Will Skelton

[silvertail]

22 years old
6 ft 8 in
135kg wrecking machine.

I don't follow union at all, but I was blown away by the glimpses I saw of him in their recent finals series. What a monster.

Our team needs a monster like that. Didn't the NRL mention a while ago, something along the lines of, their desire to co-fund a raid on the elite union ranks? Didn't the NRL comment that they would do something in retaliation to the union raids on league?

If that's the case, the NRL should announce 800K packages for any union elite to switch over to league; 500K paid by the NRL, the other 300 paid by the club and that is all that counts towards the cap.

Watching Skelton, the monster, excited me enough to start this thread. Your thoughts? Maybe I haven't seen enough of him to know better. Which union forward would you want to see in Manly colours?

 

[ManlyArmy]

He'd be too heavy for League. Lose about 10-15kg and he would be perfect!

 

[Shoe1]

Dunno, the big union forwards generally fail in league due to the workrate required. I remember big blokes being advised to play union over league in the 80s for this reason. It seems to still be the case. The very tall and heavy seem fine for lineouts and scrums etc, but unsuited to holding the edge or middle in league, the 13 man game with minimal stoppages.

 

[manlyfan76]

They also have a MASSIVE winger/ centre who is fast and has skills. He is not in the run on side but will be a big name in the near future.

 

[Harry]

22 years old
6 ft 8 in
135kg wrecking machine.

I don't follow union at all, but I was blown away by the glimpses I saw of him in their recent finals series. What a monster.

Our team needs a monster like that. Didn't the NRL mention a while ago, something along the lines of, their desire to co-fund a raid on the elite union ranks? Didn't the NRL comment that they would do something in retaliation to the union raids on league?

If that's the case, the NRL should announce 800K packages for any union elite to switch over to league; 500K paid by the NRL, the other 300 paid by the club and that is all that counts towards the cap.

Watching Skelton, the monster, excited me enough to start this thread. Your thoughts? Maybe I haven't seen enough of him to know better. Which union forward would you want to see in Manly colours?

Most rugby forwards wouldn't last the fast pace of NRL and different skills, body composition and fitness are needed. Its the same with union recruitment who will grab the fast outside backs in league rather than our forwards as its more technical for a start in rugby for forwards with lineouts, scrums etc. it can takes years to learn.

 

[bones]

He'd be too heavy for League. Lose about 10-15kg and he would be perfect!

Or lose about 100kg and change his name to Will Skeleton

 

[Harry]

I'm pretty sure he played lower grades with the Tigers, so he's one that got away for Rugby League.

He played Sg Ball for wests and Rugby for school

 

[Stevo]

He'd be too heavy for League. Lose about 10-15kg and he would be perfect!

Same weight as Kasiano. Although Kasiano is a little more nimble on his feet.
Skelton as excellent skills but he's not at all quick.

 

[manlyfan76]

At 6'8 he would fix the short kick off conundrum.
Rugby won't let him go before the RWC

---

Big winger!
Taqele Naiyaravoro
Wing

Profile
Height: 194cm
Weight: 123kg
Date Of Birth: 7/12/91
Place of Birth: Suva, Fiji
Senior Club
Club Parramatta
Fijian-born recruit Taqele Naiyaravoro is the most recent signing to the NSW Waratahs squad, joining in May 2014. Coming from a family of Fijian representatives, Taqele's family couldn’t have been happier when they discovered that Taqele had been signed to the Tahs. From playing rugby league as a Fijian schoolboy representative, Taqele has made the smooth transition onto the wing.

Taqele has spent the last four years in Australia playing league. Off the field, he considers himself a family man and says that spending time with his daughter has to be his favorite way to send time. Not only does he enjoy playing rugby, he is also a self-proclaimed volleyball superstar who enjoys listening to reggae.

 

[Stevo]

They also have a MASSIVE winger/ centre who is fast and has skills. He is not in the run on side but will be a big name in the near future.

