Kiwi league prodigy signs huge deal - report

[woosaah]

SYDNEY: A Wellington teenager touted as the new Sonny Bill Williams has been snapped up by Cronulla for a reported $A600,000 ($NZ681,660) - and he's yet to play a minute of National Rugby League (NRL) football. [/b]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4053749a1823.html

his name is Karl McNichol, so it will be interesting to see how he goes for the Sharks.

He is huge at 105kg and plays centre. But wont play til next season as i think he is on contract still with the bulldogs Priemer league team and is also injured.

meh make of it what you will, will be interesting how he goes next year

 

[ak47]

touted as the next SBW aint a good wrap

SBW has done nothing since his ****ling injuries and premature arthritic joints have taken its toll

This kid wont find it hard to be better than SBW...he's only gotto stay on the park

Ricky Stuart does know his stuff - The best brain in league today

I havent seen 1 iota from this kid, and i live with a sharky - i wont hear the end of this now - get well, lace up and bring game for 2008.

 

[187]

i've never even heard of this guy! and i'm from wgtn and have lots of friends that play league. could it be becoz he's overseas now?
that's pretty stupid i think paying him that much money and he hasn't even proved he'll be worth it.. is that $600,000 a year? or over 5 years or something?

 

[woosaah]

600,000 for 3 seasons so thats 200,000 a season

he has been over there since he was 15, must be making some kind of impression on the right people.

 

[187]

yeah i'd say he would be making the right impression on the right ppl. $200,000 a year is crazy money for a kid his age.. i think that's still too much for an untried talent at the highest level. they must've been pretty desperate to catch him..

 

[melon]

Gavin Orr noticed him over in NZ as a 15 year old, so they brought him over here. He started playing Premier League when he was 16 and was on $50 000 until now. He is expecting his first child in a few months, so it's awesome for him to have picked up a pay packet that will be quadruple the amount of his previous one.

I really hope for his sake that he stays injury free and plays really well next year.

Hopefully we can have an all mighty banter about him next year, just as we have had about Israel Folau.

 

[Wellycane]

Awesome! It's great to hear of a Wellingtonian making his mark in the NRL. I don't know many (apparently more precisely a few ) Wellingtonians in the NRL but as far as I can remember, I only know Vince Mellars who also use to play for the Sharks.

 

[shiznit]

here we go again... the next big superstar... i hope sticky bring this kid through well... all the expectation these kids get given isnt healthy for them.

as for SBW... hes in the top 3 2nd rowers in the game. id have Hindy ahead of him but thats probably it. the fact that all the coaches in the NRL beef up there defences on the side SBW is attacking shows theres some truth to the hype... hes the perfect 2nd rower now hes got over his injuries. hes obe of the biggest hitters in the game.. his running game outwide cause headaches for defesive patterns.. and his offloads are stunning at times...i agree about too much hype though.. these kids just need a good grounding and sometime to get used to 1st grade.

 

[melon]

This is a thread about Karl McNichol and a debate about his signing with the Sharks. Not a thread to give SBW a huge plug That post was literally 65% SBW.

 

[shiznit]

well most of the discusion around this news since it broke has been about comparing this kid with SBW and aussies ripping off SBW or Benji. i cant really say much about this kid. i dont know much about him.

 

[woosaah]

thats the thing no1 does, but who knows this time next year everyone will.

 

[ak47]

here we go again... the next big superstar... i hope sticky bring this kid through well... all the expectation these kids get given isnt healthy for them.

as for SBW... hes in the top 3 2nd rowers in the game. id have Hindy ahead of him but thats probably it. the fact that all the coaches in the NRL beef up there defences on the side SBW is attacking shows theres some truth to the hype... hes the perfect 2nd rower now hes got over his injuries. hes obe of the biggest hitters in the game.. his running game outwide cause headaches for defesive patterns.. and his offloads are stunning at times...i agree about too much hype though.. these kids just need a good grounding and sometime to get used to 1st grade.
[/b]

If you have SBW as the 3rd best second/back row in the NRL - YOU CLEARLY KNOW NOTHING

1 - NATHAN HINDMARSH
2 - ANTHONY LAFFRANCHI
3 - ANDREW RYAN

There are many many others ahead of SBW statistically speaking - Greg Bird, Reni Maitua, Watmough, Fitzgibbon, Lance Thompson

Back row stats = Hit ups, offloads, tackles, tackle busts, and metres gained.

SBW best stat is his offloads and tackle busts - both of these he is ranked 3rd.............to Watmough, Bird in busts, and Laffranchi and Stewart in offloads - none of these players played SOO last year.

It is time to realise that SBW is nothing but a name, nothing but a spent force, gets up gingerely after tackles
suggests he isnt over his injuries - he has premature athritic joints - medically certified champ!!!

He is not the perfect 2nd rower - stats dont back up this statement

He is big, he hits big - but few and far between
He does cause the defense to change its patterns, but its not achieving much - they arent winning on the back of this.

IMO he be more productive to a team in the centres - he could play 80mins then, right now he has played 254 minutes of NRL in the whole year........PATHETIC!!!

As for this new young gun - I havent seen anything of him..........but u gotto get in early, and kudos for Ricky getting on........the bulldogs werent happy he was pinched as his manager never told the bulldogs the sharks had an offer on the table - thus they could not counter the offer, and war bid.

 

[Wellycane]

This is a thread about Karl McNichol and a debate about his signing with the Sharks. Not a thread to give SBW a huge plug That post was literally 65% SBW.
[/b]

...and 1% Vince Mellars.

Awesome! It's great to hear of a Wellingtonian making his mark in the NRL. I don't know many (apparently more precisely a few ) Wellingtonians in the NRL but as far as I can remember, I only know Vince Mellars who also use to play for the Sharks.[/b]

 

[esoj]

I don't think sbw is a spent force yet. he still is very damaging in attack and defence. I think due to all the injuries etc though he has toned down his game a fair bit so that his career lasts. sbw is without doubt still one of the top backrowers in the game and if you don't thinks so then I don't know what league you are watching.

 

[melon]

I think ak47 was saying SBW isn't in the top 3 2nd rowers in the game, esoj. However he is one of the best, in the top 10 out of circa 45 full time NRL 2nd rowers.

 

[ak47]

I think ak47 was saying SBW isn't in the top 3 2nd rowers in the game, esoj. However he is one of the best, in the top 10 out of circa 45 full time NRL 2nd rowers.
[/b]

yes - he would not make my top world 17.

i hope he comes back and makes amends........but i i think he will just be another above average 2nd rower

 

[paranw]

karl is more like a soliola clone than a SBW
sonny has been earning his stripes as of late.

 

[THE CHIROPRACTOR101]

sonny bill has been earning his stripes...sheeeet leave em alone guys the dudes only 21...lol most players debut now at his age and hes been in the game for 3years and won a championship

i dont think he is close to one of the best second rowers in the game statistcially..i do think he is one of the best attacking and defending players in the game..and still has the potential to become one of the best players..but for now let it wait

as for this new kid?..ive never heard of him?..sonny bill had a mean rep...auckland wide..everyone knew of sonny bill in the league circles..and he left nz when he was 14..