Still only a few wingers

[chunk]

After Anasta stayed with League all Union has been able to get of us are a few wingers.

Is Rugby really a threat, it doesn't look like it.

Can Rugby be still be used to raise the Cap, it doesn't look like it.

If Union can only purchase wingers do we really care?

 

[aids]

who did union buy after allthe chain rattling?

 

[Mad Dogg]

In saying that, we still haven't really recovered from the loss of Tuqiri. Sailor was coming to the end of his career and Rogers was, although a very good winger, never going to go down as a huge loss. But Tuqiri was a young guy (only 22 or 23 when he crossed codes) who had already established himself as the best winger in league.

There's a lot of good wingers in the NRL, but none that stand out as great.

 

[Misty Bee]

Meethinks the masive Union buying-raid hypes were driven by 2 thnigs:

1) managers upping the contract prices of their clients (worked a treat for Joey)

2) Union's own self promotion.

It's all starting to look rediculous. Anasta has been courted for longer than Camilla by the Toffs. Even with the $42 million cash cow they got off the World Cup, they have gotten nothing.

The fact is that the money is better, but not SIGNIFICANTLY better, to make the transfer worthwhile. In Oz, players are realising that a Union contract has a downside - club rugby. This is a twofold threat: Club rugby is an awfully long way down from NRL standard, and it would be embarrassing for the elite NRL players to find themsselves in that position. The second threat is the fact that club rugby is the heart and soul of that code, as was evidenced when Matt Rogers spoke his mind about it. The Union ranks were united in their bitterness - and that's the thing. You would never be accepted in that code unless you came up through the ranks, and had connections in the 'old boy's network.

Rogers, Sailor and Tequiri will find out how loyal Union's ranks are after their use by date has arrived.

Fact remains the only thing the ARU could dangle in reality is a guaranteed Wallaby jumper for a home world cup. The won't have that carrot to use again for at least 2 decades.

 

[Tidus_Raider]

Well put MB. I think Union can still target players apart from wingers but the codes are so different. Mason was never going to jump to Union. Johns could of, Anasta may have but in the end they chose league.

I think Lote will one day return to League. Sailor, we can do without. Rigers is a Rah Rah through and through. But Lote, he still has league blood in him and I think after the 2007 world cup he'll be back.

Union has poached Lote, Sailor, Rogers and Blacklock.

League has poached Sam Harris as well as Milton Thaiday and Blacklock has since returned to League. Add to this Andrew Walker also returned after starring for the Brumbies and Waratahs.

 

[White Poiner]

these 3 wingers are better than any in the nrl today. They are a loss.

 

[League Freak™]

Rogers can hardly be called a footballer these days with the amount of time he spends on the sidelines.

Sailor....he had a couple of very good season, but people tend to look at his career through rose coloured glasses. In his last season he was a very average player.

Tuqiri....it would be nice to have him back. But the fact remains that he left....and the sun managed to rise the next day.


I wouldnt suggest that none of them have been missed. We've had top players step up at Origin time and in test matches.

Rooney has been incredible at rep level. Matt Sing is just a legend. Ty Williams steps up and plays great at Origin level.

 

[Big_Bad_Shark_Fan]

give it time
rooney , simmons , covell , and grothe are all coming through and are dominating proceedings. Given times these guys ahve the potential to be anything

 

[iron_bombolas]

i agree with all those players except rooney, hes agood player but i cant see him getting any better, just doesnt look like hes much more than what he is

 

[aqua_duck]

give it time
rooney , simmons , covell , and grothe are all coming through and are dominating proceedings. Given times these guys ahve the potential to be anything

The only thing Covell is dominating is your mind. None of the players you mention will be as good as Tuqiri, not now not ever. Covell especially is not worthy of licking the mod off Tuqiri's studs.

 

[gaterooze]

I think Grothe has the potential to rival Tuquiri, especially since Tuquiri's development will be going backwards in Union.

Chris Latham is the country's best player, and their rookie of the year is 27 years old :lol:

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Give Manu Vatuvei another couple of seasons at the end of a half-dfecent backline and he'll potentially rival any of the above players. The kid is a freakish talent, 6'3 & 110kg, but with good hands, good in the air, and unlike most big wingers he has a great workrate and does not appear to be a defensive liability. He has the potential to be the world's best winger in a year or two.

 

[rugbynotsoccer]

how can u say hes goin backwards? Yea backwards when running it up to the forwards. Its not like league where the forwards are the same size as Lote or Wendell lol The two arent exceptional in super12 like league
Howlett Caucau bobo fautau nonu Rocokoko rathbone (puts sailor on the bench) Rico Gear out played him in the finals still Lote is better

Rooney doesnt even play to his size, sing needs open space
What happened to that broncos "next Lomu" tupou? all hype to get replaced by a rugby union schoolboy

 

[eloquentEEL]

who did union buy after allthe chain rattling?

Wise Kativerata :lol:

 

[harmichael_punt_]

when lote tiquiri joined rugby union i can still remember david gallop saying "well look its no loss really our player development is so good we'll just wait for the next wendell, matt rogers and tiquiri to come along". It's 2005 now and if those guys were back in league they'd still be the best wingers in the game.

 

[hutch]

how can u say hes goin backwards? Yea backwards when running it up to the forwards. Its not like league where the forwards are the same size as Lote or Wendell lol The two arent exceptional in super12 like league
Howlett Caucau bobo fautau nonu Rocokoko rathbone (puts sailor on the bench) Rico Gear out played him in the finals still Lote is better

Rooney doesnt even play to his size, sing needs open space
What happened to that broncos "next Lomu" tupou? all hype to get replaced by a rugby union schoolboy

backwards as he is playing an inferior sport with inferior athletes, inferior training methods and inferior fitness levels. backwards as in he touches the ball 3 times a game when the defence is right upon him. backwards as in he doesnt have to tackle.

tame tupou of the broncos is in reserve grade. leon bott was both a league/union junior and schoolboy. played league at westfield sports before going to qld. union will probably try to claim him as a junior though, just like wally lewis who played union as a second sport at school, but was so good at it made the aussie schoolboy team.

 

[Tighthead]

but was so good at it made the aussie schoolboy team

and warmed the bench for the Ellas.