Swoop for another Fijian winger sees NRL journalist hit out at Rugby Australia
An NRL senior journalist has criticised Rugby Australian after the signing of rugby league’s Suliasi Vunivalu from the Melbourne Storm.
The Fiji league international has agreed to join the Queensland Reds from 2021, leaving Brad Walter to claim on Twitter that “the obsession with recruiting Fijian rugby league wingers sums up everything that is wrong with Australian rugby union”.
Since the signing was announced, the assumption has been made by many fans that the 24-year-old will opt to play for the Wallabies, just as current John Eales Medal winner Marika Koroibete did.
Both players were born and raised in Fiji but were signed by the Storm as teenagers. Koroibete also represented Fiji in league and many are expecting Vunivalu to make a similar move.
The obsession with recruiting Fijian rugby league wingers sums up everything that is wrong with Australian rugby union
— Brad Walter (@BradWalterSport) December 3, 2019
Will walk straight into the Wallabies side
— Mark (@MarkDGoldCoast) December 3, 2019
Fair chance if Rugby Australia is paying his wages he would be eligible for the Wallabies and be available for Wallabies selection as no. 1 option.
— Sean Hedger (@HedgerSean) December 3, 2019
Although Vunivalu’s intentions have not been confirmed, it has not stopped Walter from criticising Rugby Australia and their approach of turning to Fijian-born players to improve their national team.
Walter even points out that the winger intends to play for Fiji in union, but fans are nonetheless assuming a Wallabies call-up will happen.
I spoke to Vunivalu in Auckland a few weeks ago. He is passionate about representing Fiji so you are off the pace with that assumption.
— Brad Walter (@BradWalterSport) December 3, 2019
This is not a new occurrence in union or league, neither does it happen exclusively in Australia, but it is a longstanding problem that Pacific Island nations have faced competing against wealthier nations.
.@RugbyAU making true their aspirations of fielding a @wallabies team made up of the most number of #Pacificrugby players at the next Rugby World Cup. https://t.co/HDAM5MbBX1
— Kelvin Anthony (@kelvinfiji) December 3, 2019
Petaia with Vunivalu outside him!!
A big decade ahead.#Reds #Wallabies— Steve Henderson (@TTCSteve) December 3, 2019
In recent years there has been a backlash in league, particularly with the Tonga team, where players have opted to play for their country of birth, which has strengthened them immeasurably.
The class on show with the Fiji team at the recent World Cup in Japan was also an indication of what Fiji can offer if they hold onto their players. It is for that reason why Vunivalu may opt to play for Fiji instead.
The NRL seems to have a seemingly endless stream of wingers emerging, which is obviously very tempting for the Super Rugby franchises. However, from an Australian perspective, the consensus seems to be that the Wallabies’ weakness does not lie in their outside backs and bigger issues are not being addressed.
https://twitter.com/DarrenKilminst1/status/1201778942685769728?s=20
Need a half and pivot and more people that can kick. Not another winger
— Darwinb0y (@darwinb0y) December 3, 2019
Regardless of what country Vunivalu ultimately plays for, this will be an intriguing signing. The winger burst onto the scene in 2016 and 2017 and was the NRL’s top try-scorer in both seasons, but he has lost his potency in the last two seasons.
Having been part of the Blues as a schoolboy in New Zealand, union will not be new to him, and it will be hoped that he will take to the code immediately at the Reds after his final season in league.
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Comments on RugbyPass
guys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
1 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to comments