Owen Farrell to sign for Wigan?

[David Shepherd]

3 minutes ago, Spidey said:

He may or may not make it as a RL player, but collectively we need to get this chip off our shoulder just because he's a RU player.   

Not really, they're two very different sports requiring very different skill sets and fitness levels.  

He made have played League as a junior, but after playing Union all that time, he will not have the required skills or fitness to easily transition to League.

[Derwent]

Unlike a lot of RU backs who have made the move to RL the lad can actually tackle and is very good defensively. I think centre would be his natural position in RL.

[Harry Stottle]

9 hours ago, Dunbar said:

He would have been a superb player.

Maybe not so much at 31.

He would have been a superb player in my opinion,

Edited for a more accurate assessment.

[Dunbar]

1 minute ago, Harry Stottle said:

He would have been a superb player in my opinion,

Edited for a more accurate assessment.

Seeing as though I wrote the post, I'm pretty sure that everyone knew it was my opinion.

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Spidey said:

He may or may not make it as a RL player, but collectively we need to get this chip off our shoulder just because he's a RU player.   

Never.

He's bang average for me as well. Not that I have watched Union for a while, but he seemed to sum up everything wrong with England RU. They haven't produced a decent "back" since Guscott and Greenwood.

The contrast with SH back lines is as stark as it was in 1990.

[ELBOWSEYE]

1 hour ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

You know less than nothing.

We have the richest co owner in the sport. 

But he needs a volunteer women's coach 

[Saint Toppy]

2 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Wow, this might just possibly happen. 

Where does he play though? It wouldn’t be just Wigan but presumably  England too (2024 Ashes anyone?).

The default position is always 13 because of his dad but would he really be learning his trade as a middle (loose) forward in his 30s? Would he really oust Victor Radley at 13?

Maybe he’d be better at 6 or 7 given he’s played most of his career as a fly half?

 

Even if he manages to make the switch at club level he'll be 34/35 by the next W/C. Not a cat in hells chance he'll be playing for England RL in the next WC

[Saint Toppy]

Double Post

Edited November 23, 2022 by Saint Toppy

[RP London]

1 minute ago, Leonard said:

Never.

He's bang average for me as well. Not that I have watched Union for a while, but he seemed to sum up everything wrong with England RU. They haven't produced a decent "back" since Guscott and Greenwood.

The contrast with SH back lines is as stark as it was in 1990.

I think his biggest issue is what he has around him to be honest. I think he works really well with a marauding Tuilagi (but he is made of chocolate so that hardly ever happens) or with an inform Henry Slade style player. Can do that from 10 or 12 so it depends who is on offer. But hes not on top of his game at the moment and that is starting to hold back Marcus Smith IMHO although that might also be Eddie Jones doing that, doesnt help that the 9 is about 85 years old either!

I think tactics have been as big an issue as players in the last 5 years under Eddie Jones.. its been turgid when other countries have been able to develop more flowing Rugby and the likes of Marcus Smith at club level can be electric

[Harry Stottle]

3 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Seeing as though I wrote the post, I'm pretty sure that everyone knew it was my opinion.

No need to be like that, I well remember your 'personal' assesment of some player's in the WC which evidently became completey left field.

[Harry Stottle]

2 minutes ago, RP London said:

I think his biggest issue is what he has around him to be honest. I think he works really well with a marauding Tuilagi (but he is made of chocolate so that hardly ever happens) or with an inform Henry Slade style player. Can do that from 10 or 12 so it depends who is on offer. But hes not on top of his game at the moment and that is starting to hold back Marcus Smith IMHO although that might also be Eddie Jones doing that, doesnt help that the 9 is about 85 years old either!

I think tactics have been as big an issue as players in the last 5 years under Eddie Jones.. its been turgid when other countries have been able to develop more flowing Rugby and the likes of Marcus Smith at club level can be electric

"Cross Code" content, banish it mods.

[Dunbar]

3 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

No need to be like that, I well remember your 'personal' assesment of some player's in the WC which evidently became completey left field.

Just a quick couple of points.

