Rugby player to try out for the NFL

Hazys · 15-05-2010 7:49pm #1

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/15/rugby-star-gets-interest-from-nfl-teams/

Aussie Rugby League player. Itll be interesting to see how he gets on.

Rugby vs American Football debate anybody?

frostie500 · 15-05-2010 8:24pm

Hazys wrote: »

Rugby vs American Football debate anybody?

Definitely not a rugby league debate anyway!

tallaghtoutlaws · 15-05-2010 10:08pm

Nothing solid but more speculation really. None of the articles about it have said he was offered the chance to try out. Would be interesting to see how he gets on if he ever does try out.

davyjose · 15-05-2010 11:17pm

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Nothing solid but more speculation really. None of the articles about it have said he was offered the chance to try out. Would be interesting to see how he gets on if he ever does try out.

The games are too different, IMO. Rugby is non-stop. It takes huge amounts of aerobic endurance to play rugby. And the hits/players are bigger in American Football are much harder, because of technique, but also because these guys have trained their whole lives for short, sharp bursts of strength.

That's before you even consider the years of skills honed from childhood needed to play two very technical sports.

I watched Jamie Heaslip tonight, and thought for a moment he could play in the NFL (if you didn't watch the Leinster-Munster game, the guy is a monster), but then I go back to, say, Ray Lewis' hit on sproles last season, and I realise he couldn't. Equally, I look at hits like that by Lewis and I say, "yeah, try to keep making those for the next 80 minutes and see how your lungs feel about that" - that's not happening either. He'd be gassed after 5.

The sports were once similar. But not now.

amacachi · 15-05-2010 11:24pm

League moreso than Union as well is non-stop. A fattie Union player would probably find it easier to convert to American football than any League player.

EDIT: Just read the article, would hate to see him go, unreal player when he bothers his arse.

eagle eye · 16-05-2010 3:22am

I've often thought that some rugby league players would make good strong safeties.

Lothaar v2 · 16-05-2010 11:05am

dayjose - I dunno, man. Antonio Gates made the transition from basketball (mainly endurance, minimal contact) to become one of the best ever TEs in the NFL. It's just a matter of training differently. If a rugby player was athletic enough for the NFL, then he COULD make it. It wouldn't be easy, and he'd have to be a phenom anyway. But I reckon it's doable.

I don't agree with the idea of NFL players 'not being able' to last 80 mins playing rugby, and vice versa. If the athletes have the basic God-givens, they can be trained to do either extremely efficiently.

I mean, if Ray Lewis wanted to play rugby, you can bet your @ss he'd be physically able for it. Ok, so he's a bit old to go learning fundamental rugby skills... but take a decent NCAA player, coach him up, and he'll be able for rugby no problem.

That goes both ways - rugby players could be excellent American Football players. (But wouldn't necessarily make it to the NFL, unless they're one of the best athletes in the world.) It's all about the quality of the athelete and the coaching he receives.

Hazys · 16-05-2010 5:19pm

Nice highlight reel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJeodGCjPbc

phili_g · 18-05-2010 11:37am

I've watched a fair bit of this guy playing rugby league from living in Sydney

Without exaggerating I would say he's the most physically gifted player I've ever seen play either code of rugby. If he ever decides to leave rugby league there will be an all out bidding war with all the big rugby union teams looking for his signature.

Check any of his performances in the state of origin series (the cream of the rugby league) and see how dominating he is.

Obviously he would take time to learn the rules of the NFL but he has all the talent. I think he would make an outstanding RB

Xavi6 · 22-05-2010 9:32am

Inglis is an absolute beast and an unreal athlete.

Could definitely succeed.

jdivision · 26-05-2010 3:52pm

Was at Origin tonight, good to see it. At the moment all the hype's about Jamal Idris, a 19yo kid big enough to play TE in NFL. Inglis did a lot of good things but didn't think he was amazing. Conditions didn't help tho.

tallaghtoutlaws · 26-05-2010 4:10pm

Not a Rugby League follower so I googled Idris and this is an article i came across

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/puppy-fat-or-a-saggy-dogs-story/story-e6frexni-1225702277122

Now I know they say first impressions count and all

:D.

