Entering into the realms of fantasy here but he'd certainly add a bit of star quality in the halfs at Trinity . What a player .

Who?

Thought it was one of the 3 muscateers

ok just looked him up... apparently plays Rugby (union) for France... Thankfully that's a sport that is isolated to a minor subscription channel here in Aus! I haven't seen a union game in over ten years!

So would half the French Union team. Including their defensive coach. But they play a different sport, for more money than we are paying. He's on more than £500k a year and has top level endorsement deals. It would be easier to get Ivan Cleary's lad.

[quote="PopTart":1v84g9ls]So would half the French Union team. Including their defensive coach. But they play a different sport, for more money than we are paying. He's on more than £500k a year and has top level endorsement deals. It would be easier to get Ivan Cleary's lad.[/quote:1v84g9ls] are France any good now... ??? Seems to be very high salaries for a sport whose teams in England are regularly going bust (sweeping statement based on snippets and soundbites, but I couldn't quote which clubs... So I might be wrong)

Monsieur Dupont la la la la One for the oldies.

[quote="Wollo-Wollo-Wollo-Wayoo":7j0atr3l]Monsieur Dupont la la la la One for the oldies.[/quote:7j0atr3l] Better off signing Sandie Shaw, at least she wouldn't need a boot deal.

[quote="Spookisback":24xz76ol]ok just looked him up... apparently plays Rugby (union) for France... Thankfully that's a sport that is isolated to a minor subscription channel here in Aus! I haven't seen a union game in over ten years![/quote:24xz76ol] I was lucky enough to be in Australia in 2023 watching NRL games and looking at media and TV channels union looked as though it was on its Bankside over there…

Obviously I'm a League man through and through but I'm not anti Union either and enjoy the 6 Nations and the World Cup . Dupont is a generational talent without a single weakness to his game , it's never going to happen given the salary he commands in Union but he'd be sensational in Rugby League , way above even Bevan French in my opinion . I know the transition from Union to League doesn't always come off and vice versa but I believe in Dupont's case he'd make the transition easily .

[quote="BarnsleyTrinity":n6g2kwbw]Obviously I'm a League man through and through but I'm not anti Union either and enjoy the 6 Nations and the World Cup . Dupont is a generational talent without a single weakness to his game , it's never going to happen given the salary he commands in Union but he'd be sensational in Rugby League , way above even Bevan French in my opinion . I know the transition from Union to League doesn't always come off and vice versa but I believe in Dupont's case he'd make the transition easily .[/quote:n6g2kwbw] I agree. He'd slide into League quite easily. Spooky, French RU has a lot of money. I reckon our most expensive player would compare to an average salary in their first 15. They are richer than the English union clubs but the top English clubs are still big. The current top team is Bordeaux gets crowds of up to 30k regularly. Their stadium (not shared) hosts 34k. The football team has its own stadium with 42k capacity Duport plays at Toulouse, who ironically play at same stadium as our Toulouse Olympique. That's why Toulouse have a challenge to be a top League club but if they can make the jump it could be lucrative.

[quote="BarnsleyTrinity":2ktx7tkn]Entering into the realms of fantasy here but he'd certainly add a bit of star quality in the halfs at Trinity . What a player .[/quote:2ktx7tkn] Wasn’t he the host of EuroTrash

Rugby Union has come a long way since open professionalism but in many ways the players have become less suitable for switching codes. I know someone who’s coached at the very top of both sports, League & Union, domestic and internationally, World Cups in both and their opinion is that in the fine skills when put under pressure Union players are still some way behind. There is no guarantee, far from it, that Union playmakers would be capable of executing their skills under the greater defensive and physical pressure that League at the top level would put them under. Of course given enough time there would be the odd one or two that could move over but it would be an expensive experiment for the unlikely returns a club would receive.

Haven't watched Oonion for years, too frustrating with all the technicalities and phases....give me any game of League any day

[quote="The Avenger":3ele8sad]Rugby Union has come a long way since open professionalism but in many ways the players have become less suitable for switching codes. I know someone who’s coached at the very top of both sports, League & Union, domestic and internationally, World Cups in both and their opinion is that in the fine skills when put under pressure Union players are still some way behind. There is no guarantee, far from it, that Union playmakers would be capable of executing their skills under the greater defensive and physical pressure that League at the top level would put them under. Of course given enough time there would be the odd one or two that could move over but it would be an expensive experiment for the unlikely returns a club would receive.[/quote:3ele8sad] Nah. Plenty of skill in Union.

