RugbyRebels

Is this really happening?

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-i ... eally-mean

I am sensing an exodus from the Kiwis jersey in the near future. Thanks Kidwell. RTS is one mean machine on the run, but I dunno if he can even kick a ball straight.

It's an NRL contract rumour. God knows what the f*ck is happening. While he might make a good winger, he certainly wouldn't be a fullback. There's also a guy in the Sevens side who the Warriors are trying to hold to a long term contract he signed as a minor. I'm no lawyer, but I'd be surprised if five year contracts signed by 15 years old's are all that binding.

His contract is up at the end of the year, so he may be angling for a better deal, but it could also indicative of issues at the Warriors. What we are seeing is another way in which rugby league in this country is being overseen by the most shambolic administrations around.

If he were to actually do the switch, I'd say there are far too many obstacles in his way to make it into the squad in 2019, without first playing some NPC-level rugby in 2018 first. Unlike the Wallabies coaches, the current All Blacks coaching regime usually only pull the trigger on converts after a couple of seasons or so, and assuming he'd be a winger, he'll competing against some ridiculously strong players in who have far more rugby experience than he does.

cashead wrote:If he were to actually do the switch, I'd say there are far too many obstacles in his way to make it into the squad in 2019, without first playing some NPC-level rugby in 2018 first. Unlike the Wallabies coaches, the current All Blacks coaching regime usually only pull the trigger on converts after a couple of seasons or so, and assuming he'd be a winger, he'll competing against some ridiculously strong players in who have far more rugby experience than he does.

He was playing rugby (and League) in high school, so he'd be similar to Milner-Skudder. Plus the wing is hardly the most demanding of positions. But yes, making the 2019 RWC would be difficult/quite the achievement. He would be pretty lethal in Sevens.

zer0 wrote:

cashead wrote:If he were to actually do the switch, I'd say there are far too many obstacles in his way to make it into the squad in 2019, without first playing some NPC-level rugby in 2018 first. Unlike the Wallabies coaches, the current All Blacks coaching regime usually only pull the trigger on converts after a couple of seasons or so, and assuming he'd be a winger, he'll competing against some ridiculously strong players in who have far more rugby experience than he does.

He was playing rugby (and League) in high school, so he'd be similar to Milner-Skudder. Plus the wing is hardly the most demanding of positions. But yes, making the 2019 RWC would be difficult/quite the achievement. He would be pretty lethal in Sevens.

Basically everyone he's competing against also played rugby in high school, and unlike them, they've also played rugby at a representative, semi-pro and professional level. "I played for Otahuhu College and my last significant rugby representative experience was the schoolboys' team" is no substitute for going through the more usual pathway of the schools system, gaining provincial experience at varying levels, then Super Rugby and then test rugby.

Wingers now are also generally required to have a lot of skills that crossover with those expected of a fullback to the point where having a fullback out on the wing is increasingly the norm. Would you be able to say that he'd have those full set of skills required, to a sufficient standard, with only 1 season of Super Rugby under his belt?

Only one winger is typically required to fulfil the secondary fullback role, the other is still normally a strike winger. See J.Savea, Milner-Skudder, Naholo, R.Ioane.