Taqele Naiyaravoro

 

[Fluffy]

He'd be too heavy for League. Lose about 10-15kg and he would be perfect!

Or lose about 100kg and change his name to Will Skeleton

Only "bones" would think of this

 

[manlyfan76]

He couldn't crack it at the tig pies then got injured.

 

[mosto]

In my illustrious career, I started out in League, then played League and Union for a few years before cutting League and just playing Union. Started as an outside back in both and ended up as a forward in both. A lot of the skills as a back are transferable from Union to League, and vice versa. But in the forwards, they are two completely different games, requiring completely different skill sets and body types. I'm not sure Skelton's skills would transfer adequately. He is a tremendous Rugby player though and I love watching him play.

Just need Manly to win the premiership and the Wallabies to win the Bledisloe, to go with NSW wins in the cricket, Origin and Super Rugby, and Australia winning the Ashes to make 2014 a pretty satisfying year!!!

 

[Shoe1]

When BK played for Manly RU, mates of mine who were playing tell me he was urged to try league because of his non-stop approach to the game. At the time we had beaver, kosef, gartner and a few others queued up (Colella etc) so he went to Canberra to get a chance at league.

 

[Masked Eagle]

Not suited to league IMO. Look at Wycliff Palu, couldn't make it in league but a gun in union. I think Will would be the same.

 

[RiverEagle]

In my illustrious career, I started out in League, then played League and Union for a few years before cutting League and just playing Union. Started as an outside back in both and ended up as a forward in both. A lot of the skills as a back are transferable from Union to League, and vice versa. But in the forwards, they are two completely different games, requiring completely different skill sets and body types. I'm not sure Skelton's skills would transfer adequately. He is a tremendous Rugby player though and I love watching him play.

Just need Manly to win the premiership and the Wallabies to win the Bledisloe, to go with NSW wins in the cricket, Origin and Super Rugby, and Australia winning the Ashes to make 2014 a pretty satisfying year!!!

As an occasional code-swapper, can you add the Swans to that list mate?

(Even a tad ahead of the Wallabies too!)

And @Shoe1

Anthony Colella was yet another of our our underrated, yet quality guys.

I was always impressed with his efforts for not that big a bloke.

 

[The Who]

The NRL can't improve a club's roster by paying the majority of a Rugby Union recruit's salary. It wouldn't be fair as that recruit would almost certainly go to a wealthy, high-profile club, such as Easts, the Dogs or Brisbane. For the salary cap to work the whole amount must be paid by the club, not subsidised by the NRL.
The only way I can see such a scheme working is that the NRL insists the player goes to the club placed lowest on the ladder at that time (or last season). But I can't image any decent rugby player wanting to play for the Faders, can you?

 

[Mals]

I agree with most of the comments on this thread. Will's body shape is suited to rugby union & not league. His bulk is good for pushing in the scrum & mauls, making the occasional run and hitting rucks. He is still not fit enough to play a full game of Union, Cheika has been using him as an impact player off the bench or starting & then getting subbed off. I hope he stays in rugby.

Michael Hooper would make an excellent League backrower. He has explosive speed & strength & is an excellent defender. Also a local northern beaches boy, I'd be happy to see him in the maroon & white.

 

[manlyfan76]

The NRL can't improve a club's roster by paying the majority of a Rugby Union recruit's salary. It wouldn't be fair as that recruit would almost certainly go to a wealthy, high-profile club, such as Easts, the Dogs or Brisbane. For the salary cap to work the whole amount must be paid by the club, not subsidised by the NRL.
The only way I can see such a scheme working is that the NRL insists the player goes to the club placed lowest on the ladder at that time (or last season). But I can't image any decent rugby player wanting to play for the Faders, can you?

You can bet Greensnot-burgerscum is running through all the ways of getting either Beale or Folau into the scumdogs team by those excat measures and saying "its for the good of the game".