Curtis Rona

@ said:
@ said:
@ said:
Interesting that (according to Ch 9) Ivan Cleary was at Wallabies training today talking to Michael Cheika. Probably just coincidence…

Coincidence? I don't think so. Why would Cleary be at the Wallabies training at all if he didn't have some sort of agenda?

They were training at Concord.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Hahaha
 
Curtis Rona signals rugby future after surprise call-up to the Wallabies for the Bledisloe Cup

August 17, 20179:24pm
Iain Payten,The Daily Telegraph
\
\
CURTIS Rona signalled he’ll be staying in Australian rugby next year after the former NRL codehopper won a surprise call-up to the Wallabies.

Rona will make his Test debut in the furnace of a Bledisloe Cup clash with the All Blacks on Saturday night after replacing injured Western Force teammate Dane Haylett-Petty in the team.

Though he’s played centre for the season with the Force, Rona said moving back to the wing was no cause of panic given he’d played — and thrived — in the spotlight during his league career.

Rona said the Wallabies selection was a bright spot in a tough few weeks where the Force learned they were to be axed by the ARU; a move that carried the potential of driving the 25-year-old back to league.

Rona has admitted he is contemplating returning to the NRL but after winning his first Wallabies jersey, the 102kg flyer indicated he’ll be staying in the 15-man game.

“Definitely there is a lot of speculation about me going back to rugby league and everything but I have left that to my manager,” Rona said.

“I am going to see him today and speak about what we’re going to do but I am pretty confident I will be playing for an Australian rugby team.”

Ironically, Rona made his comments after Wallabies training at Concord Oval, the home ground of one of the NRL clubs he’d been linked to, the Wests Tigers.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika was even snapped in conversation with Ivan Cleary, who has said he’d be interested in recruiting Rona.
\
\
RONA: ‘I am feeling really confident’

CHEIKA: ‘Wallaby win against the odds’

Cheika admitted he hadn’t planned on blooding Rona so soon but after an impressive effort in the Wallabies training camps over the last month, his hand was forced.

“Curtis has been picked because he’s a high quality player who in camp has shown a lot of enthusiasm, aggression and he’s just been hungry to be involved in everything,” Cheika said.

“He has played on the big stage before in rugby league and I am sure he’ll handle it no problem.”

Rona was born in New Zealand and moved to Perth when he was eight.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said they’d be looking to pressure any debutants at ANZ Stadium and there’s no doubt the Kiwis will look to pepper Rona with kicks.

But 1.92m-tall Rona said he was more than comfortable under the high ball and years of defusing crosskick bombs as a winger in the NRL.

“Definitely. I have done enough to master taking the ball in the air and I am looking forward to that,” Rona said.

“I guess they can say whatever they want but I know for myself what I am capable of doing and I am feeling really confident coming into the game.

“It’s actually been an easy transition (to the wing) because I have spent most of my time on the wing in previous years and I am familiar with that role. It’s come (back) like second nature.”
 
Rona was a good player but meh take him or leave him.
And now he's a Wallaby ?!
I mean, I love to gloat about Union vs NRL quality players, but now it's just embarrassing…. Eto Nabuli and now Rona?
Whoa, has Rugby slipped or what? Sad!
 
Rona is a good player but a winger won't make or break the side. We have a lot of depth Fonua, MWZ, Thompson and Suli can play wing if Milne and Marsters live up to expectations.

We need some more forwards Prop, lock and edge backrowers.
 
To be honest he is not a massive loss he would have been handy but our forwards is where out recruitment drive needs to be.
 
Wallabies will always call up potential players to the Wallabies if possible, to try and prevent code-hopping. Same thing has happened with Taqele and Koroibete.

But obviously few players get a regular run in the top side, way fewer than play Super Rugby, so eventually you are not part of the long-term plans and code-hopping becomes feasible again.

Any rugby league converts who haven't come back to league eventually?
 
@ said:
Wallabies will always call up potential players to the Wallabies if possible, to try and prevent code-hopping. Same thing has happened with Taqele and Koroibete.

But obviously few players get a regular run in the top side, way fewer than play Super Rugby, so eventually you are not part of the long-term plans and code-hopping becomes feasible again.

Any rugby league converts who haven't come back to league eventually?
Click to expand...

Berrick Barnes.
 
Disappointing.

We have a lot of extremely similar players, small and powerful. We needed someone a bit taller and faster and he was both. High quality player who could have enabled us to score tries from our own half.

We need a fast winger or else we're reliant on scoring tries from 10m out.
 
Did Rona get linked to us because he used the phrase "on the bus".

I wonder who else we could slip this phrase too.
 
@ said:
@ said:
Wallabies will always call up potential players to the Wallabies if possible, to try and prevent code-hopping. Same thing has happened with Taqele and Koroibete.

But obviously few players get a regular run in the top side, way fewer than play Super Rugby, so eventually you are not part of the long-term plans and code-hopping becomes feasible again.

Any rugby league converts who haven't come back to league eventually?

Berrick Barnes.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

OK but arguable as Barnes played junior rep rugby.
 
It became evident to me that he was not going to come when I heard that we interested in Morris twins ….
pity he would have covered a lot of back line bases.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 416 (members: 7, guests: 409)
Back
Top