Tom Wright

[mave]

League and union are totally different and there's no gaurantee TW would make it in league or Turbo being as dominant playing union. How many top league players have made it big in union and vice versa?

Garrick Morgan.
What a star.

 

[40 nil]

League and union are totally different and there's no gaurantee TW would make it in league or Turbo being as dominant playing union. How many top league players have made it big in union and vice versa?

In the past, before there was much money in Union, there was lot of cross over to League, e.g. Rex Mossop, Dick Thornett, Ken Thornett, Jim Lisle, Arthur Summons, Ray Price, Ricky Stuart, Stephen Knight, Ben Kennedy, Michael Cleary, Phil Hawthorne, John Brass, Andrew Walker and so on ...

 

[swoop]

The list of backs is pretty extensive, Dally Messenger, Michael O'Connor, Arthur Summons, Wendell Sailor, Matt Rogers, Lote Tuqiri, Israel Folau, SBW, Sam Burgess, to name but a few. The list of forwards that excelled in both codes basically starts and finishes with Brad Thorn.

By far the most successful code hoppers have been RL players transferring to RU in the backs.

I agree with the first 3 and Thorn, but the rest were just above average and were much more dominant in league.

 

[swoop]

In the past, before there was much money in Union, there was lot of cross over to League, e.g. Rex Mossop, Dick Thornett, Ken Thornett, Jim Lisle, Arthur Summons, Ray Price, Ricky Stuart, Stephen Knight, Ben Kennedy, Michael Cleary, Phil Hawthorne, Jim Lisle, Andrew Walker and so on ...

Yes in the past when both league and union had players similar body shapes but there's not many superstars recently that have changed codes.

 

[Will on the hill]

I agree with the first 3 and Thorn, but the rest were just above average and were much more dominant in league.

Fair enough, the rest were successful in terms of rep honours and pay packages but it was pretty clear which code they were best at.

 

[40 nil]

Yes in the past when both league and union had players similar body shapes but there's not many superstars recently that have changed codes.

Financially, there is less incentive for Union players to swap to League these days.

Indeed, there is a difference in body shapes, esp. Union forwards cf. League forwards. However, in the names I've listed there are a lot of great players and I'm sure most of them would succeed in modern day League.

 

[Bearfax]

I disagree on a few points.

Rugby Union is close to its lowest ebb atm in Australia. There was a time when there was many a fantastic talent in Union and genuine interest in the Wallabies, that moment is not now.

Marika Korobite was a very decent NRL winger and has twice won the John Eales medal as the top player for the Wallabies

Izaia Perese could not make the Broncos side (2 appearences) and is now a Wallaby.

Tom Wright never broke through at Manly and has 23 tests for the Wallaby's.

Heck they paid 1.6mil a season for a kid who is yet to truly cement himself as a dominant force in league.

The game is in all sorts atm in Australia and being a Wallaby doesnt mean you would be a bona fide NRL star

Nonsense. In the lower levels union is not as strong as it was. But at International level against the top union sides Australia remains strong and competitive. In 2022 every test Australia played was won or lost by one of a few points only. Not every player is adaptable to the two codes especially in the forwards, which have a far different playing style. But the backs have very similar requirements. Just in recent times Rogers, Tuqiri, Sailor, Folau. Who can forget O'Connor, Fairfax, Stuart, Brtass etc List goes on an on. Wright never broke through at Manly because he left with a big offer to join the Brumbies when Barrett gave him a meagre 5 games, most off the bench, when only 21 after being a star junior. Has since played 23 tests in Rugby Union. If you think that's a failure in Rugby League then Schuster would never be playing first grade, and Cliff Lyons would have played park football..

 

[Disco]

Nonsense. In the lower levels union is not as strong as it was. But at International level against the top union sides Australia remains strong and competitive. In 2022 every test Australia played was won or lost by one of a few points only. Not every player is adaptable to the two codes especially in the forwards, which have a far different playing style. But the backs have very similar requirements. Just in recent times Rogers, Tuqiri, Sailor, Folau. Who can forget O'Connor, Fairfax, Stuart, Brtass etc List goes on an on. Wright never broke through at Manly because he left with a big offer to join the Brumbies when Barrett gave him a meagre 5 games, most off the bench, when only 21 after being a star junior. Has since played 23 tests in Rugby Union. If you think that's a failure in Rugby League then Schuster would never be playing first grade, and Cliff Lyons would have played park football..

I'm not comparing the Wallaby's to their intetnational counterparts I'm comparing them to the quality of talent in previous outfits and currently in the NRL.

And if you dont think Rugby is stuggling currently in this country then I'm not sure you'll ever be convinced. No free to air coverage bar the Bledisoles....I think, barely any coverage in the press. Go out onto the street and most people wouldn't barely be able to name 3 Wallaby's....isn't there a world cup in a few months?? Nobody talking about it.

Rugby in Australia is struggling.

As for Wright, never called him a failure, simply said I'm not convinced he'd be a star....in fact I'm not convinced he'd be a permanent first grader in the NRL.

 

[The '47ers]

Wallabies news | Tom Wright re-signs with Rugby Australia, Brumbies on two-year deal, Eddie Jones comments

 

[JenEagle]

Sam Burgess was a terrible rugby player.

 

[XV-1]

I disagree on a few points.

Rugby Union is close to its lowest ebb atm in Australia. There was a time when there was many a fantastic talent in Union and genuine interest in the Wallabies, that moment is not now.

Marika Korobite was a very decent NRL winger and has twice won the John Eales medal as the top player for the Wallabies

Izaia Perese could not make the Broncos side (2 appearences) and is now a Wallaby.

Tom Wright never broke through at Manly and has 23 tests for the Wallaby's.

Heck they paid 1.6mil a season for a kid who is yet to truly cement himself as a dominant force in league.

The game is in all sorts atm in Australia and being a Wallaby doesnt mean you would be a bona fide NRL star

Unfortunately we will never know thanks to the world's worst coach - Twent Barrett

 

[Woodsie]

Following a 43-12 defeat to South Africa in their Rugby Championship clash in Pretoria on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Australia.

15 Tom Wright: Not really sure he’s a full-back. A threat on the counter-attack he may be, but Wright doesn’t control the backfield well enough, is a liability in defence and struggles under the high ball at times. 3/10

 

[The Wheel]

Following a 43-12 defeat to South Africa in their Rugby Championship clash in Pretoria on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Australia.

15 Tom Wright: Not really sure he’s a full-back. A threat on the counter-attack he may be, but Wright doesn’t control the backfield well enough, is a liability in defence and struggles under the high ball at times. 3/10

Probably says a lot why he was let go

 

[manlyfan76]

3/10 in RU is a -27/10 in league

 

[Adz]

We should have given him more time,we let him go too early,damn you Barrett........

 

[manlyfan76]

We should have given him more time,we let him go too early,damn you Barrett........

Thrown into the deep end in a no win situation.
Then dumped by the mASSter coach.

 

[JenEagle]

Under the Barrett era we let go of more players that went on to be superstars than at any other time in the club’s history.

 

[tookey]

Under the Barrett era we let go of more players that went on to be superstars than at any other time in the club’s history.

In a couple of years we may be saying the same thing about Seibold

 

[Eagle 1]

Under the Barrett era we let go of more players that went on to be superstars than at any other time in the club’s history.

Yep, Nichol Hynes sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[manlyfan76]

Yep, Nichol Hynes sticks out like a sore thumb.

Gutho
Kelly
Haiku
Hynes
Wright