Comments on: The Tuqiri saga: what was all that about?

By: Campbell Watts

Campbell Watts — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:26:39 +0000

I’d say both parties realised the lawyers were going to bleed them dry and they may as well shake on it and agree to disagree.

No one wins where the lawyers get involved – bloody parasites!!!

By: The Link

The Link — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:00:40 +0000

That GPS ban touch is a disgrace. Its such elitism that sees Rugby remain a relatively minor sport in this country.

By: El Capitan

El Capitan — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:40:16 +0000

Yeah Vince, and everyone fav journo Danny Wilder has the “exclusive”.

That toss-pot spends more time trying to make others look bad, rather than the player themself.

By: vincent

vincent — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:41:34 +0000

Well Boys and Gals, Ladies and Gentlemen, the secret remains as such, Tiquiri is now officially off to Bayonne (according to the Australian)

By: True Tah

True Tah — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:09:20 +0000

Westy, Inu obviously still enjoys rugby, quite a few of his mates from his church group played at my club 2 seasons ago and Inu wanted to play with the boys for a few hitouts, understandably the Eels denied the request.

I would have loved to have seen Hayne in a Wallaby jersey.

By: stillmissit

stillmissit — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:08:09 +0000

Yeah I agree. I think he was the first of this new breed of cross coders, players who didnt just go from one to the other but played whatever he preferred at the time. He also did both bloody well.

By: stillmissit

stillmissit — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:03:02 +0000

Westy and others – you know better than this about what drives these kids between 15-20 and that is cash and the dream of playing with their league idols.

I have seen several good youngsters who play both games but can get paid 150-200 a game for a run on Sunday and Zip for playing rugby on Sat. If you were a young islander boy with a job (if your lucky) on a building site what would you do? The resources are another thing but I have never heard a kid mention any of that.

The downside is these kids don’t want to pay their subs like all the other kids as they dont have to in league and are renowned for being unreliable: relative died, band practice for the church, Mum said I cant play this week, we have all heard them all. The other kids end up resenting them and that can bring problems for a club as well.

I think that what I am saying is fair and to just say that rugby doesnt offer the same infrastructure is a bit harsh, how could rugby pay these kids 150 a week and no fees without a club backing them?

By: Ed

Ed — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:47:05 +0000

I agree, the stories I have heard about Dempsey aren’t a ringing endorsement. I can imagine JON must be an infuriating person to deal with, but to lose your cool like Dempsey just ain’t on. Besides he can be pretty excessive with his demands at the best of times.

By: Working Class Rugger

Working Class Rugger — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:22:39 +0000

Westy

That’s my experience. Many talented athletes take the opportunity offered in League because Rugby simply does not have it and the youth levels. My experience was an exception. Randwick approached my father in regards to their colts team when I was 15. But even then they thought I was 17 going on 18. the age in which many of the talent has been secured by League clubs or in Rugby’s case the Private Schools.

The continuing them by regular Rugby Roarer’s is depth. Which can be directly linked to the lack of opportunity that exists in Rugby at the youth levels. Must be addressed.

By: Sean C

Sean C — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:16:47 +0000

Westy

That’s my experience aswell. Many very good Rugby player’s who also played League followed the opportunities. Many if not all enjoyed Rugby buts when opportunity knocks in a game that you also enjoy comes knocking you would be crazy to refuse.

There seems to be this constant theme in the Australian Rugby of depth. Which is a valid concern. but the lack of opportunity is the real killer. It actually has a very significant effect on our depth issue.

By: westy

westy — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:06:07 +0000

Agree Workingclass Rugger. Most of the blokes in the teams i manage play and enjoy both codes. Some of the rugby watchers get mesmorised by the backs in rugby league but i have found some of the young forwards in rugby league to be of good potential. You know the type I mean Peter ryan/ thorn/ Crocker stamina with the mongrel. We may be looking in the wrong area.
You can see why i cringe about Mungo taunts….. some of the boys ask me what it means and we are playing other rugby teams ! i just tell them to smash the crap out of them. The boys out here fit comfortably into both games and have respect for both. Much like most professional players in both codes.
Some of my islander props and backrowers genuinely benefit from some rugby league in their junior years ( understandable limits on scrummaging in rugby sometimes encourage laziness ) . Rugby league gets them moving with good contact.
Rugby im my area lets itself down from 15 to 20. Hayne Inu mortimer( Stannies)Fui Fui Moi Moi Matteo Keating all played rugby league and rugby union but found a home in rugby league at parramatta. The Parramatta and penrith U/20′s is a treasure trove of players who have played rugby union.
Rugby league do not steel them they just offer a much better resourced pathway between 15 to 20 . End of story.

By: Working Class Rugger

Working Class Rugger — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:13:05 +0000

MyGen

I’d call Brad Thorn an ‘hybrid’ I suppose. Which is actually what many young rugby player’s(either code) are these days.

