By Spiro Zavos
July 21st 2009 @ 2:27pm
View The Roar's top rugby league writers.
NRL Tipping now live on The Roar. Join now.
Love new art, fashion, music? Check out Aussie site which unearths all things cool and creative.
Related coverage
Craig Wing to play rugby in Japan
The Roar can confirm that Craig Wing has signed to play rugby union in Japan. For some time now there have been rumours about Wing leaving Souths after a third-party deal with the club broke down.
Souths intimated to media sources that they would not allow Wing to sign with their implacable rivals, the [...]
This article is over 2000 days old and has been trimmed.
Get Australia's best NRL opinion emailed daily.
Like this content? Buzz it up!
Free Email updates:
Our daily emails are only sent if there is content for the sport or that author. You can subscribe to multiple daily emails; or get the daily Roar email with all our content in it. We value privacy. More...
(32)
Brett McKay said | July 21st 2009 @ 2:56pm | Report comment
nice work on the scoop Spiro, looks like you’ve just trumped Fox Sports’ website in posting this news. Perhaps Fox reads The Roar?!?
Interesting, but not altogether surprising move from Wing…
The Link said | July 21st 2009 @ 3:19pm | Report comment
Good luck to Wingy, he’s achieved everything in League. Kudos to Souths for releasing their marquee player on these grounds.
Spiro, the broader question is can Aussie/NZ S15 teams martch the money on offer from OS? On this basis Wing won’t be coming back in a hurry.
On another note, who knows when the cash that Japanese clubs are throwing around will actually improve their competition?
Brad said | July 21st 2009 @ 3:39pm | Report comment
Spiro, How many current NRL players are there at the moment from Union high schools. And how many current players were former Aus Union schoolboy reps?
True Tah said | July 21st 2009 @ 3:47pm | Report comment
Brad
you might want to specify what a union high school is as opposed to a league high school? In many cases, schools play both codes!
Spiro,
given the upcoming talent we have in Australia (O’Connor, Beale, Cooper, Barnes, Burgess, Genia) plus Matt Giteau at fly-half, I dont think he will play for the Wallabies. Having said that, Wing would be an excellent ambassador for Australian rugby, like he has been for rugby league.
His best shot at international rugby would be playing for the country of his mothers heritage, the Philippines, it would give them a huge boost…having said that, Ben Sammut played for Malta and they still lost the game,
LeftArmSpinner said | July 21st 2009 @ 3:54pm | Report comment
Ah, in some ways an opportunity lost. He should never have gone to Souths. He should have left the roosters a year early and got back into union when there was a shortage of inside backs.
Having said that, dont count him out as a halfback. Spiro, I agree with your assessment except that he has blinding pace off the mark. remember that try he scored early in his league days, with the old souths. He was a fast as a rabbit, a real rabbit.
anyway, good luck all round. Seems like a good guy, but what if????
Brad said | July 21st 2009 @ 4:32pm | Report comment
Spiro, How many current NRL players are there at the moment that played Union at high school. And how many current players were former Aus Union schoolboy reps?
True Tah
I appologise for my apperent confusing request earlier, It was foolish to think that common sense would prevail in understanding my request.
Thurston said | July 21st 2009 @ 4:41pm | Report comment
Craig’s name kept coming up when Bernie Larkham announced he was departing. Was he ever contacted by the ARU and was an offer made? In short, is this another one who got away?
Saw him play in one of this year’s SOO games and he’s still very, very quick. Can we wave a magic wand and have him at 5/8 for the Wallabies so Gits can slot into his rightful spot?
The Answer said | July 21st 2009 @ 4:53pm | Report comment
Manila are no doubt on a collective edge of their seats with the rumour Craig Wing could turn out for the Philippines.
Good luck to Craig, but the article is also a good example of why sports stars have such incredible egos. He has signed to play in a competition in a developing rugby nation and within five minutes is being touted as a potential Wallaby or the star signing of the Melbourne Super 15 franchise.
This is because he ripped up Sydney Grammar’s defence in the early 90s. Fair dinkum. Many in the rugby set simply cannot help themselves but promise the world to anyone leaving League. He’ll be 32 in 2011, is that really the best thing for the Wallabies?
