Eels Blogs

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          Coryn Hughes > Hell On Eels May 26, 2026 at 12:43pm

          I honestly hope we have an analytics division within the club to maximise dollar vs performance opportunities that's an area we can make gains.Maybe devise an RAS (relative athletic score)type system like in the nfl and then have a look at character traits via and interview type of system to maximise the mentioned.

          I feel we are behind the game here,another big off season improvement we can make is in Strength and Conditioning.Our ex S and C guy Blair Mills whose with the Hurricanes now is operating out of the best S&C setup in union in NZ here and has the Hurricanes humming they look bigger faster fitter than everyone there playing against.

          I feel for Parra to improve now we have to go out and do things different come up with something different or we'll always be last to the watering bowl.
          • 

            Hell On Eels > Coryn Hughes May 27, 2026 at 11:00am

            

            Coryn, 

            Looking at those great FB highlight reels of outstanding NZ rugby union talent you share regulary and we drool over like a kid in candy store, made me wonder: why do so few make it in the NRL? 

            My first gut feeling was the All Black National Pride factor, well-paid avenues like French and Japanese rudgy, and it being harder than it looks.

            Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe Blair Mills who many critized, if you recall, was better than we realized. We also criticized Matt Cameron when he left in 2012.  Constructively, of course (e.g. he is "garbage" and the reason our juniors are crap). I put that down to mostly well-intentioned social media culture and normal garden variety aspects of human nature from negativity bias to fear-and-trauma-induced factors. 

            Aussie RU players can make the transition like Joseph Suaalii, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Will Penisini. Ray Price. We've also got a few in our pathways e.g. Risati. It's definitely an avenue our club and other clubs look at. But really not that many make it, especially from NZ.

            I don't think it's because NRL clubs or our club is blind or stupid.

            So I consulted Pierre of Chat GPT to get more ideas, and I'd love to hear your views or others.

             

            Example of NZ rugby talent that has played NRL (very small number, outlier)

            • Sonny Bill Williams (NRL: 2004–2008, 2013–2014, 2020 | Retired: 2021)

            • Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (NRL: 2012–2021, 2024–present | Active)

            • Benji Marshall (NRL: 2003–2021 | Retired: 2021)

            • Brad Thorn (Rugby league top level: 1994–2001 | Retired from all rugby: 2015)

            • Ma'a Nonu (Rugby league involvement/trials only, no established NRL career | Rugby union career: 2002–2024 approx.)

            Reasons there are so few

            Because the jump from elite New Zealand rugby union to elite rugby league is actually much harder than it looks from the outside.

            A few major reasons:

            1. NZ rugby union already captures most elite talent

            The All Blacks pathway is one of the most prestigious systems in world sport.

            For many NZ athletes:

            • rugby union is culturally dominant,

            • schools funnel talent into union,

            • provincial pathways are established early,

            • and becoming an All Black has enormous status.

            So many elite athletes simply stay in union.

            ---

            2. League and union are less transferable than people think

            People see:

            • passing,

            • tackling,

            • running,

            • kicking,

            and assume the sports are nearly identical.

            But elite league requires:

            • relentless repeat-effort fitness,

            • compressed defensive systems,

            • different tackling technique,

            • faster ruck processing,

            • constant line-speed decisions,

            • different spatial instincts.

            A union star can look completely lost in league defensive structures.

            ---

            3. League especially suits certain body types

            The successful converts are often:

            • explosive runners,

            • edge athletes,

            • offloaders,

            • powerful outside backs.

            That’s why players like:

            • Sonny Bill Williams

            • Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

            could adapt so well.

            But many union positions do not translate cleanly:

            • locks,

            • props,

            • specialist halves,

            • breakdown specialists.

            ---

            4. The All Blacks pathway is brutally attractive

            If you're an elite NZ rugby schoolboy, the dream is often:

            1. Super Rugby,

            2. All Blacks,

            3. national fame.

            That prestige historically outweighed league for many players.

            Australia has had more union→league movement because rugby union is not as culturally dominant there.

            ---

            5. Survivorship bias

            People remember the success stories:

            • Sonny Bill,

            • Brad Thorn,

            • RTS.

            But forget:

            • the many trialists,

            • juniors,

            • fringe players,

            • failed converts.

            There are probably dozens of NZ union players who attempted league pathways and disappeared into reserve grade or local competitions.

            ---

            6. Modern professionalism makes switching harder

            In earlier eras:

            • raw athleticism could bridge the gap more easily.

