Would any NRL players make it in the nfl?

[hindy111]

Ive been watchjing a bit of this.Its actualy quite a good game-Do you think anyone from the NRL would make it?
I doubt as QB but could guys like Hayne/Inglis make it as runnings backs?

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Ive been watchjing a bit of this.Its actualy quite a good game-Do you think anyone from the NRL would make it?
I doubt as QB but could guys like Hayne/Inglis make it as runnings backs?

Ability-wise...sure, but they'd need to have done a fair apprenticeship first (i.e. a few years of college football). Inglis would probably have made a decent Tight End, wrong build for running back. As dumb as as it sounds, there's also a role for small receivers/running backs, and B. Slater might have cut it on ability.

Zippo chance now.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Can you imagine Inglis as a tight end? He would be very good at blocking the defence given his upper body strength. I could also see someone like Jennings being a good running back. Some of the better kickers might also get a look in as a punter. Funnily enough, Hayne has got a big enough boot that he might even be able to do this..

Agree with Barry though - I'm sure a lot of young league players have similar speed and strength characteristics to college footballers. With the right training some of them would definitely make it but would be too hard for any established stars to jump in straight away.

 

[hineyrulz]

Burty would have been fantastic at holding the ball for the kicker.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Burty would have been fantastic at holding the ball for the kicker.

:lol:

Probably would have got paid about 10 x what he did for the eels as well...

 

[Eelementary]

Hayne might make a great punter, given his enormous boot. Or I would put him at wide receiver.

Uate would make a killer running back IMO.

And I think Maitua would make a decent MLB - obviously he'd be one of the shorter MLB's going, but when you have DE's that are on the small size, it's the aggression and heart that counts for more than size.

And I think Willie Mason in his prime might have made a good nose tackle. He's big and fairly strong.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

No NRL player would make it. A few have thought about it but realised it's not possible.

 

[Eelementary]

No NRL player would make it. A few have thought about it but realised it's not possible.

:lol: Such a killjoy!

But I suspect the main reason they wouldn't make it is not so much because of their physical prowess, but because it would take so long to teach an NRL player the basic rules and plays of an NFL team.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

Yep. It would be too risky for an NRL player to give up the NRL for a longshot chance of making it in the NFL. It won't happen.

 

[Eelementary]

Tell you what, though - some of those fullbacks and running backs would make good second-rowers. Brandon Jacobs is one that springs to mind - he'd be very difficult to bring down in a rugby league match IMO.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Yep. It would be too risky for an NRL player to give up the NRL for a longshot chance of making it in the NFL. It won't happen.

From what I have read in this thread, I don't think this point is being disputed.

However, what a few of us were saying is that if you took a young league player and gave him the benefit of a few years college football then it is quite possible that they could succeed. Imagine if a 16/17 year old Hayne, Jennings or Uate were given an opportunity - I think they would have done well.

Agree that it won't happen but it is an interesting question that has been posed.

 

[jimmy77au]

Burty would have been fantastic at holding the ball for the kicker.

Couldnt do it - would need to be able to throw the ball on a fake.........and his need to crab wouldnt help on a running play.....

 

[Poupou Escobar]

If league players were to make it in the NFL, even assuming the hypothetical of sending them back in time to learn the game in high school and college, I reckon most of them would play defence - mostly defensive backs and linebackers, because NRL players generally aren't big enough to be linemen.

Some of the absolute ball running freaks like Uate and Hayne might have made it as running backs, but those guys (running backs) are the best of the best - every black kid in America wants to play running back, and most NFL players probably played running back as kids. It's like how nearly every NRL winger or centre played fullback or five-eighth as a kid.

The NRL players most likely to be suitable for American football (i.e. the most physically explosive ones) would nearly all end up on the defensive side of the ball. The body shapes required for the offensive line and for the receivers just don't suit the NRL, so they would be under-represented in NRL players.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

The NRL players most likely to be suitable for American football (i.e. the most physically explosive ones) would nearly all end up on the defensive side of the ball. The body shapes required for the offensive line and for the receivers just don't suit the NRL, so they would be under-represented in NRL players.

The body-shape thing is true with respect to the offensive line (or for 4 of them at least....centers are more agile than tackles / guards). There's nothing particularly different about the physical characteristics of the rest of the NFL offensive roles (halfbacks / fullbacks / each receiving position) and those of many rugby league players. One area where we don't compete is with the pure speed receivers...there are guys playing NFL (and a few in College football) who can run 100m faster than any living (and possibly dead) Australian.

And we need to think of more imaginative Christian names, like D'Brickashaw, Plaxico, DeMontrovius etc.

 

[spiderdan]

Maybe some would go alright in the line (offense or defence) or as goal kickers but in terms of key attacking positions like running back, receivers or kick returners there are no players in the nrl that have the raw athletic ability of the top players in those positions. Maybe a few guys would go ok playing as an offensive end or punter but can't see too many opportunities there.

 

[The Engineers Room]

I think the different question is whether NFL teams could learn from NRL coaching tactics and skills. The answer is yes. They are allowed to pass backwards but just can't do it.

 

[The Engineers Room]

Also, they seem lost when they get in the open and seem to either run out or give up.

 

[Twizzle]

Fui would go OK

 

[strider]

I think the different question is whether NFL teams could learn from NRL coaching tactics and skills. The answer is yes. They are allowed to pass backwards but just can't do it.

it gets a bit harder with a helmet cutting out your peripheral vision

 

[Poupou Escobar]

it gets a bit harder with a helmet cutting out your peripheral vision

Beat me to it.

Also, since they're allowed to block I'd say it's more value having your teammates do that than hanging around waiting for the pass.

If we were allowed to shepherd in rugby league (besides just the Bulldogs) I'm sure we would do a lot more of that and a lot less passing.