The Rugby thread

#1
Never really gave a crap about NFL but I must say seeing Aussie/Samoan Jarred "Plane"Hayne (reigning Rugby League MVP) light it up in his first preseason game for the 49ers got me a tiny bit interested. Loved watching the dude play Rugby League and for his first game ever pretty surprising what he did even if it were against lesser opposition than what you would see in a regular season game. There are some dynamic athletes in rugby league right now and the physicality in RL is far greater than NFL.

I wish Jonah Lomu would have given NFL a shot dude was the biggest freak athlete in Rugby Union history one team offered him a deal but he turned it down to keep playing Union and than dudes kidneys failed him and he had to retire. I was actually fortunate enough to meet him as a kid.
I have a question. Is Jarred Hayne as big as Rugby League in comparison to Lebron in the NBA?

The NFL wants to expand and I think the only way they get an expansion team in London like they want is if they can start pulling top tier rugby union players. Promoting a guy like Hayne will continue to make the Aussie crowd bigger, but I don't think the Australian crowd is big enough for the NFL to fully push marketing.
 
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KingMilz

Guest
#2
I have a question. Is Jarred Hayne as big as Rugby League in comparison to Lebron in the NBA?

The NFL wants to expand and I think the only way they get an expansion team in London like they want is if they can start pulling top tier rugby union players. Promoting a guy like Hayne will continue to make the Aussie crowd bigger, but I don't think the Australian crowd is big enough for the NFL to fully push marketing.
A couple years back he had a season where he was LeBron but he's been a perennial top 5-7 player for a long time although I would not say he''s been a clear #1 player like LeBron. He's a huge name in Australian sport and a elite name in Rugby League.

I would say a fellow by the name of Greg Inglies (freak athlete of aboriginal decent similar to Patty Mills) would be the LeBron of the NRL (Rugby League) I honestly reckon he would do better than Jarred.

You mentioned Rugby Union while it does have a lot of GREAT athletes to me the best Rugby athletes are in Rugby League it's a much more skilled/faster and even physical game (bigger hits) and quiet a good number of League players crossover to Union due to the higher money and the need for players with that type of talented.

I fail to understand why Rugby is not a big sport in America, it's a lot faster/creative/dynamic/more physical sport and with the athletes America produces they could rule Rugby and have the best comp on the planet there.
 
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#3
Jarred Hayne was and would still be one of Australian Rugby League's premier players. He is an amazing backline player who has played at international level for his country Australia as well as Fiji - he is not Samoan but Fijian in heritage from his fathers side and has represented both countries at world cup level.

Rugby League is a different game and so comparing him to Lebron doesnt quite stack up given his position as a backline player. On ability and importance to his team yes he is the equivalent of Lebron but there are stars in the game that suit the Lebron comparison better as they play the playmaking positions.

He is very very well respected within Australia which is a far cry for Rugby League players. His stints playing in the Australian nation team, the Fiji national team as well as the equivalent of all star games have always drawn crowds.

For background his representative side. i.e. the equivalent of demarcus playing for the kings is just that, Hayne was the best player, the star attraction for a team that dwelled at the bottom of the standings. More then once his skill pushed them to victory which is something given Rugbly League has significantly more players on the field and Hayne whilst more than able to, was not naturally selected as a playmaker who had the ball in his hands on every possession.
 
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KingMilz

Guest
#4
Jarred Hayne was and would still be one of Australian Rugby League's premier players. He is an amazing backline player who has played at international level for his country Australia as well as Fiji - he is not Samoan but Fijian in heritage from his fathers side and has represented both countries at world cup level.

Rugby League is a different game and so comparing him to Lebron doesnt quite stack up given his position as a backline player. On ability and importance to his team yes he is the equivalent of Lebron but there are stars in the game that suit the Lebron comparison better as they play the playmaking positions.

He is very very well respected within Australia which is a far cry for Rugby League players. His stints playing in the Australian nation team, the Fiji national team as well as the equivalent of all star games have always drawn crowds.

For background his representative side. i.e. the equivalent of demarcus playing for the kings is just that, Hayne was the best player, the star attraction for a team that dwelled at the bottom of the standings. More then once his skill pushed them to victory which is something given Rugbly League has significantly more players on the field and Hayne whilst more than able to, was not naturally selected as a playmaker who had the ball in his hands on every possession.
Unless DMC takes this years Kings to the NBA finals I don't see how Hayne and DMC are related, Hayne took a average Eels squad to a grand final with argubly the greatest 10-12 games of Rugby League ever (it was the best 10-12 week stretch I have ever seen watching League since about 1996).

I agree with the rest of it I always though Jarred was Samoan since Fijians tend to be a lot darker in colour my mistake on that one.

GI is 100% the LeBron of NRL he's played as a winger/centre (finisher) and playmaker and does it all with skills and amazing strength/speed.
 
#5
Unless DMC takes this years Kings to the NBA finals I don't see how Hayne and DMC are related, Hayne took a average Eels squad to a grand final with argubly the greatest 10-12 games of Rugby League ever (it was the best 10-12 week stretch I have ever seen watching League since about 1996).

I agree with the rest of it I always though Jarred was Samoan since Fijians tend to be a lot darker in colour my mistake on that one.

GI is 100% the LeBron of NRL he's played as a winger/centre (finisher) and playmaker and does it all with skills and amazing strength/speed.
johnathan thurston is the lebron of the nrl. there is no comparison. GI doesnt even rate on that scale. Thurston is the number one player in the game. The number one playmaker in the game. The number one player you would pick in the game if you were starting a team. He is a 3 time Dally M player of the year (and will most likely win it this year) and 2 time golden boot player award. GI has won the golden boot once - in 2009 and is hardly the player he once was.

the hayne your refer to and demarcus are in the same boat, you couldnt have drawn a better reference. Both young, talented players, the best at their respective positions in the league. Watch demarcus take the kings to the playoffs this season.
 
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KingMilz

Guest
#6
johnathan thurston is the lebron of the nrl. there is no comparison. GI doesnt even rate on that scale. Thurston is the number one player in the game. The number one playmaker in the game. The number one player you would pick in the game if you were starting a team. He is a 3 time Dally M player of the year (and will most likely win it this year) and 2 time golden boot player award. GI has won the golden boot once - in 2009 and is hardly the player he once was.

the hayne your refer to and demarcus are in the same boat, you couldnt have drawn a better reference. Both young, talented players, the best at their respective positions in the league. Watch demarcus take the kings to the playoffs this season.
Thurstans is amazing but he doesn't have that next level athletic ability (for it to be a comparison to LB), JT is more of a Cp3 (never won a title either/ well JT did but as a sub and would have never played had Steve Price not been healthy) or Curry, GI has done it all from winning titles on 2 different teams (same as LeBron) and his ability to dominate with both athletic brilliance and great IQ while playing 4 positions at the highest level throughout his career. You could not go wrong with either but.
 
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#7
true.

if you were building a team - who would you pick first ? JT or GI :D i think that says it all.

JT is the next immoral. three Dally Ms, a record 30 consecutive Origins and a premiership ring to his name.

Its established fact. GI will most likely get there as there is no doubting his greatness but JT is the best out of the current player base.