            Modern NRL systems are now extremely specialised:

            • video analysis,

            • defensive patterning,

            • wrestling systems,

            • conditioning,

            • tactical repetition.

            If a player doesn’t enter league systems young, catching up becomes difficult.

            ---

            7. Financial reasons changed

            In the 1990s and early 2000s:

            • rugby league often offered significantly better money.

            Now:

            • elite union salaries are stronger,

            • Japanese rugby pays huge money,

            • Europe offers alternatives.

            So fewer NZ union stars feel forced to switch.

            ---

            That’s why the truly elite dual-code cases stand out so much. Someone like Sonny Bill Williams succeeding at near-world-class level in both sports is genuinely unusual — almost like an athlete making the NBA and NFL equivalent transition successfully.

             

             

             

            Absolutely — national pride is probably a major factor, especially in New Zealand.

            The All Blacks are not just a sports team in NZ; they are one of the country’s strongest national symbols. Playing for them carries:

            • enormous prestige,

            • cultural identity,

            • historical legacy,

            • and public admiration.

            For many New Zealand rugby union players, becoming an All Black is viewed almost as:

            • a national honour,

            • a cultural duty,

            • or the pinnacle of sporting identity.

            That emotional and symbolic pull can outweigh:

            • money,

            • tactical fit,

            • or even personal preference for league.

            ---

            League historically had a different status

            In New Zealand for a long time:

            • rugby union was the “national game,”

            • while rugby league was more secondary.

            So switching codes could sometimes be perceived as:

            • abandoning the All Blacks dream,

            • leaving national tradition,

            • or choosing professionalism/commercialism over heritage.

            That stigma has weakened over time, but traces of it still exist culturally.

            ---

            Why dual-code stars became huge stories

            Players like:

            • Sonny Bill Williams

            • Brad Thorn

            became enormous cultural figures partly because they crossed a symbolic boundary, not just a sporting one.

            They weren’t merely changing competitions — they were moving between two different sporting identities in New Zealand culture.

            ---

            Compare with Australia

            In Australia:

            • rugby union is not the dominant national sport,

            • so switching to league often carries less symbolic weight.

            But in New Zealand, leaving union can almost mean stepping away from part of the national mythology surrounding the All Blacks.

            That makes your national pride point quite perceptive, because the issue is not only:

            • tactics,

            • athleticism,

            • or contracts,

            but also:

            • identity,

            • belonging,

            • and cultural prestige.

             
            • 

              Coryn Hughes > Hell On Eels May 27, 2026 at 11:57am

              

              You forgot a few names Botica Ridge Innes Kirwan Tiuigamala Ellis and I'm sure if I could be bothered there are plenty more that have made the switch successfully.

              What I'm getting at here and always have been getting at if your not willing to have a crack and go for this talent someone else will.

              But you can always just continue down the failed path we are on in the outside backs stakes.The NRL is expanding and it's going to get harder to unearth talent within the sport so you've got to have a crack going else where.

              I mean the last time we had a crack we found Semi sleeping on a floor in a hut in Fiji go figure and he went alright.

              Arent you sick of seeing the club unearthing and recruiting dogshit outside backs.Even our own Will Penisini has a union background.

              Of course it's hard of course the odds are against us but how can we do worse when you've got the Storm and Roosters of late unearthing the mentioned talent and continually looking.So what do we do stick with the same same or give something else a crack.

              40 years 40 let that number marinate shit keep going like we are going and  call it 50.
              • 

                Hell On Eels > Coryn Hughes May 27, 2026 at 1:31pm

                

                Coryn, well said. I'm all aboard the "urgent athlete", especially if they move the dial on momentum.

                In principle you're correct, about spreading the net as wide as possible.

                But let's look at your body of evidence NZ RU developed to NRL. Let's keep it to this specific field and not blur the lines.

                • Tuigamala  — 0 NRL games. He played SL (Wigan) before going back to RU. You can't count him, mate. Not in NRL land.
                • Kirwan — 2 NRL seasons. Warriors (95-96). Didn't move to Sydney NRL club.
                • Marc Ellis — 3 NRL seasons. Warriors (97-98. Another NZ RU who didn't want to move to a Sydney NRL club.
                • Innes — 3 NRL seasons. Western Red and Manly. He played 6 SL seasons for Leeds.
                • Halligan — Great example. Played 230 NRL games. Played for Waitoko as a schoolboy (where he was born) before transitiioning to NRL/ARL. But that was about 30 years ago.
                • Ridge — Good example. Played for Manly and Auckland (Warriors). But that was about 30 years ago.
                • Sonny Bill Williams (my example) — switched to NRL as a teenager. And he couldn't handle NRL early, left and screwed the Dogs, before coming back.
                • Marshall
                • Brad Thorn 

                So far: 8 from over 7,000 players to play NRL or earlier formats. 

