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| While he is remembered mostly for his goal kicking, Frano Botica was a pretty decent all round player
Watching Wigan as a younger man, Inga Tuigamala was impressive once his fitness was right for RL and of course Offiah speaks for himself
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| Speaking for my own club there are obvious calls for Offiah and Davies but also worth a mention are Emosi Koloto, Alan Tait and to a lesser extent John Devereux - Paul Moriarty, also made Great Britain representation.
Ray French didn't do too badly either!
Along similar lines to Wally Lewis, Tony Myler and Dave Myers (rest his soul) were picked up from local RU.
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| At Hull fc we've had Clive Sullivan , Roy Francis , Gary Pearce , Mark Jones, Tommy Harris . We nearly had Scott Gibbs but he went to Saints instead.
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| Mybe people need to go back and look at their clubs history.
RL clubs are full of Ex RU players.
At Huddersfield we have the following all of whom are in the top 100 greatest Huddersfield players. The ones marked with a star i would regard as Huddersfield Legends.
Jock Anderson
Len Bowkett *
Aidan Breen
John Daly
Jim Davies *
W Davies
Alex Fiddes* 467 appearances
Alistair Ford
Bill Griffin
Ben Gronow * 395 appearances GB player on eof the best
Peter Henderson
Billy Johnson
Dennis Maden
Gwyn Richards
Johhny Rogers
Fred Talbot
Dave Valentine* GB captain etc
Rob Valentine
Richard Wallace
Nearly 20% of Huddersfield greats were ex RU players.
Many others have played RU at various times I am sure that the same is true of all RL teams.
Go back and look at your clubs histories especially between 1920 to 1960 and it will be full of RU converts from Scotland and Wales.
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| As a young lad watching great centres like Deano, Gene Miles and Gary Connolly at Wigan, and playing centre for a couple of local junior sides, I was actually in awe of Scott Gibbs at Saints. There's been loads of great Union converts, but he was quite different to most that made the switch - a really exciting player to watch.
Also worth a mention, simply for his time at the very top in both codes, is Brad Thorn. Maximum respect to anyone that can play League at the highest level, go do the same in Union (albeit for the All Blacks, having represented the Kangaroos), then switch back to League, and finally back to Union again; collecting rep honours practically every year and winning Premierships (at least with the Broncos, if not in RU).
Can't forget Darryl Griff either - Was RU through and through before he played his first game of League in our junior side at Oxford Cavaliers; now an England international.
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| The BEST R.U. Converts ever.
Martin Offiah
Jonathan Davies
Alan Tait
END OF.
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| Quote ="Widneslatic"The BEST R.U. Converts ever.
Martin Offiah
Jonathan Davies
Alan Tait
END OF.'"
If only you had stopped typing after the first two
There is certainly an argument for Davies and Offiah being among the most successful Union converts ever but you are pushing it with Tait – a very fine player, but really is he in the same category as Boston or Watkins?
Or did you mean these were the best Union converts you have seen play – END OF?
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| Too many people have short memories or no sense of history. RL owes a lot more to RU than many would like to think.
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| Quote ="cjhatesunion"Which are the best players from the dark side to grace our game.
There have been some belters like Offiah,Boston,Davies,Coslett and so on.
For me(and this is going of my Dad)I will go for Tom Van Vollenhoven,who is your best,thoughts please.'"
So not Michael O'Connor then ?
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| Quote ="Dunbar"If only you had stopped typing after the first two
There is certainly an argument for Davies and Offiah being among the most successful Union converts ever but you are pushing it with Tait – a very fine player, but really is he in the same category as Boston or Watkins?
Or did you mean these were the best Union converts you have seen play – END OF?'"
To be fair to Widneslatic, Tait was a hugely exciting and talented player. The way he chimed into the line at Widnes was great to see and his depedency at full back made him one of the first on the teamsheet whoever he played for. He represented GB on 16 occasions including the World Cup final and won practically every honour in RL (unsure about Wembley) and won the Harry Sunderland trophy back to back in 88 & 89. When he went back to Union he was selected for te successful Lions tour of 97 scoring in the first test.
Not saying he was the best but he was right up there.
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| Quote ="Durham Giant"Too many people have short memories or no sense of history. RL owes a lot more to RU than many would like to think.'"
true if the RFU were an honest organisation wed still be playing RU
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| Quote ="Redchemic"To be fair to Widneslatic, Tait was a hugely exciting and talented player. The way he chimed into the line at Widnes was great to see and his depedency at full back made him one of the first on the teamsheet whoever he played for. He represented GB on 16 occasions including the World Cup final and won practically every honour in RL (unsure about Wembley) and won the Harry Sunderland trophy back to back in 88 & 89. When he went back to Union he was selected for te successful Lions tour of 97 scoring in the first test.
Not saying he was the best but he was right up there.'"
