The Hunt for NRL talent

KARMICHAEL Hunt’s decision to become a tri-code athlete with rugby union, rugby league and now AFL has opened up a pack of worms.

Former NRL star Israel Folau’s signing with Greater Western Sydney this week isn’t expected to be the last of several rugby league stars swapping codes for perhaps greater money and greater opportunities in their careers.

GWS say it’s not a public relations coup. Put simply they believe the expense of $4m over four years is a long term investment not a ‘one year mimic’.

Folau is like the Chris Judd of the AFL; a super athlete with immense skills but very little knowledge and branding of the Aussie Rules game.

The AFL are expecting up to a dozen more former NRL players to swap codes in the next few years and not necessarily to the new teams – Gold Coast and GWS.

But as Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna puts it, teams must not be fooled by the natural athleticism in other codes.

“I know there’s been names bandied around all around Australia. Again, you want to be fairly careful from a football club making sure that they’ve had a history of the game,” McKenna said.

It also puts a dampener on wide hopes from young 17 and 18 year olds around the country that their potential spot on an AFL list could be taken by a deflection from an NRL star.

State leagues around the country are being mooted as the biggest recruiting grounds. But this statement appears to be misled given that former rugby league players are now the current trendsetters.

McKenna knows that Hunt’s early form will be drawn upon. Perhaps there will be some youngsters out their hoping that Hunt fails to adapt to the game.

Tell us what you think? Are AFL clubs doing the right thing by looking to recruit NRL players?