An NRL Club should sign Ayumu Goromaru

[RoosTah]

I put this as a bit of a thought bubble on another thread, but thought it could use wider discussion.

With all the talk of overseas venues now bidding for the NRL GF I suggested that the only place in Asia that would really work is Japan because they have the scale necessary and the weather wouldn't be awful.

That said, they have no clue about the NRL or that there are two types of Rugby. That would change pretty dramatically though if a big NRL club like say The Roosters, Storm, Cowboys or Broncos were to sign him.

I know most guys here couldn't care less about Super Rugby, but the Japanese media have been all over him like ours were with Hayne ever since he started playing with the Reds (and given how little game time he's had, this analogy is apt in more ways than one).

He's become a superstar over there, and there have been 8 TV crews from the land of the rising sun following his every move.

So the question I have is why aren't the NRL working with a club to try get him over to our game? He wouldn't be a standout or anything, but if you bought him before the preseason started and had a lot of work put in with him with a good coach like Robbo, Bennett or Belamy, he'd be useful at the very least and the amount of interest he'd generate in Japan would be huge.

That alone would make the investment pay for itself, as it's almost certain the Japanese TV networks would be rushing to do what ours did with Hayne and try work out some way to bring the games to the Japanese public.

That would then drive up interest in general and you could then have the very real prospect of bringing marquee NRL events like the 9s to Tokyo.

 

[AnAccountant]

I put this as a bit of a thought bubble on another thread, but thought it could use wider discussion.

With all the talk of overseas venues now bidding for the NRL GF I suggested that the only place in Asia that would really work is Japan because they have the scale necessary and the weather wouldn't be awful.

That said, they have no clue about the NRL or that there are two types of Rugby. That would change pretty dramatically though if a big NRL club like say The Roosters, Storm, Cowboys or Broncos were to sign him.

I know most guys here couldn't care less about Super Rugby, but the Japanese media have been all over him like ours were with Hayne ever since he started playing with the Reds (and given how little game time he's had, this analogy is apt in more ways than one).

He's become a superstar over there, and there have been 8 TV crews from the land of the rising sun following his every move.

So the question I have is why aren't the NRL working with a club to try get him over to our game? He wouldn't be a standout or anything, but if you bought him before the preseason started and had a lot of work put in with him with a good coach like Robbo, Bennett or Belamy, he'd be useful at the very least and the amount of interest he'd generate in Japan would be huge.

That alone would make the investment pay for itself, as it's almost certain the Japanese TV networks would be rushing to do what ours did with Hayne and try work out some way to bring the games to the Japanese public.

That would then drive up interest in general and you could then have the very real prospect of bringing marquee NRL events like the 9s to Tokyo.

He's a midget who's playing off the bench for a bottom feeder super rugby club.

The only reason he's even on the bench is because of the publicity etc they're getting from having him there.

He would get slaughtered in the NRL, and no NRL club would pay him the salary that Toulon will pay him next season, especially to play in front of 300 people for a feeder team.

 

[RoosTah]

He's a midget who's playing off the bench for a bottom feeder super rugby club.

The only reason he's even on the bench is because of the publicity etc they're getting from having him there.

He would get slaughtered in the NRL, and no NRL club would pay him the salary that Toulon will pay him next season, especially to play in front of 300 people for a feeder team.

He's not too small for the NRL mate - he's 1.85 m (6ft) and weighs 98 kg - plenty of blokes smaller than that in our comp. He's been crap for the Reds because they have a crap coaching team and they bought him just before the season started.

With a good coach and a solid pre-season he'd be alright in the NRL and strategically it would be smart given the amount of interest he'd generate. As I said, he just needs to be at a club with a good coach.

 

[AnAccountant]

He's not too small for the NRL mate - he's 1.85 m (6ft) and weighs 98 kg - plenty of blokes smaller than that in our comp. He's been crap for the Reds because they have a crap coaching team and they bought him just before the season started.

With a good coach and a solid pre-season he'd be alright in the NRL and strategically it would be smart given the amount of interest he'd generate. As I said, he just needs to be at a club with a good coach.

I didn't realise that he was that size - looks a lot smaller on the tv.

