Angus Crichton claims rugby officials left him discouraged and pushed him into the arms of South Sydney.
How bizarre Waratahs Super Rugby excuse delivered Angus Crichton to rugby league
CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI and IAIN PAYTEN, The Daily Telegraph
August 23, 2017 8:41am
ANGUS Crichton would be one of the hottest prospects in rugby union — not the NRL — had the NSW Waratahs not put a five-year moratorium on him playing at the top level.
The South Sydney forward has revealed how the Waratahs bizarrely told the then 18-year-old he would not play Super Rugby until he was 23, which effectively drove him out of the battling code.
Two-time Australian Schoolboys rugby star said he would not have even entertained a move to the Rabbitohs had the Waratahs not told him he would have to serve a five-year apprenticeship before playing Super Rugby.
Not only have the struggling Waratahs allowed a future star slip through their fingers, Crichton last night backed more young rugby stars to take advantage of the better pathways programs in rugby league.
Tepai Moeroa, Taane Milne and Connor Watson are other rugby stars who have made the successful transition to the NRL — and are all yet to turn 23.
Crichton told The Locker Room podcast how he was stunned by the Waratahs’ plans for him, and wasted no time contacting Souths coach Michael Maguire who he said told him “I want you playing first grade as soon as you’re ready’’.
The Souths backrower told The Daily Telegraph the move was never about the money or taking the fast route to the top.
“I sat there with my dad in a meeting with the Waratahs, I was an 18-year-old who had dreams of playing professional footy,” Crichton said.
“When they told me I wouldn’t be playing first grade, or Super Rugby, until I was 23, it was the polar opposite when I met Madge who told me he’d play me when I was ready. That made it easy.’’
The Waratahs have since had an overhaul of their coaching staff, and said on Tuesday they were surprised by Crichton’s claims.
“I never had any conversation with him like that, and I am not aware of any conversation he had about that at all,” then-chief scout Tim Kelaher told the Daily Telegraph.
“It’s a bit strange to hear that because the attitude back then as well was to bring guys like him right into the fold.
“For example, we had Andrew Kellaway in the Waratahs dressing room after games and so on. It was all about the smooth integration and transition of those guys from schoolboy rugby into the fold.
“We thought extremely highly of him. We had obviously earmarked Angus from a long way back but at the same time we didn’t have the funds to offer him that rugby league could.’’
Crichton remains good friends with several Super Rugby and Shute Shield players, and at 21 will never close the door on a return to the 15-man code.
It’s understood Wallabies coach Michael Cheika remains a fan of Crichton.
He has been one of Souths best and even touted as a future Blues Origin forward as early as next year.
Unlike the Waratahs, South Sydney are not in the mood to let Crichton go so easily.
Souths boss Shane Richardson said they had commenced talks with Crichton’s management earlier this month about keeping him at Redfern beyond 2018.
Richardson said they had success recruiting young Aussie rugby stars, including Australian Schoolboys five-eighth Adam Doueihi, Tyrone Taukamo and front-rower Toby Rudolf, but trying to poach talent from New Zealand was ‘’virtually impossible’’.
“I saw the podcast. We spent a bit of time looking at Angus before he signed, and we’ve signed a lot of other rugby kids as well,’’ Richardson said.
“He’s been a revelation for us, and a lot of other (rugby) kids could be, too.’’
It’s understood the Waratahs didn’t have the capacity to offer Crichton a full-time senior squad contract, but in combination with the ARU, offered a possible full-time pathway through the Australian sevens team.
The confusion in rugby about why Crichton would be told he had to wait until 23 also stems from the fact there are dozens of players younger than that in the Australian teams.
ARU high performance boss Ben Whitaker said Crichton had been firmly on the radar of Australian rugby since he was 15.
“He was selected for the ARU’s National Gold Squad program from 2012-2014 and represented NSW and Australian Schools in 2014. That same year he had played in the SG Ball competition for the Roosters for fitness after some injury setbacks in 2013,” Whitaker said.
“In his final year on the National Gold Squad scholarship he was presented options in both league and rugby and he chose to take up an opportunity with South Sydney.”
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...e/news-story/ec0f2e4019c23fde5b654e85e4b08d51
