At least Thurston is honest about switch
Roar Guru By M1tch, 16 Dec 2009 M1tch is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Jonathon Thurston, NRL, Rugby League, Rugby Union
287 Have your say
Related coverage
Johnathan Thurston. AAP Images
Show me the cash, is what Jonathon Thurston is saying. And at least in his interview, he didn’t hide from the fact that he will go to rugby union if they offer a nice sum.
The famous lines of, “I want another challenge”, is really starting to wear thin these days, especially when Thurston still doesn’t have a premiership ring.
Wouldn’t that be a big challenge, taking the Cowboys to their first Premiership?
So once again we have a NRL crisis in which one of the games’ best players is about to be poached and all we can do is cry for a few moments and then wait until the next superstar comes out of the ranks and is the new hero for the Rugby League public.
It’s plain and simple, really: rugby union has more money to offer our players.
No doubt Thurston would be good at rugby. He might actually get people interested in the game again.
The physical un-satisfaction he might get from a game of union compared to league would be fixed from a quick look at his bank statement.
I only he could get both from rugby league.
Recommend this story.
The Turkey 10
The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.
Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!
Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.
Find out more.
- Explore:
- Jonathon Thurston, NRL, Rugby League, Rugby Union
December 16th 2009 @ 9:29am
Stormin Red said | December 16th 2009 @ 9:29am | Report comment
He has a great kicking game in open play and he can kick penalty goals. Sounds like Thurston is absolutely perfect for union.
I hope he doesn’t go but it is nice to see a player being honest about why they are looking at switching. Surely union would not want to have a player who is just going for a pay cheque though. Wasn’t that one of the main complaints about the Wallabies on the recent tour?
December 16th 2009 @ 10:08am
rugbyfuture said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:08am | Report comment
brett finch has now been sighted as a target for victoria super rugby franchise too, i say get mark gasnier and billy slater and they’re practically done
December 16th 2009 @ 10:16am
Justin said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:16am | Report comment
Great get Billy and he will let in as many as he scores
December 16th 2009 @ 10:21am
Brett McKay said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:21am | Report comment
now see Brett Finch makes sense to me as a target, because playing a structured game suits him down to a tee (a la the Storm this year). I’d see him making the switch a hell of a lot easier and smoother than Thurston..
December 16th 2009 @ 10:56am
Jay said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:56am | Report comment
Ive got reservations about Finch as a number 10, as his kicking and passing game is not brilliant. But if any leaguie deserves to cash in, its Finchy whos on about $50k this year. He wanted a premiership and got it by making the financial sacrifice. Good on him.
December 16th 2009 @ 11:04am
Brett McKay said | December 16th 2009 @ 11:04am | Report comment
Jay, I don’t disagree with that, but I’d say Finch would be among the NRL players closest to a rugby fly-half. Anasta and Barrett are probably the others, but these three are probably the last of the “traditional” five-eighths running around. Lockyer would another one too..
December 16th 2009 @ 10:53am
Jay said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:53am | Report comment
Team Mascot SBW?
December 16th 2009 @ 10:26am
King of the Gorganites said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:26am | Report comment
Mitch, that could have been an interesting argument. however, you let your bias against rugby get in the way of a a good article. perhaps you could write for the daily terror in sydney!
“The physical un-satisfaction” – cheap shot and not true. the games are different with different physical requirements.
i’ll tell you what may give him some satisfaction- playing infront of 80K in milan, croke park, twickers, beouns aires, the list goes on. oh i forgot he did see paris (with a poor crowd of 6K) in attendance. i didnt want to get petty but need i remind you of some of the benefits of international rugby?
in regards to rugby having more money – i dont agree with that. yes european rugby has a lot more money, but that can be tough to get. look at lote. he was a wallaby but still france was not interested. the only league players who have got into french rugby did so through southern hemisphere contacts, such as link mckenzie or tana umaga. so france would be tough to crack. Uk clubs i dont think would be overly serious about it without any rugby experience first. as for australian rugby they simply dont have the money. what they do have they should put into grass roots. the league experiment failed. time to concentrate on the youth.
December 16th 2009 @ 3:54pm
M1tch said | December 16th 2009 @ 3:54pm | Report comment
Cheap shot? Did you shiver when you typed that?
lol and the next paragraph is you all over..
okay, I doubt if he played for Wobbles he would play in front of 80k in Milan, but anyway
the satisfaction from a 80 mins game with 20 passes and 30 kicks, is when he looks at his bank account..same with SBW, Gaz and the likes..
December 16th 2009 @ 4:35pm
King of the Gorganites said | December 16th 2009 @ 4:35pm | Report comment
you have no clue mitch
he has more chance of playing in front of 80K in milan then he does of playing in front of 30K in london, 10K in paris, 5K in paris. dont underestitmate the pulling power of itnernational rugby. with rugby he can see the world with RL he can see Hull!
