Quote: alleycat "I don't think so. First of all, elite level union players are very well paid so no longer need to convert to league to make a tanner or two. They can stay where they are.
Secondly, have you ever actually tried becoming a league player after many years of playing union? I have (ok, not at an elite level) but the fitness, commitment and skill levels are miles apart which makes the transition very arduous; again why would a well paid elite level player put themselves through this to publicly fail?'"
Elite NRL players are paid very well too. The rumours are that Leeds new signing Mitch Garbutt, a 26 year old with only 12 NRL appearances, was on a £130k a year contract at Brisbane.
If we're going to have to pay huge wages for a top NRL player that virtually no-one in England will know who they are, then why not pay a similar amount for someone (who is the right fit and would make a good go of the transition) who non-RL people and, crucially, the London-centric, right-wing, middle class British media will have heard of and might, just might, take notice of?
The fitness isn't miles apart at all. It may be a different "type" of fitness but elite Union players are perfectly fit for their role.
The commitment is no different. It's not the 80's anymore.
The skill levels I do think there's a gap, but then Richard Owen is playing SL, so there's a range of skill levels in SL that I think a Union player could fit into.
Why did Gareth Thomas?
There's plenty of dedicated, committed athletes looking for a challenge in Union. We just need to teach them how to pass, run and tackle.