One, just pop back in the thread and see which of us started with a pedantic and irrelevant post this morning and then decide who has 'no need to be like that'.

And two, something doesn't become left field, left field is something that is surprising and unexpected so it is described as left field in the moment, it doesn't develop over time.

Apart from that, this post is absolutely bang on.

Edited November 23, 2022 by Dunbar

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, RP London said:

I think his biggest issue is what he has around him to be honest. I think he works really well with a marauding Tuilagi (but he is made of chocolate so that hardly ever happens) or with an inform Henry Slade style player. Can do that from 10 or 12 so it depends who is on offer. But hes not on top of his game at the moment and that is starting to hold back Marcus Smith IMHO although that might also be Eddie Jones doing that, doesnt help that the 9 is about 85 years old either!

I think tactics have been as big an issue as players in the last 5 years under Eddie Jones.. its been turgid when other countries have been able to develop more flowing Rugby and the likes of Marcus Smith at club level can be electric

Apologies if this is cross code forum.

Like I say - my knowledge is limited. But the Aussies can never muster a pack but can at the drop of the hat muster a back like that will finish chances no problem.

We need 3 chances to score one and will look for contact. Usually athletes shoe horned into being backs, rather than natural "rugby" players.

That seems to have not changed in 40 years.

On the flip side - the Aussies can't make forwards.

Of course NZ manage both.

I agree that from afar Jones seems to be a relic. The sort of coach who will always make games that should not be close, close -  due to tactics. Like Southgate, always concerned about the opposition.

Edited November 23, 2022 by Leonard

[Dunbar]

One of the things I don't think we can do is look at a player like Farrell playing Union and translate 'how' he plays to Rugby League because they are different sports that are played differently.

However, we can look at his skills set and see if that would translate.

When I look at Farrell, I see someone who pretty big for stand off, is very physical in the tackle, has an excellent kicking game and dangerous when he gets to run the ball - but not the pace to be an effective outside back.

For me, this skill set translates to League very well. 

This is all past tense now as I think 31 is too old to make an effective transition and make an impact but I wouldn't see him in the centre for League.  I would say he would be be in the halves every day of the week.  In fact, when I look at someone like Nathan Cleary at 7 for the Aussies... 6 feet and something like 15 stone and playing as a half back, organising a team and with a superb long kicking game pinning teams back time and again I think, wouldn't it be great to have an English equivalent.  Well, if Farrell had stayed in League then maybe he could have been that equivalent.

We will never know but I would like to have known.  Not least because I prefer good Rugby players to be playing League and not Union.

Edited November 23, 2022 by Dunbar

[Damien]

I'm still trying to work out the correlation between the thread title and opening post, because in that there is absolutely nothing to indicate Owen Farrell is coming to Wigan.

[Jughead]

19 minutes ago, Damien said:

I'm still trying to work out the correlation between the thread title and opening post, because in that there is absolutely nothing to indicate Owen Farrell is coming to Wigan.

He named his business after the town motto, what do you mean you can’t correlate a business name to a rugby league transfer? 

[RP London]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

"Cross Code" content, banish it mods.

go for your life.. 

surely though in any discussion about Owen Farrell being good enough to play League you have to look at his union career and discuss it.. if that makes it Cross Code then yep move it.

[RP London]

1 hour ago, Leonard said:

Apologies if this is cross code forum.

Like I say - my knowledge is limited. But the Aussies can never muster a pack but can at the drop of the hat muster a back like that will finish chances no problem.

We need 3 chances to score one and will look for contact. Usually athletes shoe horned into being backs, rather than natural "rugby" players.

That seems to have not changed in 40 years.

On the flip side - the Aussies can't make forwards.

Of course NZ manage both.

I agree that from afar Jones seems to be a relic. The sort of coach who will always make games that should not be close, close -  due to tactics. Like Southgate, always concerned about the opposition.

