31 replies to this topic

[Lobbygobbler]

Would be a good news-spinner if someone like Koukash could make a bid for Owen Farrell and bring him back to the Rugby fold.

Discuss....

[nadera78]

There's no room in RL for a player who does nothing but kick the ball. And especially not at the price he'd be demanding.

[ckn]

I'm not sure any club's salary cap could cope with it.

I'm not convinced he's just a kicker, he has plenty of his old man's talent across the entire game that could easily be brought out with good RL coaching. I'd be tempted to give him a go if he'd come in at an academy player's salary!

[Futtocks]

For the same amount of money, and probably a fair bit less, you could get a proven world-class talent from within Rugby League. I can't see anyone making a bid for him.

Edited by Futtocks, 06 March 2013 - 10:08 AM.

[Pottsy]

If you were going to break the bank for a player in that mould, you'd sign Stevie Ward.

[Lobbygobbler]

Bums on seats would help pay

[Finn]

Bums on seats would help pay

Bums on seats wouldn't last long once they saw that Farrell wasn't any better than what we have.

But the publicity generated in emphasising that we are a positive, competitive, agressive sport would be worth its weight in gold in column inches, sponsorship, tv deals.

[Steve May]

Bums on seats would help pay

To be honest, I doubt most people likely to attend an RL match would have heard of him. I wouldn't recognise him in the street.

You could bill him as "Andy Farrell's son". That might help.

[1976PMJwires]

Why would he???

Maybe when he's 30+

Owen has 1/2 World Cups to play in, why would he come to the poor realtions.

[Middleton Bull]

I don't think Farrell himself would contemplate it until he had:

a) completed a union lion's tour and;
participated in / won a union world cup

[The Future is League]

The sort of money he would want would be better spent on junior development.

[Futtocks]

But the publicity generated in emphasising that we are a positive, competitive, agressive sport would be worth its weight in gold in column inches, sponsorship, tv deals.

Assuming the media don't immediately switch from "Heroic golden boy Owen Farrell, England's national treasure" to "Owen who?"

[Manx RL]

Better off with a dual bid for Danny Cipriani and Gavin Henson.

[Gav Wilson]

If Salford were to raid the Union ranks, I would like to see them go for Kyle Eastmond. No current International would even consider it.

I'm not sure it is even entirely necessary though.

[Lobbygobbler]

A good thing about Owen Farrell rather than other union stand offs, is that he has played RL as a youngster, and should have the core requisites.

The analogue I can think of would be Bev Risman who I think played fly half for England RU before Leigh signed him.

[longboard]

A good thing about Owen Farrell rather than other union stand offs, is that he has played RL as a youngster, and should have the core requisites.

The analogue I can think of would be Bev Risman who I think played fly half for England RU before Leigh signed him.

Charlie Hodgson might have the skill set and he knows a bit about RL having being brought up watching Fax. He'd have more chance to express himself than when he played for England.

[keighley]

A good thing about Owen Farrell rather than other union stand offs, is that he has played RL as a youngster, and should have the core requisites.

The analogue I can think of would be Bev Risman who I think played fly half for England RU before Leigh signed him.

I am old enough to have seen Bev Risman play and their are no similarities between him and Farrell. Risman had pace, a sidsteb, tricky handling skills. He switched to full back and became a GB international at that position for many seasons. He was also, like Farrell, a top class goalkicker.

Farrell, on the other has has no pace, no sidestep, makes no line breaks, his passing skills are OK but no world beating. He is no where near the size of his father and would not be able to be a top class forward if he came back to league. he will never make it as a league back. Compare hin with Maguire, Burrows, Watkins, Tomkins, Brown, Myler, even Albeltt as a centre, and he comes nowhere near any of them and many more of could think of.

Even though he is currently the designated golden boy of RU, he is just a game manager abd a goal kicker. His main claim to fame is his goal kicking prowess which is of supreme importance in the penalty fest that is RU, and thus his adoration and pre eminent status. He would need to do a lot more than kick goals at a top class RL club..

His signing would be an enormous flop. Dan carter on the other hand !!!

[Gav Wilson]

Even though he is currently the designated golden boy of RU, he is just a game manager abd a goal kicker.

The exact same could be said of the 'Golden' boy of RL too...

[keighley]

The exact same could be said of the 'Golden' boy of RL too...

At first glance, that would appear to be a valid comment. However, when Sinfields game is analysed in detail, he is a top player based on the sum of the parts of a diverse range of skills. See the threads on his golden boot award for a summary of his talents.

Farrell might be capable of most of the skills Sinfield exhibits, but his defence and attacking kicking potential has yet to reveal itself and he has never been able to orchestrate from the base of the ruck as Sinfield does.

For the amount of money it would take to get him into RL, it could be an expesnive gamble if not a downright flop.

[Futtocks]

Charlie Hodgson might have the skill set and he knows a bit about RL having being brought up watching Fax. He'd have more chance to express himself than when he played for England.

He must be getting on a bit - he was England's "nearly man" for years, and not recently.