Quote ="keighley1"Shontayne Hape had had two knee reconstructions, Vainikolo and Farrell had both had serious knee injuries. Farrell spent months out of the game due to recurring injuries and a road accident but he was crocked when he went to Union. It was good business by RL not to offer them major money to stay, None of them was up to continuing their RL careers. It is a testament to lesser fitness and speed required for top class Union that they were all able to get into th England team, Farrell as a back for Petes sake. OK they were less than 30 but they were finished in RL.'"
Consider the last season of the three players above:
1) Vainikolo, 2007 - 4th highest try scorer from all SL clubs in League and Cup (19), his team finished 3rd in regular season, scored 16 tries from 17 SL games. Then became 4th highest try scorer in RU premiership the next season.
2) Hape, 2008 - played 20 times for the Bulls, who finished 5th in the regular season.
3) Farrell was the reigning Man of Steel and Golden Boot winner. How could have benefited the English game to lose its best player? His car crash occurred after he left RL. He started at 6 in Union, then shifted to 12 in Union due to depth at flanker. The 12 role is known as second five-eighths in NZ, because the position is often is a playmaking role in NZRU: the equivalent of stand-off or loose forward in RL.
To say that Farrell, Hape and Vainikolo were not up to continuing in RL is untrue. All were a loss to the game.
Quote If Owen Farrell is the future of English RU success then good luck.He is not fit to lace the boots of such great RU stand offs as David Watkins, Phil Bennett, Jonathan Davies, Chris Carter, Carlos Rogers or even Sharp.
He is from the long line of nonetities who have graced British RU with their kick first, run never approach like O Gara Jones,Wilkinson and the very forgettable Scottish excuses for stand offs.
He dosn t make a break or a mesmerising side step to set his threequarters in motion with mental strength. He needs physical ability to do that and all he can do is kick. He is run averse. His first instinct is to heave the ball downfield. His astute passing, which you praise but I have never seen, is practically useless if he never shapes to run and the defence can just key on those to whom he passes.
Don t give me that age and experience guff either. Alex Murphy and Roger Mollward were playing against and beating the Aussies when they were teenagers. Farrell is playing the kind of earth shattering stand off brilliance expected of a 35 year old just selected to manage things because there is no one better.
You might be right in saying Farrell might make a loose forward.Thats what Sinfield does for leeds. He might be listed as stand off but he plays as a link forward. The person playing the traditional stand off role at Leeds is Mcguire, you know, devastating place, making breaks, setting up chances for his outside backs on the end of the breaks, you know, things Farrell cannot do. '"
Comparing players from part-time era to full time professional era is difficult. Defences are much quicker and tighter now than then, fitness demands are higher. In RU at present, the international game (for the Tier 1 and 2 test nations) is geared towards territory and points: in nearly all teams, the flyhalf is expected to kicking long for territory, and taking all penalty goal attempts where possible. It is no surprise that Owen Farrell kicks a high percentage of his possession - most NH RU teams do. Teams like the All Blacks and Wallabies, and their playmakers Dan Carter (NZ), Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper are the exception - those players are more skilful with ball in hand. For the Wallabies, star players Beale, Cooper, Berrick Barnes, James O'Connor all played RL as juniors. Even if you look at the last test of the year, England RU vs NZ All Blacks, Farrell kicked 8 times, but Carter kicked 7 times. In the October RL test, Cooper Cronk kicked 11 times, Kieran Foran kicked 7 times.
If Sinfield were to play RU (his skills would transfer well to 10), he would be expected to kick for territory a lot. McGuire wouldn't be able to play that traditional stand off role in RU, he'd be isolated and turn over possession. So it's unfair to judge Farrell's potential in RL based on his style in RU.
Farrell might not be as dynamic as past players. He'd be an organiser like Sinfield, control and settle play, and he'd add depth to Super League ranks and to England.