By: Working Class Rugger

Working Class Rugger — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:55:30 +0000

Chris

Not too sure about WA mate. The junior ranks in WA are ever growing and easily out number there league conterparts. The same can be said for seniors too.

By: westy

westy — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:32:24 +0000

Dogs of War Wallatag trust rugby to complicate a game of fucking touch or is it to exclude ?. And I am a rugby supporter! You will love this NSW Touch tried to get private shools interested in internal and/or external touch competitions and they rejected it thought it was some rugby league conspiracy now the bastards play AFL !

By: Hansie

Hansie — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:18:27 +0000

Whatever Lote did, which I suspect was pretty minor, it gave the ARU and O’Neill the excuse to cut him and save several million dollars over the next few years. Undoubtedly, Lote will spend the next few weeks leaking stories about which club in which country is interested in signing him. It’s amazing how his contract negotiations are always conducted in public.

By: Dogs Of War

Dogs Of War — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:52:27 +0000

I think what is most interesting is the partipation in touch football. Which many League and Union supporters do play when they don’t want the injuries that go with full contact sport.

From that report it showed 412K involved in touch/oztag. An amazing number, and one that shows there is plenty of interest in the Rugby codes.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:32:52 +0000

No idea what happened to most of my post, it lost the middle section. I have tried to shorten the link (for those who care…)
In 2006 (Rugby 53,000) (League 107,600) (Aussie Rules 188,500) (Soccer 268,500). Rugby is definitely a niche sport but the number are healthy and have grown by ~65% (2003-2006). See http://tiny.cc/cfySo

In adults (>15yrs) there are more Rugby players in NSW than League (not so good in other states, interestingly League is slightly higher in Victoria and WA!)… and AFL have some work to do in NSW. See http://tiny.cc/aCYZG (Interesting reading if you have time to kill)

What all this has to do with Lote, I don’t know…

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:23:11 +0000

Skull if I have read these stats correctly,
from the Australia Sports Commision website. In 2006 there were:
53,500 Rugby juniors (15yrs)
http://www.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/304384/ERASS_Report_2008.pdf

There are more Rugby players in NSW than League (not so good in other states, interestingly League is slightly higher in Victoria and WA!)… and AFL have some work to do in NSW

By: MyGeneration

MyGeneration — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:36:13 +0000

Can’t we say good bye Todd?

By: MyGeneration

MyGeneration — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:32:23 +0000

Was just about to reply to Chris, but noticed your response, WCR, which is along the same lines as mine. By the way, what is Brad Thorn’s classification, do you think, “Pure League” or hybrid? I’m not sure how much Union he played before first crossing the ditch.

By: Jolly Jupes

Jolly Jupes — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:29:47 +0000

In front of a couple of journos he was arguing with Scott Johnson in the hotel foyer a couple of years back. Might have been drunk from memory – it was reported in the press at the time, can’t remember the details

By: Ed

Ed — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:17:39 +0000

U got me interested. What happened with Mortlock abusing the coaching staff? What was he pissed off about?

By: AndyS

AndyS — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:08:22 +0000

How have they given RUPA more fuel? RUPA is now definitively never going to know what happened – in fact, are legally precluded from ever finding out unless both Tuqiri and the ARU agree to tell them. At the end of the day all they can review is whether the dismissal procedure was followed, but one way or another it is irrelevant now.

By: Old Pig

Old Pig — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:31:57 +0000

Skull
You forgot the CAS, Independent Schools, MNZ, MWZ, MSZ clubs, Country Clubs etc………

By: fox

fox — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:03:04 +0000

Ha ha!

By: Jolly Jupes

Jolly Jupes — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:29:02 +0000

I would suggest that this could be working in both directions actually. I dont imagine RUPA makes JON’s life any easier

By: skull

skull — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:27:36 +0000

Todd Day, what Rugby Union Juniors? Oh thats right at the 7 or whatever GPS schools in Sydney that give a rats about Rugby Union.

By: Working Class Rugger

Working Class Rugger — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:25:29 +0000

Chris

You’re on the money in terms of young Rugby player’s(Union or League). The games are essentially the same in many ways and actually complement one another when played in tandem. I know this because I played both until I was 16. The opened field running of League boosted my fitness and speed whilst the in your face nature of Rugby gave me the explosive power and overall strength to dominate my opposition in the contact.

League lost me during High School though to be fair I have watched Rugby for as long as I can recall and preferred it. But during my experience in both codes I played with numerous kids who played both. It still is the case in many respects today.

By: jacko

jacko — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:12:51 +0000

as long as there wasnt poo in a hallway involved I’m sure we can all rest easy.

By: Pete

Pete — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:50:20 +0000

For the RUPA (aka Dempsey), this is a personal vendetta against JON, its not really about the players. When emotion is involved in a business decision it usually ends badly. Lets hope for the sake of the game it doesn’t.