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Israel Folau has been the standout player in the first two rounds of Super Rugby for 2014. It must make some fans wonder what it would be like if there were more league converts able to make the switch from rugby league to union.
Interestingly there have been no Wallaby players to break ranks and go to the previously only professional form of the game since 1996 when union became professional.
That is excluding those few who came from league such as Wendell Sailor, Matt Rogers and Lote Tuquiri, and then returned.
Whether the game is at a crisis point in its administration or not, the players are obviously happy with what they are being served up in union to make this the situation nearly 20 years after the previously amateur game went professional.
A total of 57 Wallabies switched codes between 1948 and 1995, and none from 1996 to the present.
This speaks well of the union code and prompts the question – why not more league players turning to union?
We hear almost daily of another contemplating the switch, with union being a truly global game and with money to go with it in Japan and Europe.
How good would the Wallabies be at the World Cup in 2015 if they could select from all the ‘rugby’ players in Australia – not just their own players but from the standout league players as well?
Admittedly there is a need for a transition period to learn the intricacies of the game, but this could be done in a controlled and organised fashion.
What is stopping more league players from switching to union and can it be made more attractive?
The sevens game is an obvious transition and already there are leaguies wondering how they can get a slice of the action at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
This writer is not imagining any mass exodus, but rather a measured and strategic approach to selecting the best possible team for the Wallabies.
For example, a dynamic inside centre to replace the gap left by Tim Horan would be good, so who is around that could fill that position?
And how many times have we wished we could breed goal kickers like the All Blacks seem to? Hazem El Masri could have fitted into the mix for a Wallabies camp, while Greg Inglis on the wing could replace the void left by Digby Ioane.
If Australia are to be the best at rugby union, there is no reason why this cannot happen given the talent around playing ‘rugby’ in both codes.
The administration itself must also undergo a change of attitude to be prepared to embrace the possibility, because there is still a view that union does not want to talk about league as a market place for players.
I say get real and consider the benefits. Union is in the doldrums at the box office, with the “full house” sign still waiting to be used.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.