Rugby union's strength at international level makes it an attractive option

Are the times changing? After Benji Marshall made a quicker-than-expected return to the NRL earlier this year, Super League has now welcomed back Joel Tomkins from rugby union, with the dual-code international heading 'home' to Wigan.

The duo's decision to move back to the 13-man game were obviously made by both parties for their own, personal reasons. First and foremost it is a boost for our sport, certainly. These players have not switched for the money, they have come back to what they know. Indeed, Tomkins comes back a dual-code international for England.

It used to be that players went from union TO league, back in the days when the 15-a-side code was still amateur. In recent times, the conveyor belt of talent has been reversed.

I think it’ is actually a fair leap, salary-wise, when switching from league to union in the UK these days. There is quite a substantial rise when someone goes from Super League to the Premiership. That isn’t the case, though, in the NRL. Not unless you are going to play in France, for someone like Toulon. The new television deal in Australia means the top players can earn close to seven figures a season staying put in league.

So if the attraction isn’t always financial, what else convinces players to make the move? That is where that carrot of international selection can be dangled, and it one that is very hard to ignore.

You can play in front of big crowds in rugby league and get paid well while turning out for your club; the added attraction in union is the chance to go on and play for your country, whether it be in an autumn series, a Rugby Championship campaign or a summer tour to South Africa.

To play in front of 70,000+ at Twickenham for three or so weeks in a row, or go to Australia and do the same, it is that lure that captures the imagination of all those who play sport, whether it be league or union. It is a way to earn a little bit more money, sure. But it is that added experience of playing on such a major platform. 

I myself have thought more than once about going to play union. It actually came close to happening at one stage of my career a few years back, there were a few options there. I can’t lie - it was an attractive proposition, even to play just in the Premiership.

Euro jackpot

And not only is there a strong domestic competition, but if you’re at a top six side there is the prospect of playing in Europe, travel to places like Biarritz, Stade Francais and Toulon. While we love teams coming to Cas to play us, and people love going to certain away grounds because of the atmosphere, there is something exciting about appearing somewhere for the first time. Those European competitions give you those possibilities in union.

You can play in front of big crowds and get paid well while turning out for your club; the added attraction in union is the chance to go and play for your country, whether it be in an autumn series, a Rugby Championship campaign or a tour to South Africa.

To have that lifestyle of travelling around and playing in different cultures is something rugby league can’t quite match.

As for my own career choice, well It wasn’t like I hadn’t played union before. It had been something of a 50-50 split during my youth, with a lot of my friends refusing to let me not play the 15-man code! I quite enjoyed it to be honest, and I don’t mind watching it now, either.

Back then I was a full-back, the same position I play now in league. That is one of the positions where your skills can crossover quite well between the two codes, but there are still plenty of intricacies to learn in union.

People can come to league and pick it up quickly, but union there are a lot of details to get right, a lot of places you can and can’t be at any one time. I don’t think anyone has made the move before and immediately taken to it like a duck to water.

Even a great player like Sonny Bill Williams took his time to fathom out how best his abilities could translate to the 15-man game. Once he had it down, he was obviously incredible. 

It shouldn’t be forgotten that Tomkins played for England, as too now has Kyle Eastmond. These guys are top-of-the-pile rugby league players.

That doesn’t mean it is always going to work. Marshall didn’t last long in union, though perhaps that had as much to do with the change of lifestyle. Some people are just suited, some aren’t. Perhaps had he gone to a different team things would’ve worked out differently, but he didn’t look comfortable at all. Maybe a bit more time may have helped, but he made the decision to return to the NRL. That’s a choice he’s quite entitled to make. 

It is brilliant that rugby league has been able to bring guys like Marshall, Williams and Tomkins back, particularly as they are still in their prime.

It’s not just great for the clubs they’re playing at but for the sport as a whole. It will improve the standard of the competitions and speaks volumes for the game that these guys want to come back.

State of ecstasy

It would be remiss of me, as a true Blue, not to mention the State of Origin result in this blog. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve enjoyed anything that I haven’t been involved in personally quite as much as this year’s series in a long, long time.

I’ve got countless Queensland fans who have reminded me for many, many years that they have been on top, so to be able to turn the tables for at least one year has been fantastic. I’ve not been shy to get in touch with them. It was nice to return serve, for once.

The games themselves were absolute wars of attrition - the first fixture was one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. 

Right now Origin seems to be raising in profile - there is more focus on it now than ever before, more money being made from it. The TV ratings are off the charts and it has become a real focal point for rugby league, and not just Down Under either.

The players are feeling that pressure, too. Some of those New South Welshmen have gone through some tough times, while Queensland have picked pretty much the same 17 for the last few years. When you only get a short time in camp, that unity and familiarity can be crucial.

The Blues haven’t been so consistent with selection, something that is understandable considering the need for instant success. Yet there have been some guys who have suffered, so it is pleasing for them to finally come out on top. It was certainly nice for one New South Welshman in Yorkshire!

There is talk of the possibility of an Origin game in the future coming to London. I know it would be a big ask with the travel times, and I’m not sure how the players would feel about that, so it would be logistically tough. But you never know in years to come, perhaps a week could be found either side of the game to help make it happen.

I know that was an original vision when Super League was set up in Australia - to grow rugby league across the world, develop it around the globe. Perhaps Origin can be the catalyst for the sport to expand the boundaries further. Maybe then that international carrot may be dangled in rugby league, too.