Antony
Alex Ross (28)
Given time I think he would have been a good international player. Even on the short timeframe that he had, he ended up being limited but not awful.
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Given time I think he would have been a good international player. Even on the short timeframe that he had, he ended up being limited but not awful.
Highlander35
Andrew Slack (58)
He was starting to look a good blindside for Bath before all the bullshit with the national side came into it.
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
Fox replay the sevens games several times starting the next day. The cumulative ratings must be quite high.
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
He was already a 'good' international player, methinks. He was badly handled to say the least. Several good coaches should've stuck him at six and instructed him to smash people in the 10 / 12 channel in attack and defence, which he was / is exceptionally good at. Problem is that England doesn't play that kind of rampaging 6. That's a Southern Hemisphere thing. They stuck him at 12 because they play (ed) the game like a 15 man set piece, and that's the channel the 12 plays in. He'd have excelled under Eddie Jones.
Re converts, league players are more specialised at running the ball, breaking the line and tackling.
The difference between any edge 4 defenders which is 8 of the 13 on the field, is not that huge (except for the ball players of course), either way if you are very good at that in league chances are you will make a decent fist of those types of positions in union.
Similarly union players who specialise in those skills and are very good at them, will make it in league - See Semi Radradra.
Middle third players in league see burgess / thorn will have a hard time crossing over to union, but should have very high base fitness / power athletic levels that helps in portions of the game of union, if they stick around for long enough , (or have a background in the game like thorn) they should be able to give it a decent go.
It would be very difficult for a 135 kg prop who doesnt have the requisite burst speed but has very good scrumagging and possession type skills to ever be any use in a game of league. Obviously if they have the speed they could probably transfer.
Also, union sometimes has alrounder type wingers who can kick a bit and do a bit more. In league your winger these days has to be powerful for the first hit up, be able to catch very good, but really passing and kicking they are not going to use much on the edge.
I think fullbacks though given their role as usually the most talented 3/4 in the league side, covering by far the most ground, having the most ball skills generally and best 1 on 1 defence should be a very good convert to sevens rugby.
The difference between any edge 4 defenders which is 8 of the 13 on the field, is not that huge (except for the ball players of course), either way if you are very good at that in league chances are you will make a decent fist of those types of positions in union.
Similarly union players who specialise in those skills and are very good at them, will make it in league - See Semi Radradra.
Middle third players in league see burgess / thorn will have a hard time crossing over to union, but should have very high base fitness / power athletic levels that helps in portions of the game of union, if they stick around for long enough , (or have a background in the game like thorn) they should be able to give it a decent go.
It would be very difficult for a 135 kg prop who doesnt have the requisite burst speed but has very good scrumagging and possession type skills to ever be any use in a game of league. Obviously if they have the speed they could probably transfer.
Also, union sometimes has alrounder type wingers who can kick a bit and do a bit more. In league your winger these days has to be powerful for the first hit up, be able to catch very good, but really passing and kicking they are not going to use much on the edge.
I think fullbacks though given their role as usually the most talented 3/4 in the league side, covering by far the most ground, having the most ball skills generally and best 1 on 1 defence should be a very good convert to sevens rugby.
WorkingClassRugger
David Codey (61)
Burgess noted in an article that he had to not only work on his ball skills upon arriving in Rugby but had to also work on his speed and athleticism as well as add a few extra kgs to his frame.
I think with the exception of tall 2nd rowers players from either code with enough preparation and effort can find a place in either game. Sure a 135kg prop would struggle if he maintained that weight. But props train to be very explosive so if you remove 20kg of that weight they'd be able to make the transition. I've seen it be done.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
Probably right
The Codes buy players from each other, not in the expectation that one day they will grasp and be good at that game, but buy players in the expectation they will be very good in a very short period of time. Big bucks are at stake and proven performers in one code don't have much time to be good in their new chosen code.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
I recall Tony Darcy - one of the best props in world rugby at the time he flipped to Penrith (I think) and started playing league. I think he was playing third grade by the end of year 1.
