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Australian Rugby League stars to test for NFL

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nooneuno

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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11752221

Two of the biggest stars in the game of rugby league are contemplating switching codes. Valentine Holmes is a 21yr old winger he'd probably translate to a WR but would more than likely start of as a returner.

The main guy that should draw the interest is Jason Taumalolo, 23 yr old kid built like a rock he's about 6'3 250-260. They have him projected as a TE or LB. I'm calling it now he'd be phenomenal coming off the edge in a 3-4

Taumalolo video - check out his leg drive and how hard he is to bring down.
 
Troglodyte said:
The tackling gets real ****** when you take the helmet and shoulder pads off.
Click to expand...

Rugby players make football players look like the pusxys they are. No pads and no helmets and no 45 second pauses between plays. That's balls and hustle. Something football lost under the Roger.
 
Do they have PED testing in that sport?
 
nooneuno said:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11752221

Two of the biggest stars in the game of rugby league are contemplating switching codes. Valentine Holmes is a 21yr old winger he'd probably translate to a WR but would more than likely start of as a returner.

The main guy that should draw the interest is Jason Taumalolo, 23 yr old kid built like a rock he's about 6'3 250-260. They have him projected as a TE or LB. I'm calling it now he'd be phenomenal coming off the edge in a 3-4

Taumalolo video - check out his leg drive and how hard he is to bring down.
Click to expand...


When I look at him I think Chris Fuamatu-Maʻafala.
 
In general Rugby players are tough, however, they lack the basic of NFL football skill ( blocking, catching, playbook IQ, technique, ) and the jump to the NFL is often too much.

Most of them are not fast enough to play RB, WR, DB. Most of them are not big enough to play DL or OL.

You might get some LB's, or TE's, but I have not seen a very good one...ever at these positions.

The best position is the punter, as they kick the ball in Rugby too.

However, if a Rugby player is exposed to NFL Amercian football in his teenage years, and comes to play college ball here, you can get a nice prospect.

It's too bad Goodell killed NFL Europe. I actually think some nations like Russia, Poland, Germany, and a few other Eastern European nations if they had a better program could add to the talent level they way they have done in the NBA.
 
Troglodyte said:
The tackling gets real ****** when you take the helmet and shoulder pads off.
Click to expand...

Actually most rugby players can school NFL players on tackling. When you don't have a helmet or pads on you cannot do the chop block tackles (which are illegal in rugby anyway) so you have to learn form tackling and how to wrap up. Give me a rugger any day and you can develop them into a good football player.
 
Coach said:
Most of them are not fast enough to play RB, WR, DB..
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There are over 20 plus guys playing in 7's at the Olypics and also at the World Cup level that all run sub 4.4 40 times.
 
Coach said:
Most of them are not fast enough to play RB, WR, DB. Most of them are not big enough to play DL or OL.
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Not fast enough? That has to be one of the most ignorant things you've ever posted and coming from you that says a lot.

As for not big enough Dave Dixon was a NZ under 17 rugby union player, he was at the movies one night got spotted by a scout, got offered a scholarship to Arizona State then played over a decade in the NFL as a Guard.

You're right in that getting them at a young age is more likely to pay off but these guys are athletes in their own right. There are plenty out there big and fast enough.
 
Have we forgot about Australian superstar rugby player Jarryd Hayne who was signed by the 49er's? Was recently cut and is no longer in football.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...cut-australian-rugby-star-20151031-story.html

Considered by many the best rugby player in the world when he was signed by the niners.




The average rugby player couldn't cut it in the NFL, they gotta have superstar status to be even looked at.
 
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Stewey said:
Have we forgot about Australian superstar Rugby player Jarryd Hayne who was signed by the 49er's? Was recently cut and is no longer in football.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...cut-australian-rugby-star-20151031-story.html

The best rugby player ever.
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Actually he retired from the 49ers to attempt to make Fiji's 7's teams in the Olympics. After he was cut last year he went to their practice squad and was reactivated later in the year. Still remarkable that someone who never played any American football could make the 53 man roster of an NFL team is extremely impressive.
 
SteelCurtain78 said:
Actually he retired from the 49ers to attempt to make Fiji's 7's teams in the Olympics. After he was cut last year he went to their practice squad and was reactivated later in the year. Still remarkable that someone who never played any American football could make the 53 man roster of an NFL team is extremely impressive.
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That's exactly what I'm saying...."its remarkable" that a rugby player can make an NFL roster.
 
Stewey said:
Have we forgot about Australian superstar rugby player Jarryd Hayne who was signed by the 49er's? Was recently cut and is no longer in football.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...cut-australian-rugby-star-20151031-story.html

Considered by many the best rugby player in the world when he was signed by the niners.




The average rugby player couldn't cut it in the NFL, they gotta have superstar status to be even looked at.
Click to expand...


Hayne wasn't cut, he left to try and make the Fiji Olympic rugby 7's squad. The guy was a superstar in rugby league not rugby union. The problem with Hayne was he was 28 when he tried to make the transition. Taumalolo recently won the equivalent of MVP (shared the award with another guy) he's a superstar of the sport in his own right and 5 years younger than Hayne when he tried to make the switch.

Hayne returned to rugby league on a million dollar deal, he's making much more than he would of made in the NFL as he'd only make vet minimum
 
The science behind rugby and football.

Not even close. Science says the force of a tackle in football is three times greater than that of rugby...4800lbs. of force in football compared to only 1600lbs. in Rugby.

Generally speaking football players are bigger faster and stronger.

 
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I don't get that science, the rugby guy hits another guy, the football guy hits a dummy? Why doesnt the football guy just hit another football guy wearing pads?
 
SteelCurtain78 said:
There are over 20 plus guys playing in 7's at the Olypics and also at the World Cup level that all run sub 4.4 40 times.
Click to expand...

I did not know that! Who are the? But like I said how many of them have football skills? Track guys out number rugby players and very few of them make the cross over to the NFL without college football experience.
 
nooneuno said:
I don't get that science, the rugby guy hits another guy, the football guy hits a dummy? Why doesnt the football guy just hit another football guy wearing pads?
Click to expand...

Maybe they tried. Would you volunteer for that?lol

The NFL and/or team may not even allow it. Too much invested in a professional football player to risk getting injured.

Regardless, using a dummy does not invalidate the experiment.
 
Coach said:
I did not know that! Who are the? But like I said how many of them have football skills? Track guys out number rugby players and very few of them make the cross over to the NFL without college football experience.
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There are plenty of rugby guys with transferable skills to the NFL. They pass differently but they have ball skills in regards to catching the ball. They also tackle lol They just have to learn the nuances of the game like blocking, route trees etc....

This is Julian Savea New Zealand rugby union winger he's 26. 6'4 about 240. Winger is usually one of the fastest players on the field. If he'd have been nabbed earlier in his career he'd be a pro bowl TE.
 
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This is Savea when he was in high school, a man among boys. Rumor is NFL scouts were at all his high school games but he chose to stick at rugby.

 
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