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Channel 9 keen to poach union talent

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42,632
Leave the fat bastards where they are. Trying to find a Union player that would make it in top grade League these days would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
 

The Engineers Room

First Grade
Messages
8,945
Everlovin' Antichrist said:
Leave the fat bastards where they are. Trying to find a Union player that would make it in top grade League these days would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Sam Harris!
 
Messages
42,632
But is Harris playing SOO? Or more to the point, will he ever play SOO?

Tuquiri, Rogers and Sailor not only walked straight into the NSW and QLD Union sides, they walked into the Australian side.

If we're going to poach blokes just to play first grade for bloody Manly, leave them where they are, they aren't worth poaching.
 

Razor

Coach
Messages
10,077
[qiuote]
Look at Wendell. He is fat and very slow compared to his league days. Tuqiri and Rathbone are the only two with a bit of toe.
[/quote]

Forgot who it was but a current Union player who used to play League says that the training in League is far tougher and more intense than Union training.
 

Iafeta

Referee
Messages
24,357
legend said:
Spacie, mate, get the blinkers off champ. Who in the all blacks would be faster than guys like Scott Donald, Phil Graham, Brett Stewart, Billy Slater and co?

Most if not all union backs are far bulkier than their league counterparts, who are buit for speed, not size.

Doug Howlett and Joe Rockocoko for two. Look at how Joe toyed with Wendall Sailor and Mat Rogers last year in the Bledisloe Cup for sheer pace.

Even players on the fringe such as Hosia Gear and Rico Gear would be of genuine concern in rugby league as far as pace goes. Christian Cullen was pretty quick a few years ago.
 

Iafeta

Referee
Messages
24,357
Hulka said:
Didn't Manly cut Rathbone? and Canberra cut Giteau(sp?)?

Union has some good players and I'd love to see us buy their players again. I'm sure buying talented Kiwi players would not only help the NRL but help the Kiwi national team.

I'd love to see them buy some quality players and then "draft" them to the lower ranked sides to help them out.

Clive Rathbone went straight from the South African under 21s winning captains position, to missing a Super 12 spot in South Africa and then being picked up by ACT.

I don't think he's toyed with league.

I may be mistaken.
 

ali

Bench
Messages
4,962
Iafeta said:
Hulka said:
Didn't Manly cut Rathbone? and Canberra cut Giteau(sp?)?

Union has some good players and I'd love to see us buy their players again. I'm sure buying talented Kiwi players would not only help the NRL but help the Kiwi national team.

I'd love to see them buy some quality players and then "draft" them to the lower ranked sides to help them out.

Clive Rathbone went straight from the South African under 21s winning captains position, to missing a Super 12 spot in South Africa and then being picked up by ACT.

I don't think he's toyed with league.

I may be mistaken.

I think he means Gerard. He would be good to get back. Collins, Giteau, Rathbone and Jo R would also be good. I'd rather we looked at young players like Shepherd, but I wouldn't mind targetting a couple of big name Kiwis the strengthen the Kiwi team. But things are very quiet in NZ's rugby wars. You rarely hear a Kiwi League player talk about going to Union when they are off contract.
 

Tighthead

Guest
Messages
3,176
Gerrard signed with the Waratahs straight out of school for the 2001 season, played 2 seasons with them and then moved to the Brumbies in 2003. If he trialled with a league team, it would have been as a schoolboy.
 

eelandia

Juniors
Messages
854
Tighthead said:
Gerrard signed with the Waratahs straight out of school for the 2001 season, played 2 seasons with them and then moved to the Brumbies in 2003. If he trialled with a league team, it would have been as a schoolboy.

Pretty sure he played junior rep League in the Manly district and at school went to a union rep trial to get out of class (his words) and was then picked up by the waratahs - didn't help with the shambles Manly is and has been the last few years I guess.
 

singaporeXIII

Juniors
Messages
141
eelandia said:
Tighthead said:
Gerrard signed with the Waratahs straight out of school for the 2001 season, played 2 seasons with them and then moved to the Brumbies in 2003. If he trialled with a league team, it would have been as a schoolboy.

Pretty sure he played junior rep League in the Manly district and at school went to a union rep trial to get out of class (his words) and was then picked up by the waratahs - didn't help with the shambles Manly is and has been the last few years I guess.

I can confirm that Mark Gerrard played junior grades for the Manly Sea Eagles. He was a Narrabeen Sharks RL junior. Sam Harris also played Manly junior grades before going to the Waratahs and then back to Manly. His club was the Avalon Bulldogs. I played with George Smith for many years in the junior teams from U/8's - U/17's. He went to Union when he was about 16 i think. He used to play Union on Saturdays and League on Sundays until he got signed by the Brumbies.
 

iggy plop

First Grade
Messages
5,293
Rupeni Cau Cau is the only yawnion player I'd go after.

There might be a few others if I was trying to fill up a Jim Beam Cup side. :lol:
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
37,540
iggy plop said:
Rupeni Cau Cau is the only yawnion player I'd go after.

There might be a few others if I was trying to fill up a Jim Beam Cup side. :lol:
Shows how much you actually know, Caucau wouldn't be any good, he's got a ton of natural talent but wouldn't hack the training. I'd take the Rock or Howlett over him.
 

Thomas

First Grade
Messages
9,658
Hulka said:
Didn't Manly cut Rathbone? and Canberra cut Giteau(sp?)?

Errr..Rathbone is from South Africa. He was captain of their U21 team. He has never played league.

Giteau played league and union at school and chose to play for the Brumbies. He has never played league at a level other than junior.
 

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