December 17th 2009 @ 8:06am
M1tch said | December 17th 2009 @ 8:06am | Report comment
More chance of 30k in London than 80k in Milan
December 17th 2009 @ 8:47pm
King of the Gorganites said | December 17th 2009 @ 8:47pm | Report comment
there was 80K in milan last month for a rugby game. when was there last a crowd of 30K in london for RL……the varsity match (RU) got 30K, yet league cant!
December 19th 2009 @ 2:04pm
Corey said | December 19th 2009 @ 2:04pm | Report comment
I work with a couple from Milan and they have never heard of Rugby in Milan, nor Italy. They do not even know the players. But they came out to a league game and the girl loved it more than soccer, even the guy loved it, and said it was more entertaining than his precious Juventus. So Milan is not a rugby stronghold if no one knows about it.
December 19th 2009 @ 3:12pm
Springs said | December 19th 2009 @ 3:12pm | Report comment
What? Challenge Cup Final August 29, 76K.
December 22nd 2009 @ 11:20pm
Dan said | December 22nd 2009 @ 11:20pm | Report comment
Gotta say, that All Blacks game in Milan was insane! 80K in Italy for a rugby match and they were right into it! I love my League too, but seriously, it would just never happen… we have a hard enough time getting 80K to see the Kangaroos in Australia for crying out loud! Look how empty the stadium is when they play out at homebush!
December 16th 2009 @ 10:39am
Bay35Pablo said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:39am | Report comment
“un-satisfaction” = dissatisfaction?
Call the cops, someone murdered the English language …
December 16th 2009 @ 3:47pm
M1tch said | December 16th 2009 @ 3:47pm | Report comment
aw come on, I thought that was one of my best bits
December 19th 2009 @ 2:29pm
Working Class Rugger said | December 19th 2009 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
Corey
Mate, your whole point is groundless. You know a couple from Milan who know nothing about Rugby. Whoop di do. The facts are Rugby is growing in Italy. And no one actually said Milan was a Rugby stronghold but 80,000 did turn out for a test match.
December 16th 2009 @ 10:40am
Jameswm said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:40am | Report comment
Is League supposed to be unstructured?
December 16th 2009 @ 10:51am
mitzter said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:51am | Report comment
I’d say they are both very structured with both only having glimpses of unstructured play
December 16th 2009 @ 11:05am
Brett McKay said | December 16th 2009 @ 11:05am | Report comment
Jameswm, I view league as being less structured than rugby, but not unstructured per se…
December 17th 2009 @ 7:15am
Mushi said | December 17th 2009 @ 7:15am | Report comment
League is exceptionally structured by virtue of having a defined period of possession. The more certainty around possession the more you can structure your game plan as a coach.
December 16th 2009 @ 10:43am
ohtani's jacket said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:43am | Report comment
Physical un-satisfaction? Hey, if that woman’s not satisfying you…
December 16th 2009 @ 12:07pm
Norm said | December 16th 2009 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
It’s highly probable Mitch that Thurston does want another challenge.
December 16th 2009 @ 3:46pm
M1tch said | December 16th 2009 @ 3:46pm | Report comment
he wants money, hey we all do, at least he is being honest about it…
how many league players here or in uk have left for the same or less money?
December 16th 2009 @ 12:25pm
The man said | December 16th 2009 @ 12:25pm | Report comment
Seems like just another example of a leaguie using union as a lever to ramp up his next contract. What next a proposed move to Japan or France? Give me a break.
If he is seriously considering a move, why not just consider it in private rather than forcing the rest of us to endure some “will he or won’t he go” publicity.
Player agents have a lot to answer for in killing trees in the summer months.
December 16th 2009 @ 12:47pm
AndyS said | December 16th 2009 @ 12:47pm | Report comment
It may be that he wants a new challenge, or perhaps it is a contract negotiating ploy. We’ll find out soon enough, as I wouldn’t think he need wait. If he genuinely has a tabled $1.1M/yr offer and an interest in switching, I would suggest that the appropriate ARU response would be congratulations and a suggestion that he and his two shoulder reconstructions get ink on paper as quickly as possible. If he sits on the offer, he is negotiating.
December 16th 2009 @ 1:22pm
Lazza said | December 16th 2009 @ 1:22pm | Report comment
I never condemn a professional player for taking the money. It’s a short career and as long as they give 100% when they’re playing for your club then that’s just life. If a better offer comes along and you can’t match it then good luck to them.
If you want to get uppity about it then do what English Football fans have always done. Get together with a group in the stands and flash $50 notes at him – at least they have a sense of humour about it. A few ‘Judas’ banners as well wouldn’t hurt.