                That's barely a 0.1% success rate.

                Most we from the last century. A handful in century. I'm sure there is probably more we can add developed from NZ RU. But is it really that much?

                So it is the problem that NRL clubs are blind, incompetent, lazy (all the things we accuse our club of) or are their other factors? Ryles has also gone on record as saying the skills transferance especially in defence is a hard crossover.

                Again, I'm not saying it can't happen again or we shouldn't spread the net as far and wide as possible. 

                But let's just be realistic too.

                Please don't take this as a personal attack on you like some do (and sometimes I'm a bit too on the nose). Your footy head and posts are fantastic. Crickey's mate, if I were in the club's four walls, I'd pay you a small fortune and fly you around to scout NZ and interviewing constantly. 

                I wouldn't assume we don't scout NZ though or RU ranks. It's clear we do. How much, I'm not sure. Could we do more? Maybe, The club have stated they're looking at Island nations and the places you've talked about.

                Let's hope we can unearth the next Semi again, and but retaining them for longer than a few years would be just as difficult. But because the club is now attracting TPAs (thanks to the guy we want to sack) and looking to look after players and spend more on pathways more than ever that's going to help. We don't leak and cannabilze each other internally like we used to. That also helps. 

                The main thing right now is to get winning on the paddock as quickly as possible in a very over-heated market, however we can.

                 

                 

                 
                • 

                  Coryn Hughes > Hell On Eels May 27, 2026 at 3:07pm

                  

                   

                  What would you say Semi Radradra is worth today or was worth to Parra vs what we have developed or had since in those stakes.

                  All of those mentioned guys had successful careers they went from one code to another.What we are doing in the outside backs stakes isn't working so obviously your angle is because the percentage is so small we shouldn't try even though we are failing miserably at the mentioned.Are you suggesting we should continue down the same track just hoping for success.

                  I mean Melbourne must be absolutely stupid then because they've been adding Union talent for years when needed yet when we need it the answer your mentioning is based off a stat.Sorry I'm still taking a swing the NZ 7s and world 7s circuit is there to be plundered and has urgent athletes galore.

                  Roosters got Marky Mark are they stupid to.

                  How bout Manly back in the day grabbing Michael O'Connor.

                  Noa Nandruku at the Raiders.

                  Theres been plenty of great rugby converts over the years just because there a small percentile your argument seems to be based off that.

                  God help us if it is.

                  The club to succeed has to go out on a limb and try something different what there doing is bottom feeding there miles behind in recruitment in the mentioned area.
            • 

              Coryn Hughes > Hell On Eels May 27, 2026 at 12:24pm

              

              That AB identity that everyone sucks cock about is under huge threat and has been for the last decade plus hence why it's the time to strike at the heart of the sport.

              Its why the Warriors are attacking it at development and age grade high school levels because Union is top heavy here they aren't looking after the grass roots.What once was a game for the many is becoming a game for the few and nrl and European clubs are not only draining player talent but there draining coaching talent also.

              Speaking to my friend whose the attack coach for the hurricanes whose is in talks with Robbie Deans to go be the attack coach at Harlequins in the UK and he's up n coming one of the better and brighter prospects in the coaching circles here in NZ.

              Those players I mentioned and have been mentioning for years have been there to pluck but if you aren't looking or aren't all in to have a crack the ship sales and you miss out.Thing is here the last guy I mentioned played 7s that's seperate to Super a different entity hence why you look there.

              If you don't know NZR has just realised this and have had a huge clean out and redirection a the top with regards to how to stop and fix what ales there game.The mentioned window may close.It's still open now but again if you aren't looking and dismiss it like you seemingly are well it's an opportunity lost.
              • 

                Poppa > Coryn Hughes May 27, 2026 at 3:44pm

                

                Hoey, I feel you missed one very important statistic in your overview....

                So much so that I think it throws the main argument out.

                I believe you have ommitted to  look at the Australian Players that have played Rugby Union and successfully made it to the pinnacle of Rugby league, those numbers and names are never ending. Rugby Union backgrounds have been sprinkled through Rugby League since Dally Messenger went professional.

                I believe the culture of Union, especially in NZ has never been that coveted to want to play league in years gone by, especially while the All Blacks were so world dominating for so long.