Hazys · 26-05-2010 5:15pm

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Not a Rugby League follower so I googled Idris and this is an article i came across

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/puppy-fat-or-a-saggy-dogs-story/story-e6frexni-1225702277122

Now I know they say first impressions count and all :D.

He's Andre Smith's Brother!!! Looking at their "pecks"...*shudder*

davyjose · 26-05-2010 11:22pm

jdivision wrote: »

W a 19yo kid big enough to play TE in NFL.

I hate to drag this up, but being big enough, and being good enough, aren't the same thing. Ask Tony Gonzalez or Dallas Clark, if being big is all it takes to be a TE (each with a 100 reception season). you can say that for any position. These guys have been playing football longer than they've been able to read in a lot of cases. just jumping sports like that ... it won't happen.

jdivision · 27-05-2010 3:59pm

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Not a Rugby League follower so I googled Idris and this is an article i came across

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/puppy-fat-or-a-saggy-dogs-story/story-e6frexni-1225702277122

Now I know they say first impressions count and all :D.

**** sake john, kid's 19, not in a serious weight training programme til this year, you think in two years time - equivalent of three years college - he won't look different. Come on, ffs. Kid is an awesome natural talent

davyjose wrote: »

I hate to drag this up, but being big enough, and being good enough, aren't the same thing. Ask Tony Gonzalez or Dallas Clark, if being big is all it takes to be a TE (each with a 100 reception season). you can say that for any position. These guys have been playing football longer than they've been able to read in a lot of cases. just jumping sports like that ... it won't happen.

I'd venture I know an awful lot more about who can change codes than nearly anybody else on here. I said he had size to play there, meaning in my book that talent was obviously there, size is the secondary consideration.

tallaghtoutlaws · 27-05-2010 5:59pm

jdivision wrote: »

**** sake john, kid's 19, not in a serious weight training programme til this year, you think in two years time - equivalent of three years college - he won't look different. Come on, ffs. Kid is an awesome natural talent

I'd venture I know an awful lot more about who can change codes than nearly anybody else on here. I said he had size to play there, meaning in my book that talent was obviously there, size is the secondary consideration.

Dude relax I was joking. I don't know anything about the kid hence not watching Rugby League. I thought the

:D would have been suffice to show I was joking. That article was the first thing I came across when I threw his name in google. Hence the jokingly First impression bit.

Edit: But I will say Jdivision I agree with what you say all along. I do believe certain players can change sports and be successful at it. From the vids and articles I read about Idris it seems like he has that raw talent needed to succeed at any sport he put his time into. Proper coaching with a natural athlete can make him successful at any sport.

davyjose · 27-05-2010 7:27pm

jdivision wrote: »

I'd venture I know an awful lot more about who can change codes than nearly anybody else on here.

Duly noted, but still I'll not waive my right to have an opinion on the matter, if that's ok with you?

jdivision wrote: »

I said he had size to play there, meaning in my book that talent was obviously there, size is the secondary consideration.

I don't know how the talent is obviously there. Have you ever seen him play a game of football against players the calibre of the NFL? I don't know how anyone, untested, can "obviously" possess that skill.

Some people have struggled to cross from Union to League, two sports with very similar skillsets, so there's definitely no guarantees, but hey, I await to see this guy starting in the NFL in a few years.

tallaghtoutlaws · 27-05-2010 7:45pm

davyjose wrote: »

Duly noted, but still I'll not waive my right to have an opinion on the matter, if that's ok with you?

I don't know how the talent is obviously there. Have you ever seen him play a game of football against players the calibre of the NFL? I don't know how anyone, untested, can "obviously" possess that skill.

Some people have struggled to cross from Union to League, two sports with very similar skillsets, so there's definitely no guarantees, but hey, I await to see this guy starting in the NFL in a few years.

I think in this case no one can say 100% that he will or wont cross over successfully until he actually does and tries out American Football. A true athlete stands a very good chance of being able to play any sport and the amount of effort he/she put in and the coaching they receive will determine at what level they play.

Rugby player to try out for the NFL

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