Why don’t NRL clubs buy Union players anymore?

[Mr Angry]

Hell

Manly > VFL.

Putrid game.

 

[Mr Angry]

Ever seen a VFL player make it in League or Union?

Of couse not, you have to catch the ball.

 

[Springs09]

An untested promising league junior on minimum wage is a lesser risk than an international union player who has never played league before and demands a million a year.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

My theory, but don’t suggest fact..

Advent of professionalism in union.
Can earn as much, if not more in Union (at rep level)
Union players get to travel the world (which has attracted many league players to cross over)

But attracting fringe talent in club rugby ( not representatives) I thought would have been a big target. One of my best mates works at A Sydney Rugby club, he suggests that while many could potentially cross over, they simply prefer to play rugby at club level and have their careers outside the sport. And I get that.

As for NZ rugby as a target I thought this would be prime. I’ve got relatives over there and watched a lot of games domestic and regional games. It’s a whole different style of play in NZ versus what a lot of us league fans have seen and loathe. They throw the ball around and honestly it’s brilliant to watch.. not a penalty party that you see in internationals.. loads of talent but not really targeted much.

 

[gUt]

Pretty sure Tana Umaga was a league junior

 

[Rod McClusky]

Like seriously, a league player takes up Union and is a Wallaby in half a day.

A union player joins league and 1 in 100 play grade.

Mick O'Connor, Ray Price are hen's teeth.

Like Benji?
Or Will Chambers who got barley get a run for Qld Reds, but comes back to league then plays for Australia

 

[Mr Angry]

Like Benji?

Benji is kiwi dickhead.
To compete with them you need have played all your life. They are really good at it.

Would make the Wallaby team, as they are shyte, 3rd rate.

Or Will Chambers who got barley get a run for Qld Reds, but comes back to league then plays for Australia

Yeah crap player, not sure why he ever got picked n rep teams.

But hey go the Melbourne Rebels, it will catch on.....dickhead.

 

[NRLMad]

Union juniors follow the bigger code in Australia. They don’t care about semi. Semi is chasing $$. He knows he has a shelf life and hence why not take it. He’s too dumb to realise he should not insult RL at the same time. He should quite simply say I got a better deal, might consider next time.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Pretty sure Tana Umaga was a league junior

Played both codes growing up I think.
SKD was a union player, as was RTS. You’ll find a lot of kiwi players have played a bit of both codes.

 

[Homo man69]

Like Benji?
Or Will Chambers who got barley get a run for Qld Reds, but comes back to league then plays for Australia

Don’t forget Burgess

 

[Walter sobchak]

Pretty sure Tana Umaga was a league junior

Tana umaga was a junior kiwi and signed for Newcastle but apparently was homesick after a few weeks.

 

[THE CHAMP]

Hell

Manly > VFL.

Putrid game.

Great stuff f**k Aussie rules

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

I promise you players like Matthew Burke, Adam Ashley-Cooper, James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale, Will Genia etc etc would not be sitting on the bench for reserve grade. I haven’t even cracked into All blacks or SA.

You're right. They wouldn't even make the reggies bench.

 

[taste2taste]

As others have said, league pillages Union at schoolboy level. I know there are many more but off the top of my head the following have represented Australia Rugby Union Schoolboys

Tepai Moeroa
Cameron Murray
Dane Gagai
Angus Crichton
Cooper Cronk
Kayln Ponga
Luke Keary
Billy Smith
Brodie Croft
Tyson Frizzel
Jayden Sa'u
Connor Watson
and the Rabbits have just signed Lochlan Ilias and Joseph Suaalii

The ARU have identified the huge drain of talent as an area that they desperately need to fix to become competitive again. Recently they have beaten big interest from NRL teams to sign Apensia Dritit and Billy Pollard. It'll be interesting to see what happens with jnr talent in the future.

 

[taste2taste]

Because they can:

1. Earn more money playing an easier sport
2. Travel the world representing their country in front of large crowds
3. Become an Olympian
4. Be more famous

I agree with most your posts ...but

1. Earn more money playing an easier sport

Only the very elite earn more. On average NRL players get paid higher than any Union competition in the world. But yes, there is an opportunity to earn more doing less.

2. Travel the world representing their country in front of large crowds

Big crowds ? On average the NRL has far bigger crowds than any Union comp. Only internationals draw crowds.
and
Most Union players hate the travel. Living out of a suitcase for 6 months a year isn't appealing to most.

3. Become an Olympian

Only if you play 7s

4. Be more famous

Rugby is a niche sport everywhere its played ( with the exception of NZ and Wales ) Union players aren't famous outside of their own country. Even the 'World Famous All Blacks' could walk down Oxford street in London and barley be recognised. If these players were truly world famous Adidas, Nike..etc would be all over them to be in their advertising.

