in serious trouble. It has zero international relevance. Some poeople in NSW and Queensland like it. A few new Zealanders think it is interesting and some Soap Dodgers in the North of England, but like working down the mines or at the cotton mill, that is dying off a slow and painful death.
No one else plays this incestuous little overhyped simplistic game. Hardly worth worrying about.