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Rugby League players who could have/could make the switch

The Rock

Ward Prentice (10)
haha, now we can get nasty 'he realised he would not make it in our game, will stick to the simple one, no thinking required'

How about we forget trying to convert him from Fivekick to a Rugby forward, and think about using him in the backline. Apparently the Fivekick to Rugby skills are more transferrable out there.

Make him the new AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper). He seldom passes the ball, but has yet amassed a very large number of Test Caps.

He could play a Ma'a Nonu or Manu Tuilaga style of game out in the centres.

I think if Fifita came to Kick, Kick, Kick and Kick and Kick and another Quick Kick, he would want Good Money and the ARU will certainly sell more Tickets having him and the other NRL Player Folau in the Team.
 

mark_s

Chilla Wilson (44)
Fifita is saying that he doesn't know anything about any meeting with McKenzie and there's no truth to the rumour that he's going to rugby union.
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Which one? Maybe it's the twin brother, and sharks lower grader, David fifita.
 

terry j

Ron Walden (29)
I think if Fifita came to Kick, Kick, Kick and Kick and Kick and another Quick Kick, he would want Good Money and the ARU will certainly sell more Tickets having him and the other NRL Player Folau in the Team.

I THINK you are trying to say he would be an asset to rugby? Maybe, dunno have never seen him play, is he any good? Are you saying he is a high earner in league? the little I have read says he is a middling earner? not that I know what is top dollar league wise. The question seems to be (forget for now it seems to be a beat up) 'can he make it as a forward in union?'. From the responses to date he might make it as a back but could struggle up front.

Not sure why HJ labelled league as fivekick (which you picked up and ran with), perhaps he meant kick on the five rather than five kicks? Anyway, that is an interesting question that I'd love to see some analysis of (not that I could sit thru a game of league to find out mind), which game NOW has the most kicking? It would have been true a decade or so (when was the rule changes made?) that union kicked more but I wonder what the story would be nowadays. That IS the try scoring method in league no? And of course (not that the rules demand it) every fifth tackle is usually a kick-which is what HJ meant I think.

Forgive the clumsy wording, maybe a beer too many.
 

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
Not sure why HJ labelled league as fivekick (which you picked up and ran with), perhaps he meant kick on the five rather than five kicks?


Some people on here refer to league as five kick as the flow of the game is generally five tackles then kick the ball.
 

The Rock

Ward Prentice (10)
I THINK you are trying to say he would be an asset to rugby? Maybe, dunno have never seen him play, is he any good? Are you saying he is a high earner in league? the little I have read says he is a middling earner? not that I know what is top dollar league wise. The question seems to be (forget for now it seems to be a beat up) 'can he make it as a forward in union?'. From the responses to date he might make it as a back but could struggle up front.

Not sure why HJ labelled league as fivekick (which you picked up and ran with), perhaps he meant kick on the five rather than five kicks? Anyway, that is an interesting question that I'd love to see some analysis of (not that I could sit thru a game of league to find out mind), which game NOW has the most kicking? It would have been true a decade or so (when was the rule changes made?) that union kicked more but I wonder what the story would be nowadays. That IS the try scoring method in league no? And of course (not that the rules demand it) every fifth tackle is usually a kick-which is what HJ meant I think.

Forgive the clumsy wording, maybe a beer too many.

Fifita and Jared Waerea Hardgreaves would be the 2 Best Props in the NRL and Interesting both played Union as youngsters. Hardgreaves at 6'4 and 121 kgs. played for Australia U19s in 2007 Rugby World Championships.Both are Big and Tough and both have Speed and can step. Whether they come to Union is another matter,.but who knows down the track they could switch. Yes Normally in league you would kick on the 5th tackle otherwise the next tackle will be the last, but in Union it can at times become a Kickathon, going backwards and forwards. In the NRL Each team is allowed 6 tackles with which to attempt to score, a tackle being defined as when the attacking player's motion is stopped or when they hit the floor. When this occurs the attacking player gets to their feet and rolls the ball backwards under one leg whilst the defending team must retreat 10 metres. After the 6th tackle has been made the possession of the ball is turned over to the other team who begin their set of 6 from the point of the tackle. This does not generally happen however as teams prefer to kick the ball after the 5th tackle either to attempt to regain the ball and score a try or to make the opposition retreat down the field to recover it. It requires highly developed handling skills, ruthless physicality and, above all, stalwart courage to be a successful league player and results in some of the greatest all-round athletes in the world.
 

BDA

Peter Johnson (47)
Fifita and Jared Waerea Hardgreaves would be the 2 Best Props in the NRL


Given that this is a RUGBY forum im not going to get caught up in a league debate, but no way are those the two two best props in the NRL. Fifita could be in a year's time (currently plays off the bench for the roos) but Hargreaves would be well behind a number of props in the nrl. Matt Scott is the best prop in the NRL IMHO.
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
JWH was a damn fine rugby union player as a youngster.

I remember writing about him in 2007 when he played for the Rays team in the ARC. He played no. 8 and shared the position.

We were fairly certain that he was going to league even then and when he did go a few folks said that we weren't missing much, but not me.

I said that he was a tough young bugger who could play Super Rugby one day because he was a hard boy and was going to be a hard man, which Oz rugby was short of then (and still is). He was not going to be another SBW as they said he would be at the time, but he would do well.

Yes Rock. most of us are familiar with the merits of rugby league and it's abiding demerits—and vice versa, I'm sure.

League fans are convinced about the superiority of their game which is simple to understand and simple to play (not simple to play at an elite level mind you).