I would agree with a lot of what you are saying.. the big bash centre seems to be something that Jones is desperate for, whenever Manu is injured its which other big lad can we put in. Problem is that Manu is a freak in that he is big, has good hands and actually has some footwork but he is very direct and impactful, many of the others just arent. There are big centres and he wants them to play like Manu rather than saying, ok you cant do that, you have other qualities we should be trying to use, he just seems to like having the old school crashball centre without realising even with Manu he has more than that. 

He doesnt like pairing 2 ball playing centres together which is frustrating. But i do think it is a Jones thing. While those big bashers have to come from the club game they are not used in the same way as they are at club level... 

Farrell with a better back line I think would have been a very different player. At club level he looks much "bouncier" if that makes sense. 

[RP London]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

One of the things I don't think we can do is look at a player like Farrell playing Union and translate 'how' he plays to Rugby League because they are different sports that are played differently.

However, we can look at his skills set and see if that would translate.

When I look at Farrell, I see someone who pretty big for stand off, is very physical in the tackle, has an excellent kicking game and dangerous when he gets to run the ball - but not the pace to be an effective outside back.

For me, this skill set translates to League very well. 

This is all past tense now as I think 31 is too old to make an effective transition and make an impact but I wouldn't see him in the centre for League.  I would say he would be be in the halves every day of the week.  In fact, when I look at someone like Nathan Clearly at 7 for the Aussies... 6 feet and something like 15 stone and playing as a half back, organising a team and with a superb long kicking game pinning teams back time and again I think, wouldn't it be great to have an English equivalent.  Well, if Farrell had stayed in League then maybe he could have been that equivalent.

We will never know but I would like to have known.  Not least because I prefer good Rugby players to be playing League and not Union.

The other bit to remember is that his training and conditioning is all about union.. league wise he may have been a tad faster/slimmer depending on where they play him as his training and conditioning would have been about improvement of that. 

[Man of Kent]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

This is all past tense now as I think 31 is too old to make an effective transition and make an impact but I wouldn't see him in the centre for League.  I would say he would be be in the halves every day of the week.  In fact, when I look at someone like Nathan Clearly at 7 for the Aussies... 6 feet and something like 15 stone and playing as a half back, organising a team and with a superb long kicking game pinning teams back time and again I think, wouldn't it be great to have an English equivalent.  Well, if Farrell had stayed in League then maybe he could have been that equivalent.

Agreed. In a parallel universe, Farrell is playing as an NRL halfback (7).

[Big Picture]

3 hours ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

You know less than nothing.

We have the richest co owner in the sport. 

It's not about how much money a club's owners have, it's about their costs, revenues and bottom line.  And signing Owen Farrell would increase their costs hugely considering the sort of money he's getting in RU, without considering the transfer fee they'd have to pay Saracens if he's still under contract there.  And unless I'm mistaken Wigan's been losing money which is why Ian Lenagen sold part of his stake in the club in the first place.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

"Cross Code" content, banish it mods.

Leigh fans moan about thread hijacking.

Leigh fans hijack thread.

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

It's not about how much money a club's owners have, it's about their costs, revenues and bottom line.  And signing Owen Farrell would increase their costs hugely considering the sort of money he's getting in RU, without considering the transfer fee they'd have to pay Saracens if he's still under contract there.  And unless I'm mistaken Wigan's been losing money which is why Ian Lenagen sold part of his stake in the club in the first place.

Farrell smacks of marquee signing and 24 months later a massive right off and money out of the game.

[Madrileño]

5 hours ago, Ivarr the Boneless said:

Whether he'd be such an asset all these years on must be doubtful.

Not according to the captain of England.

(edited for clarity as dkw is posting confused emojis)

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Madrileño

[Madrileño]

1 hour ago, RP London said:

go for your life.. 

surely though in any discussion about Owen Farrell being good enough to play League you have to look at his union career and discuss it.. if that makes it Cross Code then yep move it.

TBF, there is a big difference between "looking at his union career" and people going on about "10 and 12 for the all blacks....Jeremy Guscott and Tuilagi" 

It has degenerated into a load of nonsense about union, instead of some technical detail around Owen Farrell. 

(He's not moving, BTW).

Edited November 23, 2022 by Madrileño