                Our own Thornett Brothers being as prime as an example's as conversion from Union and really the list goes on and on.Should I not mention Parramatta's greatest player ever in Ray Price, the only candidates being Ken and Ray both Rugby converts.

                Players like Phil Hawthorn, Kevin Ryan, Michael Cleary etc etc, even many of our kids grew up not playing Rugby at a pinnacle but coming from Rugby just the same. Current Australian Wallaby, (cant spell-Penisi's mate) his name as recent as the last couple of years went the reverse way and thats happening now with Chriton, Lomax and any other hangers on that wants to play in a genuine World Cup/.

                Don't forget that we had the amatuer game and the professional game as a differentiater back in days gone past.

                If you are going to write a chronolgy on the subject, i think this chapter has to be added.

                So I am of the view that players like the one's Coryn identifies, mainly outside backs would have little problem making the switch. 

                Interestingly some halves would struggle, reverse reply some speculated about Cleary going to Union. I don't think he would suit, just my opinion. Many forwards have struggled going both ways, Rugby scrummaging is much more technical with different physiques being illustrative to that with giant line out jumpers. Breakaways are the only obvious comparisan,. They say Chriton will try and play centres in Union if he makes the Australian side next year, personally I think he is dreaming at his age.

                Dick Thornett was a second rower, Ken a Fullback and Ray a breakaway.

                Converging back to the difficulties it has to be aknowledged that many new rules have been brought into both games that make the codes less like than previously but standby that outside backs it is not a hard conversion.

                As usual and as you know, I am always a contrarian and I think these aspects have to be taken into account in the context of the discussion.

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 
                • 

                  Poppa > Poppa May 27, 2026 at 3:57pm

                  

                  Courtesy of AI

                  There have been 49 players who have achieved dual-international status by playing top-tier international rugby for both the Australian Wallabies (Rugby Union) and the Australian Kangaroos (Rugby League). [1, 2]

                  The exclusive club dates back to the split of the two codes in 1908 and has recently expanded. [1]

                   

                  The History and Breakdown

                  • The Pioneers (1908–1914): The majority of Australia's dual-code internationals came from the very early era of rugby league. Legendary figure Dally Messenger led a group of players who transitioned from union to establish the professional league code in Australia.
                  • The Modern Era Era (Post-1995 Professionalism): For decades, the flow went strictly from Union to League because League paid its players. However, once Rugby Union went professional in 1995, the traffic reversed.
                  • The Latest Addition: Outside back Mark Nawaqanitawase is the 49th and most recent member of this group. After representing the Wallabies at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, he switched to the NRL's Sydney Roosters and earned selection for the Kangaroos' Ashes Tour against England. [1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7]

                   

                  Notable Modern Era Australian Dual Internationals [1]

                  While early players transitioned out of economic necessity, modern cross-code stars are celebrated for mastering both modern variations of the game:

                   

                   

                  Andrew Walker – The first player in history to represent Australia in Rugby League (Kangaroos) before switching to Rugby Union and playing for the Wallabies.

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                  Wendell Sailor – A massive Kangaroos winger who successfully transitioned to become an integral power-winger for the Wallabies in the early 2000s.

                  ---

                  Mat Rogers – Multi-talented backline utility who scored massive points for both the Kangaroos and Wallabies.

                  ---

                   

                  Lote Tuqiri – One of the most successful converts, playing high-level Tests for the Kangaroos, transitioning to 67 caps for the Wallabies, and then incredibly returning to play for the Kangaroos again in 2010.

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                  Karmichael Hunt – A rare athlete who played for the Kangaroos, transitioned to the AFL (Australian Rules Football), and then returned to rugby to play for the Wallabies.

                  ---

                   

                  Israel Folau – Similar to Hunt, he achieved the feat of playing for the Kangaroos, moving to the AFL, and then becoming a superstar fullback for the Wallabies. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8]

                  (Note: Famous cross-code players like Brad Thorn and Craig Gower are not counted in this specific total of 49, as they did not represent Australia in both codes; Thorn played league for Australia but union for the New Zealand All Blacks, while Gower played league for Australia and union for Italy). []

                  If you would like to explore this further, let me know if you want the full list of early 1900s players, details on how their statistical records compare across codes, or information on upcoming players who might become the 50th dual international.

                   

                  AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses

                  
                  

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   

                   
                  • 

                    Poppa > Poppa May 27, 2026 at 4:07pm

                    

                    More Grist for the Mill.... compliments of AI

                    1. Played First Grade Rugby League in Australia First (NSWRL / ARL / NRL) [1]

                    The vast majority of code-switchers moved across the Tasman to join the premier Australian competition.

