Code hopper Karmichael Hunt says securing a Wallabies jersey hasn’t yet made his goals list as he ventures back into rugby union.
The ex-rugby league star announced last week he was heading to the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby after four years with AFL club Gold Coast.
Fellow code jumper Israel Folau has proved to be a massive hit since leaving his own AFL deal to join the NSW Waratahs, winning this year’s Super Rugby title and quickly establishing himself as one of the Wallabies’ main backline weapons.
But Hunt says he needs to reacquaint himself with rugby union after only a short taste of the professional game in France in 2009 before his AFL adventure.
The 27-year-old says only once he has shown he is capable can he begin to dream of pulling on an Australian jumper at next year’s World Cup.
“Not now, it’s definitely not my aim,” Hunt told Triple M radio’s Grill Team in Brisbane about his international ambitions.
“My main priority is to get integrated, brush up on my skills. It’s five years since I played rugby.
“My priority is making the Reds team first and foremost, and making them a successful team again.”
Hunt said he wouldn’t compete in the current National Rugby Competition, as he recovers from the string of injuries that ended his AFL career.
He believes despite only playing 10 matches for the Suns for the past two years, his physical state won’t be a problem for the Reds.
“I feel comfortable with my body situation,” he said.
“Obviously I had my share of injuries this yea,r but nothing’s been major,” he said. “No surgery required.
“If anything, I’ve just needed to get some rest, get fit again and find a game which suits my body a bit better.”
The ex-Queensland and Australia rugby league representative has also revealed he only “sparingly” keeps in touch with his former teammates at the Broncos and that a vast cultural difference exists among players in the NRL and AFL.
“The demands of AFL footy mean you need to be in peak condition,” he said.
“For most of the year you need to be able to knock out 12 or 13km on the weekend.
“In terms of the culture of going out and enjoying yourself after every game, that does not happen whereas in rugby league, because the physical demands are a lot lighter compared to AFL, you could find boys out enjoying themselves.
“I certainly did when I was younger because I knew that the next week it would not affect me.”
Fred
Guest
Gee it's great that someone with an ARU topped up contract isn't aiming for the wallsbies- awesome
Die hard
Roar Rookie
Agree totally Gary. He was great at the Broncos but was not missed when he went. He went OK in France but thats it and as you say, many years ago. Time will tell, but at least Karmichael is being realistic.
Justin3
Guest
Kane is awfully quiet after his rebels have been shot down in flames. Kane? Kane? KANE?
Chan Wee
Guest
Lol , not even footy players do that much in a game. (maybe if extra time is played). most EPL midfielders do roughly 9-11km per normal (90 min) game. actually the midfielders seem to run further becoz they get involved in both attack and defence. but the German style requires forwards also to drop and defend so everyone seems to do 10 - 12 km a game :) rugger players may be doing half that at max. the game is less free flowing due to set piece which takes a lot of time out. Actual ball in play is around 40 - 50 minutes i think so it would be difficult to run long distance.
Xenomorph
Guest
It was simply a marketing excersise to get rugby league followers and interest in teams in league areas and to be completely honest, the AFL got its money worth. The AFL got exactly what it was after.
AG
Guest
agreed, good luck to the guy
leftfield
Roar Pro
There's a lot less running in rugby, not surprising given the smaller field and the way the game is played. There is however a lot more contact which is demanding in other ways. some studies estimate forwards may have up to 300 "impacts" per match. Most of which aren't counted as tackles. http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Super14/Physiological-demands-of-rugby-20100302 Rugby league is broadly similar to rugby it would seem with 5-5.5km a game http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21358424
Jiggles
Roar Guru
Yeah, sure they do....
Combesy
Roar Guru
Agree mike. Some should do them self a favour and listen to the actual interview. For all you arm chair critics looking to deride a genuine athlete do everyone a favour and taken your head out of the sand and step away from the keyboard http://www.triplem.com.au/brisbane/shows/grill-team/blog/2014/9/exclusive-hunt-its-not-about-the-money/
Combesy
Roar Guru
Get off the soap box
jameswm
Roar Guru
Maybe he means the Carlton Blues.
T Bone
Guest
Pls... are you serious?
Crazy Horse
Guest
How refreshing that someone who hasn't played a single game of Super Rugby isn't looking at immediate selection in the Wallabies.
Toa
Guest
WOW!!! Really? Gee if thats the case he's no hope!!!
Toa
Guest
From his interview with Marto it appears to me his experience with the physical demands (meaning running capacity & ability not to go to ground) of AFL was more consuming than Rugby League, he does highlight that while running under duress your skills are scrutinise more which, again if you’re looking for code war argument its neither here nor there. I don’t believe K's intensions are to slag either code he’s was providing answers to questions that were survey from Triple M subscribers. One interesting thing he mentioned was while playing Rugby back in School & France to date was the most enjoyable time he’s ever had in his professional career. read that how you want to however from all reports his coaches & team mates label him as Genuine.
mattyp
Guest
Gold.
Mr T.
Guest
The RFU website backs up Max Power's numbers. http://www.rfu.com/takingpart/fitness/rugbydemands/distancesandspeedruns Also the study "AN EVALUATION OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL DEMANDS OF ELITE RUGBY UNION USING GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM TRACKING SOFTWARE" (couldn't link it sorry, you can find a pdf of the study if you search the title) suggests that backs ran on average 7.2km, and forwards ran 6.7km. Are you sure they didn't mean the wingers covered 12km combined, or 6km each, which would fall smack bang into the middle of the range Max Power said?
Justin3
Guest
If you can show me the data I might believe but otherwise I would be very, very surprised! Thats 150m per minute, think about it...
JohnB
Guest
Niwdeyaj - your basic premise that "agreement" and "contract" are different things is unfortunately flat wrong. If the elements required by the law are there, an obligation is enforceable, whether you call it a contract, an agreement or anything else, and using the word "agree" most certainly does not make an obligation unenforceable (generally quite the opposite). Whether this is an enforceable obligation of the ARU and what the terms of it are, I don't know, but calling it an "agreement" or using the word "agree" are irrelevant to those questions.
Mike
Guest
And I do like the way he hoses down the media speculation about Wallabies and says he is concentrating on provincial level only. He says no NRC, but Carmichael has stated that IF his recovery proceeds well, they will get him into some of the later NRC games. I think that is a good idea.