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

[kesh]

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

North, Farrell, Roberts and maybe Freddie.

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.

Yeah most -95-98.21% - front rowers wouldn't make it. Too rigid, structured in a certain way and slow, body builders essentially, second rowers similar though most are human specimens so a few would. The Youngs' brother hybrid would make a great hooker in league.

Would of loved to see certain players, particularly at their peak make the transition the other way to the topic. Brad Fittler would of been decades ahead of anything in Union at the time. Saying that Australia were pretty handy around then and the turn of the century anyhow.

 

[ENZED-88]

Manu tuilagi, julian Savea Akira Iaone, digby, patrick tuipolotu RU front rowers wouldn't last 10 minutes in the NRL.

 

[Jaguares]

RU front rowers wouldn't last 10 minutes in the NRL.

Like Brad Thorn, right?

 

[nickdnz]

Like Brad Thorn, right?

Uhh, sorry man. Brad Thorn was a second rower, and started with League...

Not that I agree with the above point anyway. Dane Coles, Motu Matu'u, Schalk Brits, Craig Burden - even a few props like Afoa, Tameifuna, Reggie Goodes would probably do a fair job in terms of mobility..

 

[psychic duck]

Uhh, sorry man. Brad Thorn was a second rower, and started with League...

Not that I agree with the above point anyway. Dane Coles, Motu Matu'u, Schalk Brits, Craig Burden - even a few props like Afoa, Tameifuna, Reggie Goodes would probably do a fair job in terms of mobility..

Dai Young was a tighthead prop for Wales and signed for Leeds Rhinos for a record fee in the 90's, and later also played for Salford.

 

[Folau Tank]

Uhh, sorry man. Brad Thorn was a second rower, and started with League...

Not that I agree with the above point anyway. Dane Coles, Motu Matu'u, Schalk Brits, Craig Burden - even a few props like Afoa, Tameifuna, Reggie Goodes would probably do a fair job in terms of mobility..

Brad Thorn the great *Queenslander* and New Zealand International second rower who played for the Kangaroos what a story

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Also, most scrum Halves would find the transition to league hard as a Hooker in league plays a bit different to Rugby scrum halves with marker duties and making more tackles. But an alternative position in league could be Five-eighth.
Another point to make is that most rugby players wouldn't make the transition to League economic wise with Rugby players earning more than League players. Example: Dan Carter 1.4 Million GBP = $3.031 Million AUD and Daly Cherry Evans earning about $1.3 Million AUD per season

 

[ENZED-88]

Like Brad Thorn, right?

Not sure if you're being serious, the mighty Queenslander started in league and never played in the front row in RU. The days of the big men in the NRL are numbered with the number of interchanges going to be dropped. Maybe Someone like BdP could make the transition but I doubt he would have the fitness as is to last a couple sets in the NRL, maybe superleague. Front rowers in general (just my opinions) would get found out pretty quick in defence, no time to rest in the middle of the park during a RL game.

 

[GoTheNaki]

Am I allowed to throw a curve-ball, and flip this thread around the other way ?

It's funny, but as an avid rugby fan, who part time watches the NRL(go the Warriors)... As a household who watches both sports, typically, we hardly ever flirt with the idea of union players moving to league. It is ALWAYS the other way.

Greg Inglis - The flirting always begins with that monster of a man, G.I., for those of you unfamiliar, Greg Inglis is a freak, you have no idea how excited I would be if he announced he would be moving to union. Could play practically any position.

Johnathan Thurston - Legend. This man is a wizard. Fantastic to watch, when he is on his game he is ruthless. Would love to see this man wear a #10 or #12 jersey in union.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck - The rumour mill has it that this ridiculous talent will some day make his way back to union. He grew up as a rugby boy, and the Roosters snapped him up as a school boy. I feel he would make Israel Dagg look mediocre at fullback in union.

Without writing an essay about all of this, those would be my top3 to shift, assuming they were all at a good age. Thurston is 32, and G.I. is 28.

Now, on topic:

Going the other way I would have to go with, and these are really obvious ones:

Fekitoa
Piutau
Savea
Naholo
Vito
Rene Ranger
Nadolo
Pocock
Hooper
Quade
Beale
Digby Ioane

Just to name a few, I could go on for a while tbh..

 

[Kiwi_]

Pretty much any outside back and centre in Union could make the switch to league and quite a few loose forwards, it's an average game. All you do is run and kick sometimes. It's a sport for people with no patience and short attention spans.

 

[ENZED-88]

Am I allowed to throw a curve-ball, and flip this thread around the other way ?

It's funny, but as an avid rugby fan, who part time watches the NRL(go the Warriors)... As a household who watches both sports, typically, we hardly ever flirt with the idea of union players moving to league. It is ALWAYS the other way.

Greg Inglis - The flirting always begins with that monster of a man, G.I., for those of you unfamiliar, Greg Inglis is a freak, you have no idea how excited I would be if he announced he would be moving to union. Could play practically any position.

Johnathan Thurston - Legend. This man is a wizard. Fantastic to watch, when he is on his game he is ruthless. Would love to see this man wear a #10 or #12 jersey in union.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck - The rumour mill has it that this ridiculous talent will some day make his way back to union. He grew up as a rugby boy, and the Roosters snapped him up as a school boy. I feel he would make Israel Dagg look mediocre at fullback in union.

