Tom Wright

[manly al]

John Brass and Phil Hawthorne

Seemed to be a lot of Bunnies union international converts back in the day and before Union became professional . Mike Cleary . Bob Honan , Dennis Pittard , . Ballesty and Faifax for the Roosters , Steve Knight and Craig Innes will always be two of my best union converts for Manly

 

[Bearfax]

Tuquiri, Folau, Sailor, Sonny Bill, Brad Thorn, Matt Rogers etc

 

[manly al]

Tuquiri, Folau, Sailor, Sonny Bill, Brad Thorn, Matt Rogers etc

Think that Tuquiri , Folau , Sailor and Mat Rogers were more classed as League converts to union . Was thinking that not too many successful union forward converts of note but your mentioning Sonny Bill and Brad Thorne puts that notion in a different light

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Seemed to be a lot of Bunnies union international converts back in the day and before Union became professional . Mike Cleary . Bob Honan , Dennis Pittard , . Ballesty and Faifax for the Roosters , Steve Knight and Craig Innes will always be two of my best union converts for Manly

Pittard didn't come from rugby union? Maybe you're thinking of Jimmy Lisle.

 

[ricardo]

Tim Pickup (RIP) dual international

 

[MW66]

Watched the game and did not see one thing that made me think we made a mistake letting TW leave. His 'good' moments would not transfer to league.
p.s. how bad was the officiating. Some of the penalties/yellow cards just spoilt a good contest. Union is in strife.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

I don't feel we saw the best of Tom Wright here and I'd love Manly to give him another shot. He'll will probably wind up at the Rorters.

 

[maxta]

There was a big forward - I think a Prop
Penrith signed in the 80's and had zero impact in league.
I think ray Price was a great convert along with O'connor and Wally Lewis has to be ranked a rugby league legend.
Always wonder how the Ella brothers would have went in league, as many who played both codes feel they would have been absolutely magical.
Personally got signed by Southern Districts rugby union from league in the colts side as a centre and did not adapt well at all, my first game was against "Manly" in Cronulla and played like a fish out of water and didn't get much better....very ordinary switch tbh, but damn the parties were good !

 

[BOZO]

I don't feel we saw the best of Tom Wright here and I'd love Manly to give him another shot. He'll will probably wind up at the Rorters.

We saw glimpses of greatness from Tom Wrights unlimited speed and skill from the limited opportunities that he was given by Trent the proven failure in head coaching .

Tom was given an opportunity in the other code and proved his greatness by playing at the highest level

Tom has the ability can do things on the field that other players dream of
and would strive under a descent coach

 

[BOZO]

Speed Is King ......

There is absolutely no advantage of being a slow back

No advantage what so ever

Slow sucks the momentum in all backlines

Slow is a liability in both defence and attack

HUGE LIABILITY

You simply can not stop a player you can not catch

 

[manly al]

Pittard didn't come from rugby union? Maybe you're thinking of Jimmy Lisle.

Actually thought of Jimmy Lisle after i wrote that post but quite sure that i heard once that Pittard had a Union background

 

[manly al]

There was a big forward - I think a Prop
Penrith signed in the 80's and had zero impact in league.
I think ray Price was a great convert along with O'connor and Wally Lewis has to be ranked a rugby league legend.
Always wonder how the Ella brothers would have went in league, as many who played both codes feel they would have been absolutely magical.
Personally got signed by Southern Districts rugby union from league in the colts side as a centre and did not adapt well at all, my first game was against "Manly" in Cronulla and played like a fish out of water and didn't get much better....very ordinary switch tbh, but damn the parties were good !

Tony Darcy from memory for the Panthers , seemed to be a lot harder for union forwards to adapt . Tim Horan may have been a successful union convert if he made the switch , came close at one stage i think with Graham Lowe trying to bring him to Manly .

 

[manly al]

where would you put Tom Wright now in the Manly outside backs with the present array of personal . Always thought that he could have made a good go as a 6 or back up one and where he was doing quite well in the juniors but even though some excellent attacking ability , defensive and passing game just didn "t quite seem to develop .

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Yep, back before rugby became defacto professional and eventually openly professional there were heaps of players going over to league to 'secure their futures'. John Ballesty and Alan Cardy among them. Backs were far more in demand than forwards and often became stars whereas forwards rarely made the grade. There was even a rugby Test captain Peter Sullivan who signed a 5 year deal with St George but had a bad knee injury and only ever played one game!

 

[XV-1]

where would you put Tom Wright now in the Manly outside backs with the present array of personal . Always thought that he could have made a good go as a 6 or back up one and where he was doing quite well in the juniors but even though some excellent attacking ability , defensive and passing game just didn "t quite seem to develop .

Centre. Wright and Koula would have pace to burn.

 

[BOZO]

, defensive and passing game just didn "t quite seem to develop .

How can any young player develop in only 5 games at NRL level and 3 of them coming off the bench ? In his solo NRL season 2018 he played 5 games 3 off the bench and scored one try

The next season he was off to Rugby and given the opportunity he developed to the highest level into an Australian rep player

 

[BOZO]

Centre. Wright and Koula would have pace to burn.

The Natural Speed and Skill level of those two are phenomenal.

 

[manly al]

How can any young player develop in only 5 games at NRL level and 3 of them coming off the bench ? In his solo NRL season 2018 he played 5 games 3 off the bench and scored one try

The next season he was off to Rugby and given the opportunity he developed to the highest level into an Australian rep player

Really hoped that Tom could have held down a i st grade spot for Manly and utilize all of his undoubted ability . With Turbo at one and Walker as the 6 , understandably little opportunity there at the time , Maybe as a centre but just my take , every chance as a winger , Just wasn 't given the right opportunity . Now of course Garrick , Saab , koula , Tippy toes and so on available as outside backs . Maybe Tom will return to League one day but in the short term , seems to have made the right decision in giving Union another go

 

[Budgie]

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[BOZO]

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Thank you for posting @Budgewoi Eagle

Immortal Bob Fulton and his son Scott were heavily involved in getting me to Manly,” Wright says. “It was obviously a tough decision at the time. But nonetheless, I wouldn’t change the decision looking back on it.”

Manly were happy, too. Sea Eagles CEO Joe Kelly described Wright as “the most exciting schoolboy rugby prospect in Australia.”

“It was pretty cool,” Wright recalls. “Cliff Lyons presented me with my jersey. I’ve got in a frame at home and it’s pretty awesome to walk up the stairs every day and look at it, it’s a pretty cool Indigenous pattern.


The Moral of the story ....

He would play four NRL games for Trent Barrett’s beleaguered Manly side that finished just one game from the club’s first wooden spoon.