 

[typicalfan]

As others have said, league pillages Union at schoolboy level. I know there are many more but off the top of my head the following have represented Australia Rugby Union Schoolboys

Tepai Moeroa
Cameron Murray
Dane Gagai
Angus Crichton
Cooper Cronk
Kayln Ponga
Luke Keary
Billy Smith
Brodie Croft
Tyson Frizzel
Jayden Sa'u
Connor Watson
and the Rabbits have just signed Lochlan Ilias and Joseph Suaalii

The ARU have identified the huge drain of talent as an area that they desperately need to fix to become competitive again. Recently they have beaten big interest from NRL teams to sign Apensia Dritit and Billy Pollard. It'll be interesting to see what happens with jnr talent in the future.

The irony is that the majority of these players are also league juniors who Union would get a monopoly on in the past.

I think it's too late for Union, the horse bolted when they had their 'warchest'.

 

[Perth Red]

I agree with most your posts ...but

1. Earn more money playing an easier sport

Only the very elite earn more. On average NRL players get paid higher than any Union competition in the world. But yes, there is an opportunity to earn more doing less.

2. Travel the world representing their country in front of large crowds

Big crowds ? On average the NRL has far bigger crowds than any Union comp. Only internationals draw crowds.
and
Most Union players hate the travel. Living out of a suitcase for 6 months a year isn't appealing to most.

3. Become an Olympian

Only if you play 7s

4. Be more famous

Rugby is a niche sport everywhere its played ( with the exception of NZ and Wales ) Union players aren't famous outside of their own country. Even the 'World Famous All Blacks' could walk down Oxford street in London and barley be recognised. If these players were truly world famous Adidas, Nike..etc would be all over them to be in their advertising.

Both French and English Union leagues have significantly higher salary caps than NRL.

Yep full stadiums at Twickers cardiff etc, compared to the 15k that you might get to play in fornt of as a Kangaroo once every blue moon it is far more appealing.

Didnt say world famous, I said more famous. Or are you suggesting the England and Australian and NZ League capt's are more nationally famous than their Union counterparts?

I fcking hate union in the same way many here hate AFL but given the career choice it is more appealing if you are at the top and could be an international at either, imo.

 

[DeeJ]

Like Benji?
Or Will Chambers who got barley get a run for Qld Reds, but comes back to league then plays for Australia

Benji grew up playing union and touch. So you could count him as a union player.

His first time playing league was in a carnival when he was 17 with his high school and the Tigers scouted him.

 

[Springs09]

As others have said, league pillages Union at schoolboy level. I know there are many more but off the top of my head the following have represented Australia Rugby Union Schoolboys

Tepai Moeroa
Cameron Murray
Dane Gagai
Angus Crichton
Cooper Cronk
Kayln Ponga
Luke Keary
Billy Smith
Brodie Croft
Tyson Frizzel
Jayden Sa'u
Connor Watson
and the Rabbits have just signed Lochlan Ilias and Joseph Suaalii

The ARU have identified the huge drain of talent as an area that they desperately need to fix to become competitive again. Recently they have beaten big interest from NRL teams to sign Apensia Dritit and Billy Pollard. It'll be interesting to see what happens with jnr talent in the future.

Apenisa Driti is at that level? Wow. Honestly he excelled far more at union than he did at league at the junior level. No loss to league imo.

 

[taste2taste]

Both French and English Union leagues have significantly higher salary caps than NRL.

Yep full stadiums at Twickers cardiff etc, compared to the 15k that you might get to play in fornt of as a Kangaroo once every blue moon it is far more appealing.

Didnt say world famous, I said more famous. Or are you suggesting the England and Australian and NZ League capt's are more nationally famous than their Union counterparts?

I fcking hate union in the same way many here hate AFL but given the career choice it is more appealing if you are at the top and could be an international at either, imo.

England Union clubs have a salary cap 1.5mil higher than NRL clubs but its spread over larger squads, so on average NRL players get paid more. As for the French Top 14 ... Its such a mess who would know what their cap is ? Its a competition propped up by French billionaires happy to loose millions every season to have a d&%k measuring contest.

Yes Union sell out twickers and Cardiff twice a year for internationals but for the club games they get crowds half the size of the NRL. League fans should be insanely jealous of Unions international game, but week in week out I'd say the NRL would be more appealing to play in.

I never said league players are more famous. Both codes players are only famous in the country they are in. As SBW said, playing league the fame was intense but playing Union you are only semi famous. 99.99999999999999999999% of the worlds population wouldn't recognise players from either code.

And yes I agree, for the top 1% of elite player, Union is the better option. Twice the money for half the work. We would all make that choice at our daily jobs given the choice