Best League to Union convert
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="584428" data-time="1464738032">
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<p>Can't really look past Robinson and Thorn, who's the best that went the other way?</p>
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<p>John Kirwan! ;)</p>
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<p>Edit - oh and Marc Ellis.</p>
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<p>Good old Warriors.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="584428" data-time="1464738032">
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<p>Can't really look past Robinson and Thorn, who's the best that went the other way?</p>
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<p>Matthew Ridge from NZ.</p>
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<p>There were a ton of Aussie league greats who played for OZ Union U21s.</p> -
<p>Halligan forged a handy career in League too.</p>
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<p>Hard to go past Jason Robinson at the moment. I suspect Israel Folau may take that spot though by the time he finishes his career.</p>
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<p>Thorn was a great player too, but he really was such a hybrid 6/lock that I find it tough to put him at the top tier of converts.</p>
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<p>Somebody who should have been, but couldn't hide from his troubles is Andrew Walker. He's got to be up there the most natural looking athletes that I've ever seen. Beautiful running game, huge punt and good defender. Just didn't have the mental part right.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="584439" data-time="1464739538">
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<p>Hard to go past Jason Robinson at the moment. I suspect Israel Folau may take that spot though by the time he finishes his career.</p>
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<p><strong>Thorn was a great player too, but he really was such a hybrid 6/lock that I find it tough to put him at the top tier of converts.</strong></p>
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<p>Somebody who should have been, but couldn't hide from his troubles is Andrew Walker. He's got to be up there the most natural looking athletes that I've ever seen. Beautiful running game, huge punt and good defender. Just didn't have the mental part right.</p>
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<p>Didn't Robinson play wing/FB?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="584434" data-time="1464739074"><p>
Matthew Ridge from NZ.<br><br>
There were a ton of Aussie league greats who played for OZ Union U21s.</p></blockquote>
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Ricky Stuart would probably be the best Aussie rugby to league convert. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="584441" data-time="1464739682">
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<p>Didn't Robinson play wing/FB?</p>
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<p>He was more fullback. But he was a universally acclaimed player.</p>
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<p>Thorn had many detractors around the globe mainly because he was quite short for a lock. He made up to for it though by being so tough, and with Kaino and Read being great lineout exponents, he worked well for our gameplan.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="584439" data-time="1464739538">
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<p>Hard to go past Jason Robinson at the moment. I suspect Israel Folau may take that spot though by the time he finishes his career.</p>
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<p>Folau is easily the best convert in Australia. Tuqiri, Sailor and Rogers had their moments, but haven't come close to achieving the dominance Folau has over multiple seasons.</p>
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<p>It's a shame he was injured through the RWC as he missed a chance to prove his greatness in front of a global audience. </p>
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<p>He has now won back-to-back John Eales medals and for me it's between him, BBBT and Robinson as best convert.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="584448" data-time="1464740670">
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<p>Folau is easily the best convert in Australia. Tuqiri, Sailor and Rogers had their moments, but haven't come close to achieving the dominance Folau has over multiple seasons.</p>
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<p>It's a shame he was injured through the RWC as he missed a chance to prove his greatness in front of a global audience. </p>
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<p>He has now won back-to-back John Eales medals and for me it's between him, BBBT and Robinson as best convert.</p>
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<p>Yep, Folau is way better than the others you mentioned. As for putting SBW in a group with them ...</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="584428" data-time="1464738032">
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<p>who's the best that went the other way?</p>
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<p>Likely not better than Ridge, but Inga was pretty underrated just because he plied his trade in the UK. He was pretty lethal by all reports on the wing for Wigan for a good 4-5 year stretch.</p>
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<p>Probably achieved equal standing in both games in much the same way to Jason Robinson.</p>
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<p>John Timu was at a comparable level.</p> -
<p>Henry Paul....</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Don Frye" data-cid="584445" data-time="1464740095">
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<p>Ricky Stuart would probably be the best Aussie rugby to league convert.</p>
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<p>I haven't followed rubby loig since Super League / Super Greed days (c. 1996-97) but Wally Lewis was a crack junior union player. Michael O'Connor was another good 'un. Fuck I miss those Hunter Mariners.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Don Frye" data-cid="584445" data-time="1464740095">
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<p>Ricky Stuart would probably be the best Aussie rugby to league convert.</p>
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<p>Ray Price and Michael O'Connor would dispute that.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Don Frye" data-cid="584445" data-time="1464740095">
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<p>Ricky Stuart would probably be the best Aussie rugby to league convert.</p>
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<p>Yep hands down. He totally revolutionised that position in league. I remember reading that Simeon Poedevin was gutted that he left for league. Pretty smart choice when you consider he wasn't getting paid and had a guy called Nick Farr-Jones in front of him for NSW and Australia.</p>
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<p>Best league-union convert has to be Folau I reckon.</p> -
<p>George Nepia.</p>
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<p>He was so good at league, we let him play for Canterbury!</p>
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<p><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">In 1935 Nepia went to England to play </span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_league' title="Rugby league">rugby league</a><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> professionally being signed initially by </span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streatham_and_Mitcham_R.L.F.C.' title="Streatham and Mitcham R.L.F.C.">Streatham and Mitcham Rugby League Club</a><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> in London for £500. His family remained in New Zealand. Because rugby union was a strictly amateur game at the time, <strong>Nepia was cast out from rugby union</strong>. Nepia later transferred to </span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_RLFC' title="Halifax RLFC">Halifax</a><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">. In 1937 he returned to New Zealand and played league for</span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manukau_Magpies' title="Manukau Magpies">Manukau</a><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> and played for the </span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Māori_rugby_league_team' title="New Zealand MÄori rugby league team">New Zealand MÄori</a><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> and </span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_national_rugby_league_team' title="New Zealand national rugby league team">New Zealand rugby league team</a><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">.</span><sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Nepia#cite_note-4'>[4]</a></sup><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> During July and August 1937 Nepia traveled to the South Island, representing both Hornby and </span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canterbury_rugby_league_team' title="Canterbury rugby league team">Canterbury</a><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">.</span></p>
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<p><span>Someone should adopt that bolded bit as a tagline!
