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Is Marika Koroibete The Man To Save Australian Rugby?

By Jamie Wall
Marika Koroibete

Is one of the fastest men in rugby league on a fast track to obscurity by switching codes to play for the Melbourne Rebels? Jamie Wall assesses the case of soon-to-be Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete.

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Melbourne Storm winger Marika Koroibete won’t actually be going anywhere when he switches codes – the Melbourne Rebels share AAMI Park with the Storm. He is going to have to get used to something different when he plays Super Rugby next year, though. He is going to be playing for a team who are probably not going to be very good.

Actually, make that two teams. Koroibete’s deal with the Australian Rugby Union also includes a place in the Wallabies – he looks set to be selected for their end-of-year Northern Hemisphere tour before playing a game of Super Rugby.

Who is this guy the ARU are taking such a big punt on? The Fijian-born winger started out with an injury-disrupted couple of seasons with the Wests Tigers, and only really began to show his potential after a mid-season move to Melbourne in 2014. He ended the following season as the Storm’s top tryscorer and had earned a reputation for his extreme pace.

There’s this try as evidence. And this one. Valentine Holmes found out he is pretty quick without the ball, too – this incredible cover tackle effort involved almost running from his wing to the posts and back in one play.

But is all this going to translate into success in union, a game he hasn’t played since school?

Koroibete is travelling a well-trodden path for convert Wallaby wingers, with ARU more or less treating the NRL like its outside back development programme. There’s been a fair share of success stories, but about the same amount of busts – for every Israel Folau, there’s a Nathan Blacklock. For every Lote Tuqiri, a Clinton Schifcofske.

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Koroibete’s new team, the Rebels, have gone from being a retirement plan for veteran players to being interesting-for-all-the-wrong-reasons to finally settle on being characterised as a plucky, understrength outfit that can produce a few decent players. However, they’re unlikely to be anything more than that next season given Australian rugby’s much-talked about lack of depth.

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Obviously money is a big motivator for Koroibete, plus a few trips to South Africa, Argentina and Europe that rugby league wouldn’t be able to provide. Perhaps the key thing to not is that he is only 24, so there’s every chance he could slot right back into the NRL if his move doesn’t work out. As shown with the likes of Jarryd Hayne and Benji Marshall, the transition back can be pretty much instantaneous with no hard feelings.

One thing is for sure though – he can still feel comfortable walking down the street in Melbourne. Given neither the NRL or Super Rugby are actually the one code they really care about in those parts, he can be assured that, whatever happens, people on the street probably won’t give him any sort of hard time.

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Adrian 1 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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T
Trevor 4 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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