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Rugby players lost to other sports

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
A couple of years at Wests after some time at Newtown, and then poached by the silvertails along with half the Magpies team it would seem.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
I had his footy card from Newtown days, with the full name, and a later one from I think Wests with the shortened version. Liked him as a player.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
absolutely, was he a lock or a loosie do you know? I'm guessing he's locking down with Kasprowicz. Edit : based on the Giddey pick up he can be 8 for now.
Ran into him at a pub one evening and had a few drinks with him. Top bloke with some great stories. Still pretty fit and a very large human! Would have been a devastating 8.
 

half

Dick Tooth (41)
Does a player who was good at sport and went to a Rugby CAS school, played some rugby but changed codes and has had a huge career and is still playing...
 

Wallaby Man

Nev Cottrell (35)
Current Olympian and Basketball player Will Magnay is the brother of Campbell Magnay. Been on roster of NBA team, so obviously elite athlete. Was due to play a prominent role at Nudgee rugby team but ended up specializing basketball for obvious reasons.
 

PhilClinton

Tony Shaw (54)
Campbell was lauded as the next best centre in the world and ended up barely good enough to play consistent Super Rugby. I wonder if he had an opportunity to play basketball also, he's very tall although not as physically imposing as Will.
 

KOB1987

John Eales (66)
Not forgotten but I don’t think he counts as he didn’t really make a conscious choice to defect to another sport, it was more out of necessity. If he didn’t post weird shit on instagram he would probably still be fullback for the Wallabies.
 

The Ghost of Raelene

Simon Poidevin (60)
JWH - Member of the Junior Wallabies U21 2007 win then the Central Coast Rays ARC Title. Would have been a hell of an 8.


Wasn't John (Duke) Hastings (Cricket) - a Aussie Schools Rugby player?
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Roman Siulepa is a name worth mentioning. I believe he is currently finishing high school and got ditched by the Tasmanian Jack Jumpers in the NBL because they didn't think he was committed enough to basketball because he wanted to play his final three games of high school rugby.

Do any Queenslanders know how good he is at rugby?

Certainly no contest in terms of what sport he was going to end up in. He's a legitimate future basketball star and will hopefully get drafted in the NBA in a couple of years.
 

The Ghost of Raelene

Simon Poidevin (60)
He certainly has the ability to play in the NBL or College Basketball. Some things may depend on how he continues to grow before NBA Draft talk picks up. 6'5 without a reliable 3pt or free throw shot really limits a guy with average size.

Rugby should stay in touch. Rare to get guys with that mobility at that size in our sport.
 

Wilson

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
He's a good enough athlete to probably go far in rugby and the Reds have shown interest in the past, though it's hard to predict at his age exactly how well he'd fill out and how is he body would hold up for the 2nd/back row, but at 6'5" and 100kg he's already a big human. It's a bit hard to count him as lost though, despite him losing a contract because he played 1sts rugby while back in Brisbane, the kid looks entirely committed to Basketball and just wanted to finish the season with his mates like a normal grade 12.

Would be great to for the Reds/RA to build on that relationship with him though, if he does feel hard done by in Basketball he might give Rugby a proper crack, particularly given the community aspect is whats keeping him interested. Given the age locks/backrow come of age there's plenty of room for him to come back to rugby in a few years without having lost too much time. And if he does end up a star in the NBA he could bring some extra attention and star power to the Wallabies as a supporter at the 2031 world cup.
 
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