Ardie Savea off to League?

Stargazer

@Bones I think it's important to take into account the first part of the question.

I don't think he ever had the chance to play for Samoa and still have the same opportunities as he has now, playing for the All Blacks.

Financially, it makes a big difference which team you play for, and also which opponents and which tournaments you get to play.

Also, I think a lot of players, from whichever heritage, dream of being an All Black, but still would love to play for the country of their heritage at some point, if that were possible. (I'm not talking about players who - for whatever reason - can't make the ABs anymore).

Nepia

@Stargazer said in Ardie Savea off to League:

100%! If I had the chance to switch and play for Samoa, I would.

Fuck that, I don't want people playing for the ABs who want to play for other teams.

Bones

@Stargazer meh, still plenty of fish to be made if you don't want to play for the ABs.

Edit: baahaha only just saw fish. Cash!

voodoo

I'm with @Stargazer here. I'd have zero issue with players with other heritage representing those nations post an AB career. You could build whatever rules into it you wanted, tiering of nations (could only go Tier 1 to Tier 2 say), residence, stand-down periods etc.

The only question for me is what is the impact on those nations? For example, perhaps you wouldn't want a bunch of 37yr olds running around for Samoa keeping the young fellas out. But if allowing it is deemed a positive for that country, I just can't see the downside. I'm just not buying the argument that Michael Jones wouldn't have tried as hard for the AB's if he had known he could finish up his career with Samoa.

Bones

@voodoo well that's certainly not the issue I was discussing.

voodoo

@Bones I don't know enough about Fish to express an opinion there...

Bones

@voodoo methinks she doth protest too much.

booboo

@Stargazer said in Ardie Savea off to League:

100%! If I had the chance to switch and play for Samoa, I would.

Cue northern trolls exclaiming how NZR prevents Savea from playing for the country of birth-ish.

Thanks Ardie.

mofitzy_

Love this: "100 per cent I want to play rugby league, I think they (the players) do a lot more in terms of off the field stuff. "

Ask Julian, you can do that stuff while playing Union too...

I take both comments with a grain of salt. But it's not great optics when a top AB is talking about playing a different sport or representing another country. It's not as if he's a Fekitoa/Reece situation, where it would be understandable.

ACT Crusader

No great loss if he goes. However Matt Todd leaving to play overseas is...

sparky

Wasn't Ardie all set to go off to Pau at one stage?

I suspect he'll stay while he's an All Black regular then go and make coin somewhere else.

canefan

@sparky said in Ardie Savea off to League:

Wasn't Ardie all set to go off to Pau at one stage?

I suspect he'll stay while he's an All Black regular then go and make coin somewhere else.

I think that was Victor Vito

Toddy

@canefan it was definitely Ardie (though Vito may have also been linked)

sparky

I presume the staying near his kids' grandparents is still relevant:

The reason Ardie Savea turned down Pau's big-money offer to stay with the Hurricanes

Ardie Savea has revealed that family was his key motive behind turning down a big-money offer to move from the Hurricanes to Top 14 club Pau.

sparky

@canefan Victor Vito is at La Rochelle.

Nepia

@voodoo said in Ardie Savea off to League:

I'd have zero issue with players with other heritage representing those nations post an AB career.

I have no issue with that, but if the quote is correct Ardie was saying he'd switch now when he's still a current AB if those opportunities were available.