Best League to Union convert

da_grubster

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="584793" data-time="1464858664">
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Easy to forget what a good player Jason Robinson was. He was a bit like Milner-Skudder in style but had an impact over a longer period of time than Milner-Skudder so far.
 
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or course he was good, but that highlights reel shows his first 6 tries and 3 are against Uruguay.
 
and the others scotland.

Mick Gold Coast QLD

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rancid Schnitzel" data-cid="584808" data-time="1464862201">
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Two Australians, prop Tony D'Arcy and lock Garrick Morgan were disasters at league. D'Arcy ended up as a reserve for 3rd grade and Morgan was reserve for reserve grade. 
Back to best code switchers, I recall Trevor Gillmeister once saying that former Wallaby Brett Papworth was the best player he ever saw.
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Brett Papworth made the move from the Mighty Woods to Eastern Suburbs when he was at his very best and immediately fell victim to some serious leg injuries, as I recall, plus a couple of busted jaws. He was quick and skillful as a centre and his place with the Wallabies ('85 to '87) was pretty well assured at the time but the money was too good to pass up for a bloke in his mid twenties.
 
He returned to the Great Club as President a decade ago and has proven to be so good at it he is not permitted to resign - a faithful servant to rugby and unafraid to take it right up to the ARU for their horrible mismanagement of club rugby.
 
He followed his coach John Ballesty's move to Eastern Suburbs twenty years earlier, when he too was in his first two years of Wallaby selection - an opportunity which came about when Wallaby first five Phil Hawthorne joined St George in league in 1968. At about the same time Wallaby centre John Brass moved to Eastern Suburbs league. With Ballesty, Brass and Hawthorne league gained the best hands and passing skill one could wish to see. All three went on to play for the Kangaroos.
 
Now - going back in the other direction the Brisbane Broncos' Peter Ryan was a central plank in the successful couple of years the ACT Brumbies enjoyed under wily Eddie at the turn of the century, before most of you young sprogs were born :i_am_so_happy:, in the Super7Â¾ epoch. He played lock and back row and was in pretty much the same mould as the exceptional BBBT (a notch or two lower) - honest toiler, never missed a game with injury, never missed a tackle, always on the ball, mature, reliable and so on.
 
He was a Downlands College student (like Tim Horan) and played rugby for the Australian Schoolboys before turning out in league for a decade. With Brumbies captain Brett Robinson (also ex Downlands) he was the glue that made the joint great, before the egos and their factions took control.
 
Ryan has since gone on to appointment as defensive coach with the Broncos, Cowboys, Reds and now the Brumbies.

Milk

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="584891" data-time="1464915309">
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I don't know the answer to that, but it does lead into a thought I had the other day - that quite a few RWC 2003 ABs made it to RWC 2015, but we're already shorn of all RWC 2007 ABs. 
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Probably because 2003 was a very young team. They had booted a lot of the experienced guys out.

booboo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="584820" data-time="1464863927">
Paul Moriarity who played Lock for Swansea and Wales (Union) and Second Row for Widnes, Great Britain and Wales (League) is about the only dual international tight five player I can think of. He scored the match winner try in the 1987 RWC 3rd/4th place off. <a class="bbc_url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Moriarty_(rugby">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Moriarty_(rugby</a>) 
His son Ross is in the current Wales squad and likely to be selected at blindside flanker in the absence of Dan Lydiate for the tests against the All Blacks.</blockquote>
 
Sorry ... pedantry ... but didn't Adrian Hadley score that try?

booboo

Appears it was Hadley. And he was a code switcher too.

Ruthless

Anyone following the NRL should be familiar with the name Marika Koroibete...considered one of the fastest players in the NRL and finished last season as the clubs highest try scorer with 16 tries. He has signed a contract with the Melbourne Rebels for the 2017 season... ...here's a You tube montage for a taste of what the flying Fijian is capable of...i can see him on the wing at the next RWC for the Wallabies as he has already qualified under the 4-year residency rule...

Mick Gold Coast QLD

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="584448" data-time="1464740670">
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Folau is easily the best convert in Australia. Tuqiri, Sailor and Rogers had their moments, but haven't come close to achieving the dominance Folau has over multiple seasons.
 
It's a shame he was injured through the RWC as he missed a chance to prove his greatness in front of a global audience. 
 
He has now won back-to-back John Eales medals and for me it's between him, BBBT and Robinson as best convert.
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Tuqiri had the talent but suffered a long unprofitable patch in his second half and that affected his demeanor and his play, as I recall (and was easily distracted at other times by a little bit of this and a little bit of that on the side). Rogers was talented squared (being well bred 'n all) but was prone to injury. Further, the selectors couldn't work out where they wanted him to play for a lot of the time.
 
I reckon Wendell Sailor had difficulty pretty much throughout his time in union with positioning, however I was impressed right from the jump with his enthusiasm, commitment and preparedness to "muck in" and do the hard stuff in rucks and mauls, regularly. On the odd occasion when he had missed his man he would tear off after him and make sure he got him on the second attempt. He was the consummate competitor and very good at bringing the fans in to enjoy his fun. A family member encounters him regularly in a sports comments role and tells me that he is pleasant and affable and marvelously thoughtful and patient with fans, which pleases me.

bbarcs

Folau is in another league to the rest of the converts but it sorta feels cheap including him because it feels like he could do a lot better. A try-hungry, exuberant Folau would be unstoppable no? 
Apart from him I'd say Mat Rogers was brilliant. Waratahs were lost whenever he was injured.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Ruthless1" data-cid="585137" data-time="1465075806">
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Anyone following the NRL should be familiar with the name Marika Koroibete...considered one of the fastest players in the NRL and finished last season as the clubs highest try scorer with 16 tries. 
He has signed a contract with the Melbourne Rebels for the 2017 season... 
...here's a You tube montage for a taste of what the flying Fijian is capable of...i can see him on the wing at the next RWC for the Wallabies as he has already qualified under the 4-year residency rule...