                     

                    New Zealand (All Blacks / NZ Representative Union Backgrounds)

                     

                     

                    Sonny Bill Williams: Played high-level junior rugby union in NZ before switching to league. He won NRL premierships with the Sydney Roosters and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He later returned to union to win two Rugby World Cups with the All Blacks.

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                    Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: A schoolboy rugby union star in Auckland who switched to rugby league with the Sydney Roosters and the New Zealand Warriors. He won the Dally M Medal in 2018, switched back to union to play for the All Blacks in 2022, and returned to the Warriors.

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                    Matthew Ridge: An All Black fullback who made a highly successful switch to rugby league in 1990. He became a legendary goal-kicking fullback for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and Auckland Warriors.

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                    John Kirwan: One of the greatest All Black wingers of all time. Late in his career, he switched to rugby league and played first grade for the Auckland Warriors during their inaugural 1995 season.

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                    Frano Botica: An All Black fly-half who switched to rugby league, playing first-grade for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in 1990 before moving to the UK.

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                    Craig Innes & John Timu: Both were prominent All Blacks who signed first-grade contracts in Australia during the mid-1990s. Innes played for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, while Timu starred for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

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                    Marc Ellis: A versatile All Black back who switched to rugby league to play first grade for the Auckland Warriors in 1996. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

                     

                    Pacific Islands (Fiji, Samoa, Tonga Backgrounds)

                     

                     

                    Lote Tuqiri (Fiji): Initially excelled in rugby league for the Brisbane Broncos, but his junior roots were firmly planted in rugby union. He crossed back and forth, representing the Wallabies in union and later returning to the NRL to win a premiership with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

                    ---

                     

                    Marika Koroibete & Suliasi Vunivalu (Fiji): Both were scouted directly out of Fijian schoolboy rugby union systems. They came to Australia to play first-grade NRL (Koroibete for Wests Tigers/Melbourne Storm; Vunivalu for Melbourne Storm) before both eventually switched back to rugby union to play for the Wallabies.

                     

                    ---

                     

                    2. Played First Grade Rugby League in Other Parts of the World First (UK Super League / RFL)

                    During the amateur union era, English rugby league clubs used substantial financial offers to lure elite New Zealand and Pacific Island union players directly to the northern hemisphere, bypassing Australia initially.

                     

                     

                    Inoke Male (Fiji): The powerhouse Fijian union representative moved straight to the UK in the late 1980s to play professional first-grade rugby league for Rochdale Hornets and later Salford Red Devils.

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                    Va'aiga Tuigamala (Samoa / New Zealand): Known universally as "Inga the Winger," he was a superstar All Black. In 1993, he shocked rugby by signing a massive deal with English league titans Wigan Warriors, where he became a first-grade icon and won multiple championships before returning to union.

                    ---

                     

                    Frano Botica (New Zealand): While he had a brief stint in Australia, his major league success came first in the UK, where he transitioned from the All Blacks straight into a legendary, multi-trophy-winning spell at Wigan Warriors in 1990. [1, 2]

                     

                     

                     

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                    Summary of Code Transitions

                     

                    Player [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]	Rugby Union Roots	First Top-Flight League Competition	Notable Rugby League Teams
                    Sonny Bill Williams	NZ Juniors	Australia (NRL)	Bulldogs, Roosters, Toronto Wolfpack
                    Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	NZ Schoolboys	Australia (NRL)	Roosters, NZ Warriors
                    Matthew Ridge	All Blacks (NZ)	Australia (NSWRL)	Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Warriors
                    Va'aiga Tuigamala	All Blacks (NZ)	United Kingdom (RFL)	Wigan Warriors, London Broncos
                    John Timu	All Blacks (NZ)	Australia (ARL)	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
                    Lote Tuqiri	Fiji / Brisbane Juniors	Australia (NRL)	Brisbane Broncos, South Sydney Rabbitohs

                    If you are researching a specific era, let me know if you would like to focus on the pioneering 1990s era when the All Blacks lost massive names to league, or the modern wave of schoolboy talent being scouted directly from the Pacific Islands. [1, 2]

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     
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  Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin May 26, 2026 at 11:54am

  Widely respected Parramatta Eels football manager Mark O’Neill who's turned the club into a powerhouse, is being tipped as one of the main contenders for the vacant NRL ceo position - NRL news.com