By Wayne Heming
February 9th 2010 @ 2:11am
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Tallis takes a swipe at rugby union
Outspoken former Kangaroos captain Gorden Tallis says Australian halfback Johnathan Thurston risks becoming rugby union’s new marketing meal ticket if he switches codes next season.
“They don’t need these players in their game, they just want them for marketing,” said Tallis as speculation continued to mount about Thurston’s future in rugby league with the Cowboys sweating on his signature.
Off contract at the end of the year, Thurston is the latest marquee league player to be linked to union although he hasn’t had an official offer.
While union officials have indicated they’d be happy to talk to Thurston, they’ve also made it known the days of throwing cash at high profile league players such as Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Timana Tahu are over.
While former NSW Origin player Mark Gasnier is still playing union in France, Rogers, Sailor, Tuqiri and Tahu have all since returned to league.
Sailor will be playing his last league match in Saturday night’s All Star sell-out at Skilled Park, while Tuqiri and Tahu are both making returns to the game this year at Wests Tigers and Parramatta respectively.
While those four recruits all went on to play Test rugby, a variety of reasons all ensured they never quite settled in union.
Sailor shot himself in the foot, testing positive for cocaine and being banned for two years, while Rogers was given special dispensation to return to league early after a rocky five years with NSW and the Wallabies.
Tuqiri was axed by the ARU last year over a disciplinary breach which still remains confidential, while Tahu was disgruntled after failing to settle in one backline position.
Tallis said on Monday he would not advise Thurston on any career decision unless he sought his opinion.
But the former league enforcer took a swipe at union claiming it didn’t care about the league players it poached, only if they could put bums on seats and make them big marketing bucks.
In camp as a forwards coach under Neil Henry with the Indigenous All Stars, the fiery forward and one-time captain of Brisbane, Queensland and Australia said Thurston should be wary of jumping codes.
“They use these players (league players) to get crowds to games and to get more publicity,” fired Tallis.
“But when you stop getting them publicity and you mess up, they kick you out.
“Once you’re no value to them, that’s it, you’re gone.”
Sailor said he would be happy to talk to Thurston about switching allegiances.
“I’ve already told him if he stays in the game (league) he could become one of the greats,” said Sailor, a dual international who played 37 games for the Wallabies after jumping ship in 2002 when rugby made him an offer too good to refuse.
“I can’t tell him not to got to rugby union, because I went for the money, but he’s a league boy and I think he’ll stay.”
The Indigenous All Stars are banking on emotion and their flair to overpower Darren Lockyer’s NRL All Stars.
NRL All star fullback Billy Slater hobbled off the training field in Sydney on Monday after rolling his ankle.
“He (Slater) is a great athlete, but if he’s out, you bring Jarryd Hayne in, he’s five star too,” said Sailor.
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Corey said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:33am | Report comment
I hope JT doesn’t switch, he is too good to lose, but at the same time Rugby League can keep producing superstars of the game. And this is why Rugby League continues to grow in Australia compared to Union. JT is the type of player people will talk about for decades and generations to come, so I hope he remains a League player and a Cowboy for that matter, they need to win a premiership.
Richard said | February 9th 2010 @ 10:15pm | Report comment
Spot on mate…I hope he stays a Cowboy but most of all in the Game that I love…
Hoy said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:36am | Report comment
In response to Tallis (who I love) you could say the converts were using rugby for money.
Again, I am sick to death of players 1) being asked by the media if they would go to rugby everytime their contracts come up and 2) saying “yeah, I have to look at all possibilities” .
Even how they say it is a pure money grab, and I think is deplorable for both games. “Pay me lots more, or I will go”, or “Pay me more and I will have a go at your game”. Then when it ends in tears as the games are different, people like Tallis come out and say things like this.
Greg said | February 9th 2010 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
I dont blame JT. he just about achieved everything he can do in league. Yes it a money grab but good players last about 3 years great players 5, legends 10. There is a limit to what a player can earn and I spose they need to look out for thier future. Maybe if his shoulder is still dicky it could be a very good move.
In saying this it doesnt really help rugby in development, but I would be pretty interested to see how he goes. Hes a champion player and any league or union fan would be interested. I noticed that Joey Johns has been coaching the Wallabies backs so obviously there is no friction by some players and coaches switching.
Tallis is really just stating the obvious, I was a great fan of him as a football player but he should stick to grunting and getting Souths fired up.
Nick the Rooster said | February 12th 2010 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
Rugby is absolute rubbish – and everyone knows it. Tallis is right, the only way they’re going to make any money is by stealing top league players.
Let’s face it, Kurtley Beale, rugby’s next big thing, has not produced the types of performances they thought he would. Others like Quaide Cooper, Berrick Barnes (another ex-league player) and Lachlan Turner are the only decent young guns they have to market the game on and none of them has even half of the commercial potential as someone like Thurston, Folau, Slater, Hayne, Marshall, etc…. Matt Giteau is their current poster boy and he is already on the downward slope.
The Wallabies and the ARU are a joke.