Steve Kaless said | July 21st 2009 @ 5:46pm | Report comment
Spiro,
Not sure I can agree with you on the “rugby league didn’t use Craig Wing properly” line. Wing has an odd skillset which probably makes him more of a jack of all trades and master of none. He did seem to fit in better as a utility player and he speed was best utilised coming out of dummy half. Probably not a five eighth in league and he seemed to be overlooked as a full time halfback as well, as the clubs he went to always seemed to have better options.
Great player in broken play though and will not doubt do well in Japan.
Hopefully he’ll have a better finish to his career than Justin “Class A, it’s OK” Harrison. If Bath call Craig, don’t answer.
Crosscoder said | July 21st 2009 @ 6:35pm | Report comment
Good luck to Wingy,he served rugby league well ,and was a good ambassador for the game.A former rugby league junior and then played schoolboy union.Should be able to adapt easily,especially in a lightweight comp.Anycase he will be another westerner eligible no doubt to play for the Japanese national union team.Great incentive for the aspiring locals;not.
Good on Souths however for giving him an early release from the club.when both player and club agree to a release that is beneficial for the player I applaud the decision.It is the walking out by players (SBW and coaches)that riles me.
Maybe this will mean Souths will have a great year in 2010,such as the Saints and Dogs did after the departures of the almost forgotten Gaz and SBW.
Souths have just signed a swag of exciting locals from the under 20s and juniors,so the production line continues,
Tom Alexander. said | July 21st 2009 @ 7:13pm | Report comment
Good to see a player use his sporting talents to secure a financially stable future for his family, and even better to see Souths not barring the way.
OldManEmu said | July 21st 2009 @ 7:21pm | Report comment
Steve Kaless – intrigued by your “Class A, its OK” call on Harrison. What does that mean?
OldManEmu said | July 21st 2009 @ 7:30pm | Report comment
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/RFUHome.Community_Detail/StoryID/23133
Just did a surf and answered my own question Steve. See above link to the transcript of disciplinary proceedings against Harrison.
Me said | July 21st 2009 @ 8:16pm | Report comment
Wasn’t that a great game at Weigall, although the best try that season was against Newington.
I would love to see players like Giteau, Mortlock and Wing in the same backline.
Norm said | July 21st 2009 @ 10:02pm | Report comment
Best wishes to Craig & I hope it works out for him.
Steve Kaless said | July 21st 2009 @ 10:07pm | Report comment
OME,
That is an interesting link, ah the Church claims another one. I particularly liked the line “a public house known as the Walkabout”.
I wonder if it will make the Fitz files?
OldManEmu said | July 21st 2009 @ 10:22pm | Report comment
Steve – dont think a Rugby player behaving badly is on the Fitz Files agenda.
Can you believe that they accepted Harrison’s evidence? – I’ve never take coke before your ‘onna – honest. What a load of hooey.
Steve Kaless said | July 21st 2009 @ 10:59pm | Report comment
OME,
I guess it is one of those instances where they have to, they didn’t have any evidence to the contrary and it probably didn’t make any difference to them.
As a naive innocent, he certainly didn’t seem to need much persuaded to have a go did he? I hope he read the instructions on the label.
ohtani's jacket, said | July 21st 2009 @ 11:43pm | Report comment
Any idea what club he’s going to?
The Japanese clubs are exploiting a loophole in the eligibility laws by signing Australian rugby league players and I know that John Kirwan isn’t too happy about it.
Brett McKay said | July 22nd 2009 @ 12:32am | Report comment
on the Nine news tonight, Wing said in an interview with Roar fav Danny Weidler that he wants to play for Japan at the highest level. RWC 2011 wasn’t mentioned, but was clearly inferred. How could this be possible, unless he suddenly has Japanese family?
Interestingly OJ, no club was mentioned in the interview either..
Roger said | July 22nd 2009 @ 9:18am | Report comment
NTT Communications signed him…recollect they signed Gerard, JP Nel, Brad Mika and Damien Murphy, coached by Shannon Fraser (ex Tahs Asst coach) and Ben Darwin. NTT just missed getting into Div 1 last year.