When you try to explain that the reason why it isn't a world game is because non-Aussies, except (add in a few countries or regional areas of countries), like a richer complexity to their sport where players of different shapes and sizes (compared to the relatively uniform size of league players) can play at the elite level.

When they argue back that league is a faster game of footie and you counter that if that was a determining factor they should watch AFL, they talk about State of Origin.

Where was I? Don't know; damn, this De Bartoli Cabernet Merlot at $19.90 for 4L may be expensive, but it does the job.
.
 

Tomikin

Simon Poidevin (60)
OK, Fifita makes the switch. Which franchise should he move to?
Outside backs come across much easier than forwards.

The breakdown and set piece is a key element of the forwards game and he does none of it now. That's why Thorn struggled to come across.

If we were talking a Kangaroo outside back that would be a different story.

Could do extremely well. Could also struggle with the nuances of rugby and be solely effective as a seagulling player.
Dude guy was brumbie junior. . Went to league as he hate s Canberra . You don't lose that

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
 

The Rock

Ward Prentice (10)
JWH was a damn fine rugby union player as a youngster.

I remember writing about him in 2007 when he played for the Rays team in the ARC. He played no. 8 and shared the position.

We were fairly certain that he was going to league even then and when he did go a few folks said that we weren't missing much, but not me.

I said that he was a tough young bugger who could play Super Rugby one day because he was a hard boy and was going to be a hard man, which Oz rugby was short of then (and still is). He was not going to be another SBW as they said he would be at the time, but he would do well.
.

I know JWH personally and he is the Nicest Guy you could ever meet. Will do anything for you, always the first to put his hand up for Charities etc.. He has a Great Personality and will be great for future TV work. He has said he will never rule out a switch back to Union. He used to live out of his car in the beginning as he was so broke before the $$$$ Came in from League and Sponsors and he has made a promise to his Mum that he will buy her a Red Convertible Car as a surprise shortly. Not many players I know of, like Confronting a Angry Looking JWH Charging at full speed Straight at you on the Footy Field and then trying to get the Big Bloke Down.
 

deL

Stan Wickham (3)
Not many players I know of, like Confronting a Angry Looking JWH Charging at full speed Straight at you on the Footy Field and then trying to get the Big Bloke Down.

I imagine trying to stop him would be a little like trying to read your posts.

I think there are a lot of players who would do very well in sevens. Probably even better than our current sevens team, given the right coach. I am even expecting a few who might be coming off contract to duck over and give it a go for a season to try their luck at an olympic medal seeing that's not going to happen with rugby league this millenium.
 

The Rock

Ward Prentice (10)
I imagine trying to stop him would be a little like trying to read your posts.

I think there are a lot of players who would do very well in sevens. Probably even better than our current sevens team, given the right coach. I am even expecting a few who might be coming off contract to duck over and give it a go for a season to try their luck at an olympic medal seeing that's not going to happen with rugby league this millenium.

Who would you have in your Sevens ?
 

deL

Stan Wickham (3)
I'd probably add Akuila Uate, Jharal Yow Yeh, Daly Cherry-Evans and maybe even Fifita and Bird off the bench, pending a speed/fitness test.

NZ would be Vatuvei, Inu, Hoffman, Johnson, Luke, Tuivasa-Sheck, Locke and I'd consider SBW, Kenny-Dowall, Winterstein, Whare and Tupou.
 

The Rock

Ward Prentice (10)
I'd probably add Akuila Uate, Jharal Yow Yeh, Daly Cherry-Evans and maybe even Fifita and Bird off the bench, pending a speed/fitness test.

NZ would be Vatuvei, Inu, Hoffman, Johnson, Luke, Tuivasa-Sheck, Locke and I'd consider SBW, Kenny-Dowall, Winterstein, Whare and Tupou.

Yow Yeh ??? He will be lucky to ever play footy again, poor kid after his Horrendous Ankle Injury a few seasons ago. I would also have Brett Stewart there if he hasn't got the usual Hamstring Injuries, Jorge Tafua and the David Williams ( Wolfman )
 

Ignoto

John Thornett (49)
Yow Yeh ??? He will be lucky to ever play footy again, poor kid after his Horrendous Ankle Injury a few seasons ago.


Yow Yeh's back playing A-Grade League and the doctors aren't too sure how he will fair. There's a possibility that he'll never return to the glory days, but at the same time he could bounce back from the injury. The Doctors are urring on the later rather than the former happening though because of the severe nature of the injury.
 

BDA

Peter Johnson (47)
it is certainly a bargaining tool and a good one at that. What this does confirm is that Link has approached Fifita about switching to union and it has obviously been expressed to him that Link sees an opportunity in the no.8 position (i wouldn't be surprised if link mentioned that the Reds are looking for a big no.8 to replace Samo). What we still don't know is whether the right offer will snag him. Sure he says that he wants to be a shark for life, but that could just be Fifita saying to the Sharks management "Show me the money and a long term deal and I'll stay". With the turmoil the club is currently in neither of those might be possible. I really think the ARU should strike while the iron's hot. He ticks all the boxes in my view (has a solid background in rugby, is one of the top forwards in league, is the exact type of player the wallabies are looking for (a devastating ball-runner with a high work rate), and is young enough to play 2 world cups).
 

Hairy Test Eagle

Ward Prentice (10)
I hope the Fifita switches to union. He's not just a hard runner but is fast and has good skills and footwork for a big unit. He'll probably have to relocate if he wants to play rugby though considering the Tahs wouldn't be able to fit him in.
 
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