League Targets

[Wilson]

Yeah he put on a clinic last night. Timing of his passing is incredible.

More chance of a UK team to be close to his gf. Have a feeling Sale Sharks don't have that coin.

We'll never see him in Rugby. He's a fun what if, but he'd be making 1.5-2m now with Sponsors, 3rd party deals and rep payments.

What's the French domestic women's soccer comp like? Surely there's a city/town somewhere with both a rugby and a soccer side and a wealthy backer keen on luring them both?

What better city for a young couple on top of the world then Paris? Cleary could sign for Stade and he wouldn't even have to give up the pink jersey.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Not a target now but no other place to say it. I still think ‘what if’ about Jared Warea Hargreaves.

Played for the Manly Marlins and Australian U19s at the Junior World Cup 2007 as an 8 if I remember correctly before going to League. 300 games as a Front Rower is incredible. With rep games he’ll retire over 350.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Not a target now but no other place to say it. I still think ‘what if’ about Jared Warea Hargreaves.

Played for the Manly Marlins and Australian U19s at the Junior World Cup 2007 as an 8 if I remember correctly before going to League. 300 games as a Front Rower is incredible. With rep games he’ll retire over 350.

Played 6 for the Central Coast Rays in the ARC and for the u19 Wallabies in 2007.

 

[PhilClinton]

Not a target now but no other place to say it. I still think ‘what if’ about Jared Warea Hargreaves.

Played for the Manly Marlins and Australian U19s at the Junior World Cup 2007 as an 8 if I remember correctly before going to League. 300 games as a Front Rower is incredible. With rep games he’ll retire over 350.

Came from Iona College here in Brisbane, I believe played 3 years of 1st XV at 8. Not sure he played much league at all before signing with the Sea Eagles in 2007.

 

[wamberal99]

Not a target now but no other place to say it. I still think ‘what if’ about Jared Warea Hargreaves.

Played for the Manly Marlins and Australian U19s at the Junior World Cup 2007 as an 8 if I remember correctly before going to League. 300 games as a Front Rower is incredible. With rep games he’ll retire over 350.

He also played in the late, lamented, ARC.

 

[Crashy]

and the mungos accuse us of not developing talent, as they raid RU, the pacific and NZ....

 

[PhilClinton]

and the mungos accuse us of not developing talent, as they raid RU, the pacific and NZ....

I think it highlights how we have obviously been under resourced in that space for a lot longer than many of us realise.

There’s a decent crop of Aussie school boy players from 2005 till now who’ve made the jump to league without ever being under contract with rugby.

 

[Strewthcobber]

It's interesting to look back at that 2007 U19 WC squad

One or two, what-could-have-beens, a couple of legends, a couple of very good Wallabies, some solid Super Rugby and pro careers


Forwards (starting with the front row): Albert Anae (Queensland), Ben Daley (Queensland), Tetera Faulkner (Australian Capital Territory), Daniel Palmer (New South Wales), James Hanson (Queensland), Daniel Penca (Australian Capital Territory), Robert Simmons (Queensland), Sam Wykes (New South Wales), Waqa Vulawalu (Australian Capital Territory), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (New South Wales), Chris Harkins (Australian Capital Territory), Rodney Ma'a (New South Wales), Ben McCalman (New South Wales), Michael Uoka (Australian Capital Territory)

Backs (starting at fullback): Peter Betham (New South Wales), Patrick McCabe (New South Wales), Andrew Barrett (New South Wales), Blair Connor (Queensland), Alfi Mafi (New South Wales), Brett Gillespie (Queensland), Mitchell Inman (New South Wales), Rowan Kellam (New South Wales), Quade Cooper (Queensland), Will Genia (Queensland), Jason Ryan (New South Wales), Jeremy Sua (New South Wales)

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

There’s a lot of pros in that squad. More than a lot of other years with less options then as well.

Andrew Barrett was one that was highly touted but didn’t kick on. Played for Southern Districts for a while I think.

 

[Marce]

Definitely Sua'ali'i can kick to the posts and with Perese leaving the country, he could be a centre and kicker at the same time

 

[Goosestep]

and the mungos accuse us of not developing talent, as they raid RU, the pacific and NZ....

R fault for not retaining talent … western Sydney was ripe for the picking for the last 15 /20 years .. especially the pacific island community who culturally would be more familiar with union than league … but we dropped the ball massively

 

[Crashy]

yep agreed.
Just saying its a bit rich for the mungos to accuse us for pinching talent where I'd argue 30% of league players have some sort of rugby background.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

R fault for not retaining talent … western Sydney was ripe for the picking for the last 15 /20 years .. especially the pacific island community who culturally would be more familiar with union than league … but we dropped the ball massively

A large percentage of the PI community are born and raised in Australia now. The Rugby links are drying up which mostly came from the generation before. A lot will play both at some point growing up but League has far more paying opportunities in Australia as well as Rugby seeming to love to isolate itself.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

I had a yarn to Petero Civoniceva Senior one day about it. He said yeah I took the young fella to rugby initially but all his mates were playing league and so that's what he wanted to do.

 

[Goosestep]

A large percentage of the PI community are born and raised in Australia now. The Rugby links are drying up which mostly came from the generation before. A lot will play both at some point growing up but League has far more paying opportunities in Australia as well as Rugby seeming to love to isolate itself.

Yep.. I was referring to the previous generation and the opportunity RA squandered

 

[PhilClinton]

Hard to pin that all on RA. The reality is the whole rugby community was pillared by private schools and there was never going to be enough scholarships to get all the gun PI players to Joeys, Nudgee etc

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Uh oh. Don’t enter the Schools world with the S word.

It simply cannot be handled well.

Anyone else still watch Xavier Savage and think what if. The bloke is pure excitement.

 

[Goosestep]

Hard to pin that all on RA. The reality is the whole rugby community was pillared by private schools and there was never going to be enough scholarships to get all the gun PI players to Joeys, Nudgee etc

That’s literally the definition of RA being @ fault. They have neglected the growth and innovation of the game for decades. Now all that’s left is the traditional roots eg schoolboy .

 

[Crashy]

Junior club scene is pretty good in most parts of Sydney.

 

[Goosestep]

Junior club scene is pretty good in most parts of Sydney.

Can only speak on my area .. and it’s sad to see rugby posts changed to soccer .. and league being the only form of rugby left .