Rugby Union players who could make the switch to the League?

[Jaguares]

Julian Savea
Liam Messam
Kieran Read
Tevita Kuridrani
Michael Hooper
Francois Louw
Duane Vermeulen
Nenami Nadolo
Ben Smith

What do u think?

 

[Catalan Bronco]

Courtney Lawes, Mathieu Bastareaud, George North, Owen Farrell, Jamie Roberts, Frédéric Michalak

 

[Umaga's Witness]

kieran read

 

[ZeroTwo]

Stuart Hogg. Brilliant defensive reading, big tackler, elusive runner. Would be a cracking league player.

 

[Tony Manx]

SBW and Burgess?!!

 

[barkinghooker]

I think Tom youngs would probably do okay in league .
It's just the props and 'fat' locks that would struggle to adapt more in league.

10 M Vunipola , 9 T Youngs, 8 Easter, 12 Lawes, 11 Morgan ,13 Burgess,
7 Eastmond , 6 farrell, 5 Rokodunguni, 4 tuilagi, 3 36, 2 Ashton, 1 Watson.
10,11,13 to swap positions during the game. CBA to do interchanges (ha)
I think this team would get smashed most weekends still..

 

[ratsapprentice]

Loads - if we're talking about domestic level, it's not necessarily about how good a player is at RU or RL that will determine how good they'll be at the other code - although at a certain point people can be (and are) simply good rugby players - regardless of code.
I think you can discount most RU players (locks) who are over 6'5"/6" - barring really freak athletes like Etzebeth... as I don't think they are suited to the sort of contact in the middle of the park that occurs in RL. And that's why you don't see many really tall guys in it. Let's be honest you'd see far less super tall guys in RU if the lineout didn't exist - being that tall is not an advantage in contact.

To keep it concise (because, as I say, I think there are a lot of guys who would make very good RL players) I'll only select from the current England team:

- Brad Barrit
- Mike Brown
- Danny Care
- Owen Farrell (I think he'd make a better RL player than RU player tbh)
- George Ford
- Jonathan Joseph (very similar in a lot of ways to Kallum Watkins, albeit shorter - compare their running styles)
- Jonny May
- Ben Morgan
- Jack Nowell (I think he'd transfer extremely well)
- Henry Slade
- Mako Vunipola
- Billy Vunipola
- Anthony Watson
- Tom Youngs

 

[barkinghooker]

Ford would be a very good player. Don't know where he'd play. He could be like a Rob Burrows and play as a hooker and a half back!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

9 T Youngs

Wrong type of hooker - hooker in league is more similar to a scrumhalf in Union.

 

[barkinghooker]

In super league for sure but not so much in NRL. But he would have to drop some weight.

 

[ratsapprentice]

In super league for sure but not so much in NRL.

Like who?

 

[Jaguares]

Wrong type of hooker - hooker in league is more similar to a scrumhalf in Union.

So what's the role of a RL halfback?

 

[ratsapprentice]

The 6 and 7 in RL are roughly similar to a 10 in RU.
The 9's are roughly equivalent.

 

[Jaguares]

I think Tom youngs would probably do okay in league .
It's just the props and 'fat' locks that would struggle to adapt more in league.

It's assumed that ALL the RL forwards must be good ball carriers but in Union aren't. In Union you need some specialist like a good jumper, a good scrummager or someone who make the dirty work. Not just ALL good ball carriers like League forwards pack.

 

[Jaguares]

The 6 and 7 in RL are roughly similar to a 10 in RU.
The 9's are roughly equivalent.

So Mike Phillips at his best (few years ago) would have been a good RL hooker

 

[ratsapprentice]

Maybe... if he could pass...

Forget the name "hooker" they aren't really forwards - I assume you mentioned Phillips because he's big.

As I say - they are essentially SH's, most guys are 80-90kg.
In fact - I'd venture to say that aside from the kicking, the 9 roles are the most similar across the codes.

RL 9's won't really kick (in as much as there isn't very much territorial kicking at all in RL) but they will make a **** load of tackles.
Aside from that they do the same thing as a RU scrumhalf - pass from the ruck and hold defenses/markers in to the ruck area.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

SBW and Burgess?!!

I was thinking the same, and Israel Folau too

 

[Catalan Bronco]

SBW and Burgess?!!

The only reason I did not name them was because they came from League lol

 

[kraftfloyd]

Bryan Habana (speed), Christian Wade (fast and powerful player), probably Shane Williams (his heyday form)

 

[Folau Tank]

Anyone but Props and Hookers can make the transition to league. The problem with Props and Hookers is that are the fit enough to play the game? What do you giys think. Also if Players like George North and Julian Savea come to league, then they'll most likely play as a Second-Rower, Lock or Centre.