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<p>Pfft, that was only 90 years ago. Try Charlie "Bronco'' Seeling!</p>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Bronco" Seeling was an outstanding forward in the Original All Blacks of 1905 and renowned for his tackling and his strength. </span><br><br><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeling played 39 matches for New Zealand, including 11 tests, before signing for the Wigan league club in 1910. He scored 54 tries for Wigan from 1910 to 1913 and played in three successive championship finals. </span><br><br><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He made more than 200 first grade appearances for Wigan over 13 years and had three years as captain. His name remains revered in British league, perhaps better known there than it is in New Zealand rugby. </span><br><br><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet Seeling was described by a noted British rugby writer, E H D Sewell, as a splendid specimen of manhood</span><br><br><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Search where one may,†Sewell wrote, “a better forward than Seeling does not exist.</span></div>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzhalloffame.co.nz/Inductees/S/Charlie-Seeling.aspx'>http://www.nzhalloffame.co.nz/Inductees/S/Charlie-Seeling.aspx</a></p> -
<p>Bert Cooke read one pundit said he was the Cully of his day...all 61.6kg of him!</p>
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<p><span>Rugby union career</span><span><span>[</span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bert_Cooke_(rugby)&action=edit§ion=2' title="Edit section: Rugby union career">edit</a><span>]</span></span></p>
<p>Cooke joined the Grafton <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_union' title="Rugby union">rugby union</a> club in 1919 and graduated to senior club rugby in 1923. In that same year he made his <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_rugby_union_team' title="Auckland rugby union team">Auckland</a> debut and was a reserve for <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_national_rugby_union_team' title="New Zealand national rugby union team">New Zealand</a> against <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales_rugby_union_team' title="New South Wales rugby union team">New South Wales</a>. He was then part of the 1924–1925 "<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Invincibles_(rugby_union)' title="The Invincibles (rugby union)">Invincibles</a>" side that toured Great Britain. He again played for the All Blacks in 1925 and 1926 but withdrew from the 1928 tour of South Africa for business reasons.<sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Cooke_(rugby)#cite_note-abs-2'>[2]</a></sup> He did play twice in 1928 for New Zealand against New South Wales before making his last Test appearances in 1930 against Great Britain.</p>
<p>Cooke played for the North Island in 1931 and spent 1932 with <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawke's_Bay_Rugby_Union' title="Hawke's Bay Rugby Union">Hawke's Bay</a>, before switching codes. Cooke also represented <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wairarapa_Bush_Rugby_Football_Union' title="Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union">Wairarapa</a> and <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington_Rugby_Football_Union' title="Wellington Rugby Football Union">Wellington</a> while playing rugby union.<sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Cooke_(rugby)#cite_note-Statistics_at_espnscrum.com-3'>[3]</a></sup> He finished his rugby union career with 121 tries in 131 first class matches.<sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Cooke_(rugby)#cite_note-abs-2'>[2]</a></sup></p>
<p><span>Rugby league career</span><span><span>[</span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bert_Cooke_(rugby)&action=edit§ion=3' title="Edit section: Rugby league career">edit</a><span>]</span></span></p>
<p>Cooke joined the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Rovers' title="Richmond Rovers">Richmond Rovers</a> club in the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Rugby_League' title="Auckland Rugby League">Auckland Rugby League</a> competition in 1932 and made an immediate impact, racing away for three tries in the inter-island game only weeks later.<sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Cooke_(rugby)#cite_note-akl100-4'>[4]</a></sup> He was selected for <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_national_rugby_league_team' title="New Zealand national rugby league team">New Zealand</a> that year against the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain_Lions' title="Great Britain Lions">Great Britain Lions</a>. Cooke also represented <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_rugby_league_team' title="Auckland rugby league team">Auckland</a> and captained New Zealand in two Test matches against <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_national_rugby_league_team' title="Australia national rugby league team">Australia</a> in 1935.<sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Cooke_(rugby)#cite_note-5'>[5]</a></sup><sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Cooke_(rugby)#cite_note-Statistics_at_rugbyleagueproject.org-6'>[6]</a></sup></p>
<p>He coached <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_rugby_league_team' title="Auckland rugby league team">Auckland</a> in 1936.<sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Cooke_(rugby)#cite_note-akl100-4'>[4]</a></sup></p>
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<p><sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Cooke_(rugby'>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Cooke_(rugby</a>)</sup></p> -
<div>League to Union: Brad Thorn</div>
<div>Union to League: Brad Thorn</div>
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<div>There....done.</div>
