Mark Ella has spoken on NITV during the week about his controversial near-move to rugby league in the 1980s, when he was one of the hottest rugby union players on the planet.
Having retired at the age of just 25, Ella was approached for a move to rugby league, a game he also shared a history with. At the time, he would have been the highest paid rugby league player in the game.
It was fair enough too. If you’d seen Ella play, he was one of the most naturally brilliant football players of his era. Many good judges lament his early retirement, wondering what else we could have seen from a man widely considered to be a Wallaby great.
He was once described as “the detonator which explodes the brilliance of the Australian backs at critical moments.” Which rugby league team wouldn’t want that?
Roar expert David Lord wrote in 2011 that Ella “would never have played rugby league, even though there were some serious numbers on the table. Ella was comfortable being an amateur.”
Watch the video above and you’ll get Ella’s own take on the issue.
You can watch the full interview of Mark, Glenn and Marcia Ella with Stan Grant on NITV here.
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.
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