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Read this Canes4Life, THIS is how you ridiculously hype up a bloke who is basically unknown.

raznomore

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="584436" data-time="1464739422">Craig Innes was pretty good too, wasn't he? 
How was Mark Brooke-Cowden at league? 
Kurt Sherlock? 
Who was the halfback from Auckland circa 1987 who left?</blockquote>
Innes was probably the best player never to play for the kiwis. He was awesome. 
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raznomore

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Don Frye" data-cid="584445" data-time="1464740095">Ricky Stuart would probably be the best Aussie rugby to league convert.</blockquote>
Michael O'Connor was pretty handy. 
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booboo

Anybody mention Ray Price?

Catogrande

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Ruthless1" data-cid="585137" data-time="1465075806">
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Anyone following the NRL should be familiar with the name Marika Koroibete...considered one of the fastest players in the NRL and finished last season as the clubs highest try scorer with 16 tries. 
He has signed a contract with the Melbourne Rebels for the 2017 season... 
...here's a You tube montage for a taste of what the flying Fijian is capable of...i can see him on the wing at the next RWC for the Wallabies as he has already qualified under the 4-year residency rule...

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Is it the Art of Speed or the Speed of Art? I mean, how quick is he with a paintbrush?

kiwiinmelb

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="585333" data-time="1465207664">
Anybody mention Ray Price?</blockquote>
 
He would be one of the better Union to league players , 
Open side flanker for the Wobblies, probably the best loose forward in league in his era

pukunui

It's a hard topic unless you have clearly defined what make a player a great/the best. Two things that IMO are quite different. Being "best" to me means it's only based on performances and standing when compared with other players in similar positions/eras.
However greatest to me would take into account performance, standing vs other players in the position/era, longevity and achievements ie. trophies.
 
Pretty clear on here that at least since 2000 the top four in no particular order are Robinson, Thorn, SBW and Folau. Others like Sailor, Tuqiri, Roger etc are probably sit a rung down from these guys for various reasons.
 
Pretty hard to compare them if basing it on the above definition of "best" because only Robinson and Folau play similar positions.
 
In terms of 'Greatness' I would say the following.
 
SBW: His performances have been of high standard despite a slow start. His longevity probably suffers because he has been in and out of the game. He has plenty of High achievements 2xRWCs a super title, a super final, NPC title? Lots of Bledisloes and a RC or two. However he would be marked down again for the fact that he hasn't been able to surpass Nonu for that 12 jersey. Has the chance to really push his spot over the next couple of years with the lions then another RWC. He may already qualify as the most "successful" convert in terms of trophies.
 
Folau: I don't rate him as highly as some. He has has some good performances and has been Australias top 15 for a fair while now. However he would only have 1x RC and 1x Super title to his name and some individual medals. He was good against the Lions however was a complete flop in last years RWC. Injury or no injury that was the big stage where "great" players secure a legacy. HAs never won a Bledisloe either which is the second biggest trophy that Aus and NZ play for. As for SBW he has plenty of time to push himself up the ladder.
 
Robinson: Seemed to be around for a while and has the RWC and probably a few other trophies 6n? to his name. Seemed to be one of the better outside backs running around, particularly in the NH. Can't really remember too much about him to really mark him down much.
 
Thorn: Would probably number 1 for me. Had the longevity, played as a forward which is a harder transition from League, Has a RWC, Bledisloes, RCs and a super title and had success in Europe after leaving NZ. Really was a key player for the ABs later in his career.
 
 
All of this of course doesn't take into account their league careers but at least Thron, SBW and Folau had pretty successful careers before league. Im sure Robinson was the same.

SabalomG

it would be interesting if someone did compile a list of each trophy/accolade they each received. Thorn would probably win with all his Bledisloes and Tri Nations.

barbarian

Always a bit hard to rank players solely on what trophies they have won. 
 
SBW has won two World Cups, but how much did he really contribute to these victories? As opposed to a guy like Folau who played the full 80 as a key man in the losing side.
 
Obviously Thorn is the undisputed champion for trophies won, and was a key player in every side. But SBW has a similar pedigree without being nearly as central (for the ABs anyway).

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="585392" data-time="1465256161">
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SBW has won two World Cups, but how much did he really contribute to these victories? As opposed to a guy like Folau who played the full 80 as a key man in the losing side.
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You've obviously blocked out the second half of the 2015 final out of your mind and fair enough too.
 
I do agree with the general premise about judging by trophies however.

SabalomG

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="585392" data-time="1465256161">
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 As opposed to a guy like Folau who played the full 80 as a key man in the losing side.
 
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Did Folau even do anything of note in the final?

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Sabalom Glitz" data-cid="585400" data-time="1465259060">
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Did Folau even do anything of note in the final?
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He did a phenomenal '99 Jeff Wilson impression in defense if you watched carefully (easy to miss as often wasn't in frame when required). Ironically worst lapse was on the Nonu try SBW set up pretty much single handedly in successive phases.

The Silver Fern

Best League to Union convert