But realistically, with the $ he would demand, and the fact that he still doesn't speak english fluently, it'd be an uphill battle to say the least.

I do like the thinking outside the box tho.

 

[RoosTah]

I didn't realise that he was that size - looks a lot smaller on the tv.

But realistically, with the $ he would demand, and the fact that he still doesn't speak english fluently, it'd be an uphill battle to say the least.

I do like the thinking outside the box tho.

It'd require a bit of work, but most of the money he makes is in endorsements from Japan - the Reds alone couldn't afford him and those companies would stay on likely no matter where he went.

In Japan, the idea this big "Rugby" comp in Australia had poached him would be huge news and we'd have tonnes of Japanese media attending NRL games. You start getting more Japanese Rugby talent involved (you could run combines at their big unis and target some of the talent in their top league who aren't earning the big bucks given to the foreigners) and you suddenly have a Japanese NRL fan base that makes the international TV rights jump again.

It'd be a purely commercial move, but it'd be a smart one in my view that would instantly give the NRL brand recognition in a massive market in Asia.

 

[catweasel]

Never heard of the f**ker until now.....literally.

 

[Raiderdave]

Who ?:sarcasm:

 

[McLovin]

I see where you're getting at. I remember when Yao Ming was drafted into the NBA by the Rockets. A Chinese guy who couldn't speak a lick of English was the first overall pick. He was hugely popular in China even before being drafted. Traveled around with a translator for a while until he learnt the language. He didn't really set the world on fire but China latched on and TV ratings sky rocketed as did the overall popularity of the league on a global scale.

Also, I'm with the never heard of him crew...

 

[RoosTah]

Fellas, I know that most NRL fans haven't heard of him, but as McLovin has just pointed out, that's not important because there's 127 million Japanese who do know who he is.

Japan has a decent enough Union scene before, but their success at the world cup in winning all but one of their games and beating South Africa along the way has sent the game into prime time over there.

The thing is though, most Japanese still don't really understand much about the game - they're just like the burgeoning group of NFL fans Australia developed overnight when Hayne headed to the US.

The difference with the NRL would be that they'd be actively pursuing this as a strategy to engage the Japanese market. If done well, it could pay some pretty serious dividends the next time TV rights are negotiated.

 

[LineBall]

It's a good idea for promoting League, but I doubt he would add much to any NRL club. The only way this could work would be if there was no salary cap, and one of the 'rich' clubs could pay him more than he deserves, and hopefully recoup some of that by playing a pre-season game in Japan, and selling merchandise over there.

 

[Packy]

Isn't he a blind singer?

 

[Foreign Legion]

Maybe parra could sign him go over the cap and their you go 2 big stories...

 

[RoosTah]

It's a good idea for promoting League, but I doubt he would add much to any NRL club. The only way this could work would be if there was no salary cap, and one of the 'rich' clubs could pay him more than he deserves, and hopefully recoup some of that by playing a pre-season game in Japan, and selling merchandise over there.

He wouldn't win a premiership for anyone, but he'd add value to the NRL's TV rights and build the brand of the game in a massive market that is developing a greater appetite for what it still only loosely understands as "Rugby".

Again guys, the smart ass comments about not knowing who he is kinda ignore the fact that it's not about how well acquainted he is with the Australian League community, it's about the publicity he'd bring in a huge f**king market.

 

[strong_latte]

Would never happen. The idea is just too outside of the box and forward thinking for the NRL to consider.

 

[_Johnsy]

If someone can't crack the starting side for the Reds, he'd be lucky to run on for NSW or QLD intrust side.

 

[Usain Bolt]

Should have had him on NRL rookie and rigged it for him to win

 

[RoosTah]

Should have had him on NRL rookie and rigged it for him to win

Bit old for a rookie at 30, but it wouldn't be a terrible idea for that show to scour the Japanese Uni system for Rugby talent ...

 

[ACTPanthers]

Might be a leg up for the game on an international level sure, but how many clubs would give him a red cent knowing it wouldn't benefit them in any way shape or form? Clubs aren't going to foot the bill to increase the reach of RL, and nor should they have to.

 

[TheDalek079]

He's 30 years old

 

[Mogsheen Jadwat]

nah i reckon if we wanted good players from a shit code we just take izzy back