Generally very difficult for tight forwards in rugby to make it in league. Backs are much more successful
WorkingClassRugger
David Codey (61)
Different era. It wouldn't be an easy transition and certainly not applicable to everyone but it could be done.
ACT Crusader
Jim Lenehan (48)
Why? Players are dropped, rotated, rested, etc all the time. Whether it be for individual games or tournaments. Quality teams have always had to make tough player choices when it comes to tournaments. That's one of the reasons that make them a quality team because they have more than enough depth.
Quality players have missed out on selection to the Fiji 7s team before, so nothing different here.
Now Hayne may flop and the decision for him will be easier, but there is still a tough choice ahead of Rio for Ben Ryan because there are some good players on the fringe vying for spots.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
Suppose it is the old argument of the players who got them there should play (barring injury). Isn't the Olympics about participation (just saw the eddie the Eagle movie) ?
I reckon there would be some upset people if the ARU directed contract 15 man players be also be able to be selected this close to the Olympics. Plenty of 15's players would make the side, say for 3 or 4 weeks. IF the ARU was deadly serious about winning gold they would manipulate the situation accordingly.
A lot of our squad might be gone and that IMO would be incredibly unfair.
I realise it is ain't going to happen
I reckon there would be some upset people if the ARU directed contract 15 man players be also be able to be selected this close to the Olympics. Plenty of 15's players would make the side, say for 3 or 4 weeks. IF the ARU was deadly serious about winning gold they would manipulate the situation accordingly.
A lot of our squad might be gone and that IMO would be incredibly unfair.
I realise it is ain't going to happen
That's never the case though. You pick the best players available to you. For sports that have a long lead up to qualifying for the World Cup like the soccer world cup, it's all part and parcel of it. You don't earn the right to be there by playing the qualifying games, likewise you should expect to get picked if you're one of the best players at the right time for the tournament even if you weren't around to play in the qualifiers.
The Olympics is about participation in that any country can enter an athlete for an event. That's a whole different story to the people turning up who have a chance at winning the medals.
In Aussie 7s you can easily make the argument that the Wallabies are the reason the Aussie 7s players are able to do it as a full time job and get paid for it. If it wasn't for the Wallabies generating revenue they would be playing pretty much as amateurs.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
Get your point but remember
STEVEN BRADBURY at the 2002 Winter Olympics GOLD GOLD GOLD
Everyone has a chance - look at Kenya now
Get your point but remember
STEVEN BRADBURY at the 2002 Winter Olympics GOLD GOLD GOLD
Everyone has a chance - look at Kenya now
Steven Bradbury was also the best we had. It wasn't like there was someone twice as fast that missed out because Bradbury had been toiling away for four years trying to make it.
No one would be happy if the Wallabies were selected based on who the coach thought had tried really hard for the longest.
Hayne left out of Fiji squad for London 7s
http://www.sportingnews.com/rugby/n...-for-london-sevens/1buk23q2fik0i1aokpgnoie2z0
http://www.sportingnews.com/rugby/n...-for-london-sevens/1buk23q2fik0i1aokpgnoie2z0
The Snout
Ward Prentice (10)
Probably on my own here but I'd be glad if Hayne was overlooked for Rio.
I get the best men argument but to me the switch just smells of a guy who after a year in the NFL realized the mountain, wasn't going to cut it on a regular basis and leaped to the next thing and knew for a while it was an option.
If Hayne had started the year committed to Fuji 7's then fine. But basically 90 days and only London 7s before the Olympics he wants to go ? Nup. Go sweat a bit first and we'll take a look next time.
I get the best men argument but to me the switch just smells of a guy who after a year in the NFL realized the mountain, wasn't going to cut it on a regular basis and leaped to the next thing and knew for a while it was an option.
If Hayne had started the year committed to Fuji 7's then fine. But basically 90 days and only London 7s before the Olympics he wants to go ? Nup. Go sweat a bit first and we'll take a look next time.
The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
I very much doubt you're alone on that one Snout. I for one totally agree with you.
Mr Doug
Dick Tooth (41)
[/quote]
p.Tah, whilst reading that link, the names Wayne Bennett and Brisbane Broncos [1998-2008] kept entering my mind. I'm not sure why!!
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