NRL Stars who could thrive in Union

By Rob Seltzer

While it doesn’t always work out a as smooth transition, there are several players plying their trade in the NRL who could be fantastic in the 15 man game. Here are our Top 5 NRL prospects:

Greg Inglis – At just 28 years of age, Inglis has many years ahead of him at the top of the game. At 6 foot 5 inches and nearly 17 stone, Inglis can play at either Fullback or Centre, and there isn’t an award that he hasn’t won in Rugby League. He has won the Premiership on two occasions with two different clubs, the World Cup and Tri-Nations with Australia, and he has many personal honours including being voted as the best player in the world in 2009. To see Inglis at number 13 in Rugby Union would be a scary thought. He has the pace, power and vision that not many other players possess. He has already been singled out by Geraint John, the Australian National Sevens coach as a player he wants to play at the Olympics in Rio and was rumoured to have been offered a huge contract by Toulouse. Inglis has committed to the South Sydney Rabbitohs for the current season but the ARU should get in quick - the thought of him linking up with Israel Folau is mouth-watering.

Shaun Johnson – With Nehe Milner-Skudder lighting up the World Cup and recently being awarded the best newcomer to International Rugby, Johnson joining him would make New Zealanders weak at the knees and the rest of World Rugby fear the All Blacks even more. He has a Union background and has represented New Zealand at Touch Rugby – and if you haven’t seen some of his YouTube videos, they’re a must-watch (see below). His footwork is simply mesmerising. Having broken into the New Zealand Warriors team in 2011 as a 21 year-old, his talent was there for all to see. However there were question marks on his decision-making, especially when under pressure and his defence. He has worked hard and his defence is and his general game control led him to be awarded the Golden Boot Winner in 2014. Should Johnson ever be tempted to switch, he would be simply devastating in the number 15 shirt, with space and time on the ball and Milner-Skudder in support, special things could happen.

Kane Evans – Moving away from the backs for a bit, we have Kane Evans. At 6 foot 7 inches and 17.5 stone, he is a big man who has just come off the back of his break-out year with the Sydney Roosters. Although a lot of his appearances have come from the bench, he has been touted by a lot of pundits as one with a big future in the game. With a number of players in front of him when it comes to representative honours, how long can he wait? He is a very powerful runner with an offload game that likens him to Sonny Bill Williams, and he is not afraid to put in the odd bone-crunching hit either. As a second row he could bring something a bit different with his ball handling skills, and his size and mobility around the park being a huge bonus.

Semi Radradra – The ‘Semi Trailer’ has been nothing short of phenomenon since his arrival at the Parramatta Eels. He was signed by the Eels after his performances at the IRB Junior World Cup and put straight into their under 21 squad. He moved quickly from there into their feeder team before progressing into the 1st team. Since then, he hasn’t looked back. He has amassed an incredible 48 tries in a mere 49 games, for an Eels team that has struggled in the league for the past couple of seasons. He is a powerhouse winger who has a natural finishers ability. At a time where truly top class wingers are a little lacking in Australian Rugby, they could do a lot worse than to look at converting the flying Fijian.

Daly Cherry-Evans – The Manly Sea Eagles playmaker has had a pretty tumultuous season just past. Initially signing for a reported $1 million season deal with the Gold Coast Titans, he performed a dramatic u-turn to stay at Manly. A player with a good turn of speed and the ability to create holes for other players, his running lines and the way he draws a player in just to pop a pass would suit the scrum half position perfectly. He has a great kicking game both defensively and attacking-wise as well. On the brink of selection for both Queensland and Australia, but with an extremely high level of competition for places, Cherry-Evans could be tempted in the future.