Docking
Juniors
- Messages
- 204
SMH 6/11/03
Vagana resists lure of the lira and the 15-man game
By Brad Walter
November 6, 2003
"If Nigel Vagana had consulted new Cronulla teammate Ryan McGoldrick about a recent approach to swap codes, the former NSW Waratahs winger's advice almost certainly would have been to stay in league.
Vagana, the Sharks' star off-season recruit, said after his first public appearance in the club's colours yesterday - to help launch a new jersey, logo and change of name to Cronulla-Sutherland - that he had received an offer to play rugby union in Europe.
Considered the NRL's best centre, the Kiwi international said he had never seriously considered making the switch and, from his own experience, McGoldrick suggested that was for the best.
Having played union at schoolboy level, McGoldrick followed former Cronulla teammate Mat Rogers to the Waratahs this year but wanted out by mid-season.
"I just really missed playing league," McGoldrick said. "I think there's a lot more involvement in rugby league, you spend a lot of time standing around not doing very much in rugby.
"I think for the forwards in union it's very physical but not in the backs . . . and I just missed the work rate and the involvement."
Despite being released from the remaining year of his contract to rejoin the Sharks next season, 22-year-old McGoldrick has been a keen follower of the World Cup and keeps in regular contact with Wallabies fullback Rogers.
"I've been ringing him up before every World Cup game just to see how he's going," McGoldrick said. "I think the side is struggling a little bit. I think if they click they can do anything but, as of yet, I don't think they have really fired.
"I think the whole tournament will get a lot better as the weeks progress. The problem in rugby is that there is a really wide gap between a scrappy game and a good game. When you have a scrappy game, I think people just switch off."
Vagana has also been keeping an eye on the rival code, having played league alongside the likes of All Blacks centre Tana Umaga and Samoa five-eighth Earl Va'a. Italy coach John Kirwan is also a former teammate from his time with the Warriors, and Vagana said the approach to play union had come from an Italian club.
"I could have gone to play rugby in Italy instead of coming to Cronulla, but we'd just bought a house here and I didn't really want to move," Vagana said. "Perhaps after Cronulla, I don't know."
Of more immediate concern for Vagana is settling into his new club, which is anticipating a good season in 2004 - despite uncertainty over the future of coach Chris Anderson.
Sharks general manager Steve Rogers said the players had been told on Monday that the situation would be resolved next month, after Anderson returns from the Kangaroo tour.
"Everyone was very positive, and with the influx of new players we've got there is genuine excitement about next year," Rogers said.
Aside from Vagana and McGoldrick, Cronulla have also signed New Zealand prop Andrew Lomu, South Sydney winger Nathan Merritt and former Australian schoolboys captain Michael Russo from Melbourne.
Centre Paul Franze's return after missing most of last season with a knee injury gives the Sharks depth out wide, Vagana saying he would play five-eighth if necessary following his starring performance for the Kiwis in last month's Test win over Australia.
"To me, whoever plays five-eighth would more than likely just be backing up [Brett] Kimmorley and running off him, so it's just like another centre," he said. "If I was to play five-eighth here it would just mean that instead of Cronulla having two centres on the field we'd have three."
Vagana resists lure of the lira and the 15-man game
By Brad Walter
November 6, 2003
"If Nigel Vagana had consulted new Cronulla teammate Ryan McGoldrick about a recent approach to swap codes, the former NSW Waratahs winger's advice almost certainly would have been to stay in league.
Vagana, the Sharks' star off-season recruit, said after his first public appearance in the club's colours yesterday - to help launch a new jersey, logo and change of name to Cronulla-Sutherland - that he had received an offer to play rugby union in Europe.
Considered the NRL's best centre, the Kiwi international said he had never seriously considered making the switch and, from his own experience, McGoldrick suggested that was for the best.
Having played union at schoolboy level, McGoldrick followed former Cronulla teammate Mat Rogers to the Waratahs this year but wanted out by mid-season.
"I just really missed playing league," McGoldrick said. "I think there's a lot more involvement in rugby league, you spend a lot of time standing around not doing very much in rugby.
"I think for the forwards in union it's very physical but not in the backs . . . and I just missed the work rate and the involvement."
Despite being released from the remaining year of his contract to rejoin the Sharks next season, 22-year-old McGoldrick has been a keen follower of the World Cup and keeps in regular contact with Wallabies fullback Rogers.
"I've been ringing him up before every World Cup game just to see how he's going," McGoldrick said. "I think the side is struggling a little bit. I think if they click they can do anything but, as of yet, I don't think they have really fired.
"I think the whole tournament will get a lot better as the weeks progress. The problem in rugby is that there is a really wide gap between a scrappy game and a good game. When you have a scrappy game, I think people just switch off."
Vagana has also been keeping an eye on the rival code, having played league alongside the likes of All Blacks centre Tana Umaga and Samoa five-eighth Earl Va'a. Italy coach John Kirwan is also a former teammate from his time with the Warriors, and Vagana said the approach to play union had come from an Italian club.
"I could have gone to play rugby in Italy instead of coming to Cronulla, but we'd just bought a house here and I didn't really want to move," Vagana said. "Perhaps after Cronulla, I don't know."
Of more immediate concern for Vagana is settling into his new club, which is anticipating a good season in 2004 - despite uncertainty over the future of coach Chris Anderson.
Sharks general manager Steve Rogers said the players had been told on Monday that the situation would be resolved next month, after Anderson returns from the Kangaroo tour.
"Everyone was very positive, and with the influx of new players we've got there is genuine excitement about next year," Rogers said.
Aside from Vagana and McGoldrick, Cronulla have also signed New Zealand prop Andrew Lomu, South Sydney winger Nathan Merritt and former Australian schoolboys captain Michael Russo from Melbourne.
Centre Paul Franze's return after missing most of last season with a knee injury gives the Sharks depth out wide, Vagana saying he would play five-eighth if necessary following his starring performance for the Kiwis in last month's Test win over Australia.
"To me, whoever plays five-eighth would more than likely just be backing up [Brett] Kimmorley and running off him, so it's just like another centre," he said. "If I was to play five-eighth here it would just mean that instead of Cronulla having two centres on the field we'd have three."
