We got this email recently from Roar reader, Harry Baker: Paragraph from the Timana Tahu story in the Sydney Morning Herald today: ‘The 26 yr old former NSW and Australian rep revealed he had been considering the move for years and the interest increased last year as he struggled with injuries’. He must be very pleased to know that he will not get injured in Rugby!
Good point Harry. We’d be interested to know what you Rugby fans out there think about the news that the ARU have made yet another expensive league purchase. And an outside back as well. Hmmmm.
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Mitch said | March 22nd 2007 @ 2:45am | Report comment
I am going to to start with an analogy – the best way to keep a fire going all night is to put the largest log on, persevere for a while with little flame, but you will find that it will heat the whole house alnight. You can’t expect to keep putting newspaper on the fire, hoping the nice flames will last alnight. So whats my point? My point is one that is one oft-repeated: put money into the grassroots. If this was done, maybe players like Tahu and Lote would have been playing Rugby not League as children. Now we must persevere with little flames, putting money into grassroots, but we will reap the rewards in the future; a warm house.
Just one last thing to add. A question really. Is it a case of stubborn revenge on the ARU’s behalf, to persist in signing league players, as payback for those poached players before the pro era?
Eddie said | March 22nd 2007 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Everyone on the other side of the Tasman (let alone the rest of the rugby world) must be rubbing their hands together in glee! Name one of the league converts that have acually made a difference to the quality of the team – the stars in the past decade Greegan, Larkham, Mortlock, Eales, Horan, Little, Kefu etc all come from Union backgrounds – not league! I feel most sorry for all the grass roots players who have been dedicated to Union all their lives who probably only need a little more nurture and encoragement… Finally a joke to finsh off: Q. What’s the best way of making the Wallabies? A. Play rugby league…
Jeff Davies said | March 22nd 2007 @ 11:37am | Report comment
Agree 100% with Mitch. And back on my soapbox…Anyone really involved in grass roots rugby (and that doesn’t just mean Randwick and Sydney Uni 1st grade!) knows how hard it is to get even small amounts of funding for promotion of the game, kit, training gear, referees or facilities. IMHO a key battleground for the hearts and minds of our future sports stars in all codes will be the availability of quality grounds to play upon as local councils, state and federal governments have abdicated their basic duty to provide quality infrastructure- and if they can’t do that, why have them at all? The codes will have to fend for themselves but what has the ARY done? Bugger all in my view. They seem to have squandered all the good will of the 1999WC win and the funds of the 2003 WC in Aus…where is the investment in education, training for suburban and rural rugby and a concerted effort drive involvment throughout ALL schools not just a handful of private ones? If that had been done would we have had a deeper pool to choose from so that we may not have to go pinching league’s ranks? Absolutely- and it would have the side benefit of shutting Eddie Jones up too and that’s got to be good. Toodle pip!
SKULL said | March 22nd 2007 @ 2:17pm | Report comment
Just what we need another injury prone outside back , but in the ARUs defence at least he can pass tackle and catch which will be a valuable asset in the waratah backline.
Andrew said | March 22nd 2007 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
Rugby Leagure has become a major distraction on a number of levels.
We have forgotten our grass roots, we have forgotten how to play the game (run-pass-catch) and we have forgotten that our history is predicated on the running game.
Modern rugby is about statistics, field position and at all costs not losing the game. Not only are we buying Rugby League players but also Rugby League philosophy which is killing our game.
How is the one out attack pattern of the Waratahs any different (or less boring) than watching a game of League?
John Byrnes said | March 22nd 2007 @ 3:50pm | Report comment
TimanaTahu will do well in Union. He is a good athlete, strong, has a good step, and some speed. He also knows his way to the try line. He has had a few problems with his legs.
On and off the field, there will be no dramas with this fellow.
The stats this morning, state he has scored 87 tries at Club & Rep level. But there is one stat that is not mentioned. At least 80 of those tries went through the hands of, & were put on a plate by a fellow called Matthew Gidley, who would make any winger, League or Union look good. Ask the Irishman Brian Carney, who thought Gidley was the ” 2nd coming.
GregH said | March 22nd 2007 @ 4:41pm | Report comment
everything goes in cycles..
the game is evolving and im sure will move towards a better place in time.. I dont believe the game is dying!!.
yes the reds, waratahs and too a lesser extent the brumbies have been playing a very conservative type of game which can be boring .. (I was at the reds vs brumbies game in brisbane..so i know boredom!!). but these teams are flopping with this style of game..
rugby is about winning and it was obviously belived by the coaches that a conservative style would win games.. look where they are now!!
scott johnson will hopefully be the next wallaby coach and imagine where we will be then!!
I think its inevitable that league guys will wont to join rugby.. its a great game..
and im sure if we keep up the lobbying at the ARU we will see better systems and administration in place in time.
Fat Pete said | March 22nd 2007 @ 5:38pm | Report comment
Why is the ARU helping Australias richest Provence with the greatest number of Rugby players & rugby intrastructure at the expense of the ” weaker” Provinces ???
Fast Eddie wanted to recruit a R.L. player from the Nth Q. Cowboys for a shockingly depleated Q’ld Reds, the ARU wasnt interested in helping !! Yet NSW not only raided the ACT for S14 Forwards & Qld for Backs over the years when they were already “developed”, but the ARU helped then get $6 million man, Wenedl Sailor, etc – and now they are helping the Provence expected at the beginning of the season, to win the S14 this year, get Mr Tahu from Parramatta R.L. !!
Now these men are all splendid players for rugby, BUT what about doing something for Q’ld and the ACT for a change ????
Why are they not funding purchases for these 2 provinces ??? Why dont they insist recruited R.L. players join one of thses teams if they are to help fund the players ??
Fort Fumble has once again lost the plot. They sould be actively working with Eddie Jones in particular to recruit more players for poor Q’ld.
Bring back John O,Neill – at least he had some vision & immagination.
Terry Kidd said | March 23rd 2007 @ 7:16am | Report comment
I actually believe that Timana Tahu is a good buy and will give good value. He also will help fill a void where the Tahs seem to be lacking … outside centre. However I also agree that the code needs to nurture the up and coming players, build their skills and experience, because I have no doubt that there are other Timanas and Lotes out there crying for a chance.
At the price Timana is a good buy, Lote is not.
Cheers and heres hoping the Tahs have a miraculous form reversal this weekend.
Harry said | March 23rd 2007 @ 11:14am | Report comment
Paragraph from the Tahu story in smh :
“The 26yrold former NSW and Australian rep revealed he had been considering the
move for years and the INTEREST INCREASED LAST YR AS HE STRUGGLED WITH
INJURIES”.
He must be very pleased to know that he will not get injured in Rugby.