[quote="PopTart":2zk78aij]Nah. Plenty of skill in Union.[/quote:2zk78aij] Yes there is but that's not what he's saying. When under pressure they are not that good at executing

[quote="Belle Vue":1k1mk36m]I was lucky enough to be in Australia in 2023 watching NRL games and looking at media and TV channels union looked as though it was on its Bankside over there…[/quote:1k1mk36m] League is a commercial monster over here... Each year it makes inroads into other sports and Union has been one of its victims. In '25 union is almost complete confined to being played by private schools (of which there are plenty), the alumni of said schools at a small number of clubs, and the armed forces. The Pacific islands and their populations have fallen under the thrall of the NRL, and even the union stronghold of NZ is seeing a shift of power. Only AFL currently is able to hold its own in commercial terms across the sporting business arena.

[quote="PopTart":87kjbc3s]Nah. Plenty of skill in Union.[/quote:87kjbc3s] No doubting that there’s skill in Union but is it as transferable as some think? You’re obviously entitled to your opinion but I’ll take the view of someone whose coached both at the very top over yours thanks

[quote="The Avenger":izpwqvdd]No doubting that there’s skill in Union but is it as transferable as some think? You’re obviously entitled to your opinion but I’ll take the view of someone whose coached both at the very top over yours thanks[/quote:izpwqvdd] It's a totally different game and although there is undoubtedly skill in union, I feel very few would successfully make the transition to league. It's changed like league has, and the players becomed honed to their particular game- the same applies vice versa, how many league players have tried union and looked completely lost. Up to RU professionalism ( official that is) the Union players seemed OK adapting to league - and I'm talking about backs now- you can probably count on one hand how many forwards made it! I remember Bryan West!

[quote="1315trinity":21fc23t8]It's a totally different game and although there is undoubtedly skill in union, I feel very few would successfully make the transition to league. It's changed like league has, and the players becomed honed to their particular game- the same applies vice versa, how many league players have tried union and looked completely lost. Up to RU professionalism ( official that is) the Union players seemed OK adapting to league - and I'm talking about backs now- you can probably count on one hand how many forwards made it! I remember Bryan West![/quote:21fc23t8] Which is exactly what I was saying, since open professionalism Union players have become fitter but they’ve also become more specialised with their skill set being peculiar to their role within a Union team. There are areas of commonality and that’s where they are behind their League counterparts. Union players simply don’t face the same level of relentless pressure and intensity and as a result their skills break down when put under the sort of pressure a top level League defence would impose.

[quote="1315trinity":2jcy197n]It's a totally different game and although there is undoubtedly skill in union, I feel very few would successfully make the transition to league. It's changed like league has, and the players becomed honed to their particular game- the same applies vice versa, how many league players have tried union and looked completely lost. Up to RU professionalism ( official that is) the Union players seemed OK adapting to league - and I'm talking about backs now- you can probably count on one hand how many forwards made it! I remember Bryan West![/quote:2jcy197n] Scott Quinnell and Paul Moriarty were the forwards who came to mind.

[quote="Shifty Cat":3s0fescs]Scott Quinnell and Paul Moriarty were the forwards who came to mind.[/quote:3s0fescs] counted about fifty from memory before my mind wandered off somewhere, including many from Trinity ... David Jeanes and Rob Valentine as examples

[quote="The Avenger":2mljhfid]Which is exactly what I was saying, since open professionalism Union players have become fitter but they’ve also become more specialised with their skill set being peculiar to their role within a Union team. There are areas of commonality and that’s where they are behind their League counterparts. Union players simply don’t face the same level of relentless pressure and intensity and as a result their skills break down when put under the sort of pressure a top level League defence would impose.[/quote:2mljhfid] You say that, but there is no recent example of Union player playing League to prove your point. Of course a player going either way has to learn the game, which Burgess proved. I've played both at a decent level and I've talked at length to a senior coach of both games (I assume it's the same one) A rugby union scrum half is always under pressure, can pass further than most and can kick. They still have to learn the game. You might even play them at hooker in our game if the are built like Duport. It isn't a case of not being skilled at all. You just have to fit the skill to the role. A winger or outside centre would be pretty easy to move across. A fullback is now harder because the league role has changed. Front row is almost an alien game in RU. But you'd play a number 8 at prop in league. Etc etc. Saying all that, some of the passing and catching skills in today's Ireland England game was schoolboy level!!

[quote="PopTart":333gqrb5] Saying all that, some of the passing and catching skills in today's Ireland England game was schoolboy level!![/quote:333gqrb5] Saw the result on the BBC website... So I took a quick look at the match report... I have to say I didn't recognise any of the players names on either side... But the report suggested it was a good game.

[quote="PopTart":hv46y0s9] It isn't a case of not being skilled at all. Saying all that, some of the passing and catching skills in today's Ireland England game was schoolboy level!![/quote:hv46y0s9] I never suggested they weren’t skilled at all, in fact I’ve stated a couple of times that they are skilled. I doubt it’ll be the same Coach, the guy I’m talking about was shocked by the gap between League and Union players in the common skills shared by the two codes.