You are right, Tait was a very good player
I guess I just objected to the statement that those three were the "The BEST R.U. Converts ever... END OF" when there are obviously many other great players to consider
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| Quote ="nickcat0"So not Michael O'Connor then ?'"
Can't deny nick that he was a great RL player when he came from union.
But in saying that when he played for Saints he was completely useless.
Doesn't he now coach the Aussies RU sevens side?
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| Quote ="dally messenger"true if the RFU were an honest organisation wed still be playing RU'"
Although it would be RU with 13 players aside, less kicking, no lineouts or scrums which are solely designed to cripple participants. It would also be faster flowing with more emphasis on passing the ball and would still be dominated by teams in the North of england.
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| Quote ="Widneslatic"The BEST R.U. Converts ever.
Martin Offiah
Jonathan Davies
Alan Tait
END OF.'"
Offiah and Davies are great players that came from union.
Tait was a good player but not in the same league IMO.
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| I think it's fair to say that more Union converts have been successful in league than the other way round.
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| Quote ="Durham Giant"Although it would be RU with 13 players aside, less kicking, no lineouts or scrums which are solely designed to cripple participants. It would also be faster flowing with more emphasis on passing the ball and would still be dominated by teams in the North of england.'"
Too right.
Isn't it true that at the time of the great split in 1895 that the northern clubs where dominating the southern softies.
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| Quote ="Durham Giant"Although it would be RU with 13 players aside, less kicking, no lineouts or scrums which are solely designed to cripple participants. It would also be faster flowing with more emphasis on passing the ball and would still be dominated by teams in the North of england.'"
you cant be certain of that
the RFU has been resistant to change for over a century, it like the way its game is played
the nswru/ARU and NZRU have been begging them for rule changes for 100 years and they never do much
and had RL not been around in 1908 there would only be 1 major sport in australia, AFL
union was on the wane and AFL taking over in nsw and queensland until RL came and took over
so really ive got a lot to thank the RFU for. they gave me the nrl indirectly
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| Quote ="PHIPPS"I think it's fair to say that more Union converts have been successful in league than the other way round.'"
That’s a pretty big call
I would be fascinated to know how you would go about proving that? (or were you just being facetious)
To help get you started, below is a list of the League converts since 1996 who have gone on to achieve full Union international caps that I can think of
Over to you
Jason Robinson
Barrie Jon Mather
Andrew Walker
Iestyn Harris
Henry Paul
Brad Thorn
Mat Rogers
Wendell Sailor
Lote Tuqiri
Andy Farrell
Berrick Barnes
Ben MacDougall
Chris Ashton
Ryan Cross
Lesley Vainikolo
Timana Tahu
Sonny Bill Williams
Craig Gower
Shontayne Hape
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| Quote ="PHIPPS"I think it's fair to say that more Union converts have been successful in league than the other way round.'"
Only because it has been the last 15 years since RL players went to play RU. Prior to that hardly anyone would have gone to RU from RL.
Despite that RU is desparate to sign RL players now because they have problems developing players with the requisite handling and tackling skills.
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| Quote ="Dunbar"That’s a pretty big call
I would be fascinated to know how you would go about proving that? (or were you just being facetious)
To help get you started, below is a list of the League converts since 1996 who have gone on to achieve full Union international caps that I can think of
Over to you
Jason Robinson
Barrie Jon Mather
Andrew Walker
Iestyn Harris
Henry Paul
Brad Thorn
Mat Rogers
Wendell Sailor
Lote Tuqiri
Andy Farrell
Berrick Barnes
Ben MacDougall
Chris Ashton
Ryan Cross
Lesley Vainikolo
Timana Tahu
Sonny Bill Williams
Craig Gower
Shontayne Hape'"
Some good players there. As well as one or 2 who possibly shouldn't of been allowed out of the changing rooms.
I'm not going to list them all but a simple check of the pages in this thread listing great RU names who have played league successfully will confirm my point.
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| Quote ="PHIPPS"I'm not going to list them all but a simple check of the pages in this thread listing great RU names who have played league successfully will confirm my point.'"
Yes, many greats have been listed on the last three pages (probably because we were discussing the best converts) but for every Billy Boston there is a John Gallagher
Of the 35 England rugby union internationals who switched to league between 1900 and 1995, just eight went on to play for Great Britain, and five of those had played league as youths
148 Welsh union internationals switched to league between 1895 and 1986. Of those 148 internationals, only 28 went on to play for the Great Britain rugby league team
Are you sure that “more Union converts have been successful in league than the other way round”
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| Quote ="Dunbar"
Are you sure that “more Union converts have been successful in league than the other way round”'"
Yep.
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| Quote ="PHIPPS"Yep.'"
I think I’m going to have to concede defeat here – you are clearly running rings around me!
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| Quote ="Dunbar"I think I’m going to have to concede defeat here – you are clearly running rings around me!'"
Congratulations.
It only took you 760 posts but finally you have made one that actually makes sense.
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