Without writing an essay about all of this, those would be my top3 to shift, assuming they were all at a good age. Thurston is 32, and G.I. is 28.

Now, on topic:

Going the other way I would have to go with, and these are really obvious ones:

Fekitoa
Piutau
Savea
Naholo
Vito
Rene Ranger
Nadolo
Pocock
Hooper
Quade
Beale
Digby Ioane

Just to name a few, I could go on for a while tbh..

I like your list man apart from Pocock, A article came out in the telegraph the other week saying once RTS sees out his contract with the warriors he will make the switch to union. We see a bit of RL players making the switch to RU an playing in the backs, I think there's a few guys who could make the switch to a RU forward pack like Sam Moa, JWH, Josh papalii. ..

 

[GoTheNaki]

Pretty much any outside back and centre in Union could make the switch to league and quite a few loose forwards, it's an average game. All you do is run and kick sometimes. It's a sport for people with no patience and short attention spans.

Uh, what are you talking about? That's a typical Southerner opinion of league..

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I like your list man apart from Pocock, A article came out in the telegraph the other week saying once RTS sees out his contract with the warriors he will make the switch to union. We see a bit of RL players making the switch to RU an playing in the backs, I think there's a few guys who could make the switch to a RU forward pack like Sam Moa, JWH, Josh papalii. ..

Is there a reason you don't like Pocock as a choice? I see him as a James Graham type. Hard, ruthless.

 

[Kiwi_]

There's barely anything tactical to League, obviously there's some great athletes playing it, I don't deny that, but that game in whole has virtually no depth what so ever.

 

[GoTheNaki]

There's barely anything tactical to League, obviously there's some great athletes playing it, I don't deny that, but that game in whole has virtually no depth what so ever.

I only need one clip to show how wrong you are...

[video]https://youtu.be/3_jZvrR3Y8w?t=1m22s[/video]

This is only from the weekend gone too...

 

[ENZED-88]

I just don't know where you would put Pocock. No creativity to put in the halves, he's not a centre or winger hits the ball up like a cat so wouldn't make it as a prop, so I just don't see where he would play.

A bit off topic but I think RU is missing out on indigenous talent. The NRL is stacked with it Inglis, Thurston, Hodges, Peachy, Roberts, Thaiday, Barba the list is endless, same as AFL with Buddy Franklin IMO the best athlete in Aus. All we see in union is kurtley Beale who's a freakish talent (with his flaws).

 

[RoosTah]

A bit off topic but I think RU is missing out on indigenous talent. The NRL is stacked with it Inglis, Thurston, Hodges, Peachy, Roberts, Thaiday, Barba the list is endless, same as AFL with Buddy Franklin IMO the best athlete in Aus. All we see in union is kurtley Beale who's a freakish talent (with his flaws).

Massively. It's partially a class thing sadly; Rugby League is accessible for people people of all backgrounds, meaning that the indigenous kids pick it up in places like Sydney and Queensland. But sadly indigenous people aren't that well represented in the middle to upper classes, and so just don't get exposed to Union as much. Heck, even at public (i.e. free/gov if you're a pom) schools that play Union (I went to one) they tend to be in areas where there aren't too many indigenous people.

 

[ENZED-88]

Massively. It's partially a class thing sadly; Rugby League is accessible for people people of all backgrounds, meaning that the indigenous kids pick it up in places like Sydney and Queensland. But sadly indigenous people aren't that well represented in the middle to upper classes, and so just don't get exposed to Union as much. Heck, even at public (i.e. free/gov if you're a pom) schools that play Union (I went to one) they tend to be in areas where there aren't too many indigenous people.

Yea mate I live out in Mt Druit western sydney an the indigenous boys at my footy club are unreal. I'm Samoan and I thought we had half decent genes, these boys are another level speed to burn, can change directions in a nano second and are as tough as anything. All these great indigenous RL players playing first grade but when you watch club footy the numbers are dominated by Aussies and Polynesians, there aren't many indigenous boys playing park footy so when you watch the NRL they seem over represented for the numbers playing out here in the penrith comp where we have probably the biggest indigenous population in Sydney. The ARU have a goldmine sitting out here in Western Sydney they just need to find a way to tap into it, instead of watching them all go to the NRL where they make the game bigger an more badass then it already is.

 

[Jaguares]

I just don't know where you would put Pocock. No creativity to put in the halves, he's not a centre or winger hits the ball up like a cat so wouldn't make it as a prop, so I just don't see where he would play.

I heard that Pocock has played at centre when he was in Brisbane. But he would be a waste of talent playing League. He's the king of breakdown and in League the breakdown is a completely different world so he can't use his best weapon

Not sure if you're being serious, the mighty Queenslander started in league and never played in the front row in RU. The days of the big men in the NRL are numbered with the number of interchanges going to be dropped. Maybe Someone like BdP could make the transition but I doubt he would have the fitness as is to last a couple sets in the NRL, maybe superleague. Front rowers in general (just my opinions) would get found out pretty quick in defence, no time to rest in the middle of the park during a RL game.

Sorry, I read just RU forwards not front-rowers

 

[TRF_melon]

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.

RL 9's kick a lot, particularly in the NRL; this is in fact for territorial kicking reasons. Sorry! The super duper league obviously does it differently/incorrectly . It's a terrible shame there isn't a pot-stirring smiley or dancing banana anymore...this really needs to be fixed.

 

[Nubiwan]

Dane Coles......