Mission accomplished

I've never really thought Farrell would be more than a Matty Smith level RL player. The only reason he gets in the side is nepotism. I'd much rather see Eastmond, Falou, and Burgess back in RL than those 2.

Quite agree with that

Ford never has been a league player and with a Championship level skill set isn't likely to be when he can make a good living in yawnion.

Baring in mind the massive lack of decent English half backs in league I'd like to see them both give it a shot.

Would love to see Eastmond and Luther Burrell back as well.

Burgess goes without saying.

Both wouldn't be good enough for SL. Union half backs are generally below average compared to RL ones and both Farrell & Ford are average by Union standard anyway.

What about Myler? below average for RL but up there in terms of Premiership FH's.

Farrell would not be a HB, he would most likely play loose. He is a great tacker, who can run very direct with a great kicking and passing game.

Ford would be an excellent number 6. No doubt about it! I would say both would play for England within a couple of years were they to switch.

Don't get why people are so afraid to admit great players in the opposite code. I like both, I dislike the way our coaches make us play union in the northern hemisphere. Ford is obviously of the same opinion. He is as clear a Rugby League player playing union that you will see! They force him to kick up and unders when his instinct says run the ball!

Whilst we are getting those two lets have Eastmond, Burrell and Tuilagi! Lets see the RFL support teams who want to go and get these guys. Maybe pay a percentage of their wages like Union would do when they look at a league player.

My point exactly.

Union half backs arent anywhere near close to the quality RL has and plodders like Myler prove my point.

Farrell & Ford wouldn't do anything in SL and would run back to Union in under 12 months.

They're made for life and lauded by the masses in union, why would they even contemplate likely failure in league? The money available to even average players in union is massive compared to league

I think there are quite a few union lads that'd do just fine in league, it's just that they might need a few adjustments ball handling, fitness are the two that spring to mind, the physical contact aspect shouldn't be a problem.
No top union player would want to try league when at the top of their game in any case, not these days.

Ford would be a Richie Myler-level player in League. There's nobody I've seen in limited viewing of the RUWC who I've thought "he'd be great at league" other than Folau and the massive Fijian backrowers who can offload at will. That does include Burgess though so maybe Union isn't the best place to judge their skills.

It is always hard to judge how good backs are in RU,

For a start they have little influence on a game because it is largely forward dominated. Secondly they are playing on a same size pitch which has two extra players on it ( on each side)..

There are plenty of RU players who would turn into good RL players given time and training.

George North, Tommy Bowe, Farrell, Cian Healy etc

Lots of Union players would make it. They are playing a different game now so you can't judge the skills the same.
You couldn't take a front 5 forward but the rest would be fine. They don't have to be Thurston to play Super League.

Many people forget how different the games are. Just because a player is good in one code doesn't mean they will be good at the other. The front row in union certainly wouldn't cope with league. They are plodders who do little else than add weight to a scrum. As for the rest there is only one way to find out.

And here is me thinking the OP was discussing Farrell and Ford Senior the coaches! I would say Farrell Senior has been almost Bond like in infiltrating England RFU and successfully creating the dullest back line in either code.

Welcome back Andy job done.

Union to League can clearly be done by exceptional players like Davies, Gibbs & Tuigamala but they are the exception that proves the rule.

Union players do not have the required skill set to switch and be successful, their game simply does not require them to!

Those who are close would not have had the years of mental conditioning to enable them to perform core skills under the pressure and intensity of League defences. Then when you add the extreme fatigue they'd suffer because of Leagues continuity and they'd go under and stay there like a Russiin Submarine.

Ignorance and arrogance.

There are many RU forwards and backs who came to RL and have been a great success for years.

Most of them were not exceptional when they came here but became exceptional by playing, coaching and fitness/

Saints described offiah as an uncoordinated clown and would not touch him with a barge pole.

Widnes signed the clown and the rest is history.

Isn't it amazing what hard work and perseverance can achieve. Today too many clubs want the finished article without the hard work.

Offiah was a hit in RL very quickly, not after years of hard work. Most union international outside backs would be a success in RL. Halfbacks are less convincing - scrum half in union in effect plays like a hooker in RL. When RL signed RU halfbacks a lot of them ended up playing in a different position - Davies was never that good at stand off, but brilliant in attack at fullback.

Forwards aren't that similar either, with RL forwards being far less specialised. Union front rows would generally be useless at RL, as would RL props at union. RL has no need for beanpole lineout jumpers, and compared to RU has a massive number of 7/8 style forwards.

In any event, RL won't be poaching RU players any time soon - probably never again. The main aim would be to minimise the numbers going the other way, and the bonkers selection of Burgess as a centre will hopefully dissuade both RL players and RU clubs. If they do target RL, hopefully they'll continue to sign RL players rather than target those who could more easily transition, as they'll have more failures than successes.

I have no idea how Farrell ended up being a backs coach. His international experience at stand off was similar to his son - boring and frankly looking nothing like a playmaker.

Thirdly, the defensive line is set at 0 metres rather than 10 (which is why the defences look better than they are).

Andy Farrell and the word international should not be in the same sentence. If I am correct British RLs least successful international captain ever. A knackered prop then suddenly plays in the back line for England RU in his final days as a player. Then becomes an international coach in a sport he barely played and helps create the worst ever World Cup team of a host nation. You could not make it up! He must be a hypnotist or something to get these positions!

This is definitely true. I remember David (Dai) Young (Wales) and Mark Brooke-Cowden (World cup winning New Zealand player) playing for Leeds in the 80's. Young didn't seem to know what to do with the ball, whilst Brooke-Cowden ran into tackles and came to an immediate stop. - He looked like he would have trouble breaking through a wet paper bag!

I seem to remember Dai Young getting reasonably good towards the end of his career at Salford - I may be wrong about that, though.

Union does seem to be producing much fitter athletes than it used to. I suspect you wouldn't have the situation now that you had with Tuigamala, to give one example, who seemed to take a year to get up to the required fitness level (what a player, though, when he did). I reckon there are a fair few outside backs knocking around the RU world that would be a success in RL.

So would i, but its not going to happen.