Spiro Zavos said | July 22nd 2009 @ 9:29am | Report comment
Brett, in the Daily Telegraph Craig Wing is quoted, almost as an aside, that he wants to play Test rugby for Japan. He is part Filipino which means he is not an ‘overseas’ player in Japan. Perhaps this is the way he will be fast-tracked into the Japanese national side.
Brett McKay said | July 22nd 2009 @ 9:34am | Report comment
That could be it Spiro, thanks for that – I wasn’t aware of the Filipino passport.
Interestingly enough, Brad Walter in the SMH today is reporting the exact opposite about Wing’s Test ambitions:
“Unlike former Cronulla centre Fraser Anderson, who was axed by the Sharks earlier this season after signing to play for Kobe Steel in the Top League competition, Wing does not have ambitions of representing Japan in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.”
http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/wings-yen-for-japanese-rugby-opens-the-door-for-unsettled-hunt-tomove-south/2009/07/21/1247941917592.html
Choppy said | July 22nd 2009 @ 9:40am | Report comment
There is talk that the team he signed with NTT have a ’sister club’ arrangement with the Waratahs and on the BSB this morning they were speculating if he killed them and really took to rugby he would come back and play for the Tahs enroute to pushing for a 2011 Wallabies World Cup berth.
John Ryan said | July 22nd 2009 @ 10:13am | Report comment
Well I suppose if I was offered that kind of money for an easy ride in Japanese Rugby he would be silly not to take it.
The Link said | July 22nd 2009 @ 11:15am | Report comment
Choppy, the Tahs would need to match the cash he’s getting, given this is the primary driver for the move.
Can’t see them dishing out 700k a year for him.
But then again Rugby folk can’t seem to make their minds up if they want League players or not, it seems to change by the week.
ohtani's jacket, said | July 22nd 2009 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
NTT are in the lower division and were well out of the promotion stakes last year, so we won’t hear or see much of Wing in his first season. If NTT top the Top Challenge series, they’ll gain entry to the National Championships like Larkham’s team did last year, but they’ll have to contend with the relegated teams Sanix and Kyuden, as well as Toyota Jido Shokki, who beat NTT last year to earn a promotion/relegation playoff.
Having a Filipino passport seems like just another loophole. Clubs are allowed to field a player from an Asian union. Does Wing belong to the Philippines Rugby Football Union?
True Tah said | July 22nd 2009 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
OJ
I dont think he belongs to the PRFU, but he counts as an Asian player as he holds a Filippino passport.
It is somewhat similar to all the Argentine players in Europe using Italian passports.
ohtani's jacket, said | July 22nd 2009 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
That sounds reasonable.
The man said | July 22nd 2009 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
Crosscoder
To say Gaz is almost forgotten is a mistake – the issues Saints had in getting over the line early this season would have easily been rectified by the preferred scoring strategy of last year – give it to Gaz and get out of the way. He was at the peak of his powers and guaranteed selection in any NSW and Australian side and is sadly missed in league.
Wing has seemed to cement a place in any side and his utility value probably hampered this.
Steve – The “Sunday Special” in London has tripped up many a young – the Church, She Bu Walkie and then the “last chance saloon” at Pitcher and Piano in Fulham is dangerous – particularly to a productive Monday morning (or afternoon). Mind you the chances of that appearing in the Fitz files is that of them building a ski lift in hell.
Crosscoder said | July 22nd 2009 @ 3:17pm | Report comment
The man.
Not questioning his attacking ability.However as we all know defence is also a vital weapon in the armoury,and Gaz was
caught out on too many occasions for my liking.The proof is in the St George pudding’s defence this year. All quality players are missed,no argument,but somehow time and results and replacement with new up and comers,tend to erase memories.
Wing was an asset for any side.
BTW Have not heard one Saints supporter yet say,gee we miss Gaz,likewise SBW at the Dogs.Maybe I should get out more .
Boris Johnson said | July 22nd 2009 @ 4:10pm | Report comment
Whether or not Wing has a Philippines passport doesn’t matter. There are a number of players who merely have Filipino heritage, mothers or fathers but no passport (similar to Riki Flutey in England, except he qualifies via residency). Also the Japanese league has been in touch with the PRFU about his availability as they want to make sure his home union is fine with his move to Japan.
Most importantly, forget Australia 2011, think how beneficial his talent would be for the long term future of the Philippines squad to learn from.