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All Blacks v Kangaroos - $50 million match

Te Kaha

First Grade
Messages
5,998
Yet Folau is likely to be World rugbys player of the year. Nah ,nothing to see here.
No he isn't.
He Has played Rugby for five years and in that time has not won anything major, nor has his team.
He plays for the Wannabes not the ABs
And he wouldn't make a full strength AB team.
 

ParraEelsNRL

Referee
Messages
27,714
One mungo to lead them all, all heil Saint Falau. For it is written, no one man mungomachine shalt pass without thou having real mean around him.
 

taipan

Referee
Messages
22,500
No he isn't.
He Has played Rugby for five years and in that time has not won anything major, nor has his team.
He plays for the Wannabes not the ABs
And he wouldn't make a full strength AB team.

He played " rugby" for many years ,many as an NRL player.
Well better check the news predictions ole son.Being Rugby player of the year encompasses all union players I understand.Meaning ABs also.
"Wouldn't make a full strength AB team," that's your opinion,doesn't mean it's correct.SBW a rl junior once
did.The ABS are nowhere near the sides of earlier years.
 

Te Kaha

First Grade
Messages
5,998
He played " rugby" for many years ,many as an NRL player.
Well better check the news predictions ole son.Being Rugby player of the year encompasses all union players I understand.Meaning ABs also.
"Wouldn't make a full strength AB team," that's your opinion,doesn't mean it's correct.SBW a rl junior once
did.The ABS are nowhere near the sides of earlier years.

Australian media always pump for him doesn't mean he deserves it or will get it.
And yes that is my opinion and most anyone who actually watches and supports the ABs. Since you don't actually watch the ABs play, your "opinion" doesn't actually amount to much. Especially when the current AB coach has already stated he would take the current AB Vice Captain over Falou any day. And guess what "ole son" his opinion is worth more than yours or mine.
 

Valheru

Coach
Messages
19,225
Yep! SBW, Hunt (FFS), Folau, Burgess amongst others just walz into top international union teams usually in their first couple of seasons playing the game. There are many more examples of lower profile players getting international jerseys that are nothing more than solid NRL first graders.

On the other hand - there wouldn't be many union stars that would walk into a Kangaroos jersey - even the AB players if they came to play league.

Those league players you mentioned were all internationals prior to going to union.

Obviously the key motivators for league players to go to union are money and a more high profile world cup. This means that the defection is usually one way. Has there ever actually been a high profile union player switch to league in the professional era?
 

Springs09

Juniors
Messages
1,903
Gareth Thomas was the most recent one I can think of.

When I was looking this up I noticed Cooper Vuna is now representing Tonga after playing 2 tests for Australia. I thought it was one nation for life and rugby league was a joke for allowing nation switching?
 

King hit

Coach
Messages
14,090
Gareth Thomas was the most recent one I can think of.

When I was looking this up I noticed Cooper Vuna is now representing Tonga after playing 2 tests for Australia. I thought it was one nation for life and rugby league was a joke for allowing nation switching?

Matt Giteau (former Wallaby) is a fan of the league criteria and wants union to do the same thing
 

taipan

Referee
Messages
22,500
Australian media always pump for him doesn't mean he deserves it or will get it.
And yes that is my opinion and most anyone who actually watches and supports the ABs. Since you don't actually watch the ABs play, your "opinion" doesn't actually amount to much. Especially when the current AB coach has already stated he would take the current AB Vice Captain over Falou any day. And guess what "ole son" his opinion is worth more than yours or mine.


You have zero idea what sports I watch.
In fact I have not stated any definitive opinion, other than refer to the media comments about Folau.
As the saying goes "he(the AB) coach would say that" unsurprising.
 

Te Kaha

First Grade
Messages
5,998
You have zero idea what sports I watch.
In fact I have not stated any definitive opinion, other than refer to the media comments about Folau.
As the saying goes "he(the AB) coach would say that" unsurprising.
True, i have no idea which sports you watch, but given your repeated disdain filled pronouncements about Rugby, there would be something wrong with you if you did watch it.
A definitive opinion no, but a clear inference was made by you.
Of course he would say that, just like most anyone who has written about the ABs. Falou is outstanding for the wannabes, but since most commentators outside of Australia List the Abs fullback ahead of him, the ABs coach isn't wrong. As i said, he has played Rugby for five years and doesn't have anything major to show for it.
 

taipan

Referee
Messages
22,500
True, i have no idea which sports you watch, but given your repeated disdain filled pronouncements about Rugby, there would be something wrong with you if you did watch it.
A definitive opinion no, but a clear inference was made by you.
Of course he would say that, just like most anyone who has written about the ABs. Falou is outstanding for the wannabes, but since most commentators outside of Australia List the Abs fullback ahead of him, the ABs coach isn't wrong. As i said, he has played Rugby for five years and doesn't have anything major to show for it.

Reality:I played rugby union in my formative years, have attended ru tests and watched AB matches in the past yes on TV. and attended a Barbarian's match in Sydney.Any disdain I have is with union officialdom from 1941 to the present day and that includes the likes of Pulver and J O
Neill..In fact only got involved with rl passionately when I married.
Shooting the messenger from a news feed,does not by necessity mean that is my view.
 

Te Kaha

First Grade
Messages
5,998
Reality:I played rugby union in my formative years, have attended ru tests and watched AB matches in the past yes on TV. and attended a Barbarian's match in Sydney.Any disdain I have is with union officialdom from 1941 to the present day and that includes the likes of Pulver and J O
Neill..In fact only got involved with rl passionately when I married.
Shooting the messenger from a news feed,does not by necessity mean that is my view.

So you don't think Falou would make a full strength AB team? makes your initial point a tad moot then.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
6,645
Those league players you mentioned were all internationals prior to going to union.

Obviously the key motivators for league players to go to union are money and a more high profile world cup. This means that the defection is usually one way. Has there ever actually been a high profile union player switch to league in the professional era?

Not that I know of. There have been whispers of Quad Cooper when he was at his peak but he would have found it tough to keep an NRL starting spot because his defense is not up to standard.
 

Te Kaha

First Grade
Messages
5,998
Not that I know of. There have been whispers of Quad Cooper when he was at his peak but he would have found it tough to keep an NRL starting spot because his defense is not up to standard.
Defense not up to standard??? He'd actually need to know how to defend before it could be up to standard... the thought he could make it in the NRL was laughable.
 

taipan

Referee
Messages
22,500
So you don't think Falou would make a full strength AB team? makes your initial point a tad moot then.

Based on his current form against opposition I do_On earlier AB teams I doubt it.
That being said, the union journos who commented about being the player of the year,I suggest they know more than I do on the matter.
TBH if he makes it or not,I"ain't " going to lose any sleep over it.
 

Te Kaha

First Grade
Messages
5,998
Based on his form against opposition I do.
There is no way he would replace Ben Smith, World Cup winner, Super Rugby winner, AB Vice Captain and widely regarded by commentators outside Australia as the best Full Back in World Rugby.
 

taipan

Referee
Messages
22,500
There is no way he would replace Ben Smith, World Cup winner, Super Rugby winner, AB Vice Captain and widely regarded by commentators outside Australia as the best Full Back in World Rugby.

If you say so.
 

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