no it didnt

Two years after he signed for Warrington. So not remotely comparable to six games....



Yes, I'm sure they were pressured into playing a league FORWARD at inside centre. Hard to imagine that anyone at union would be any better.

He was even considered to play fly-half which considering his last league position was prop is quite something. When a union forward (particularly a prop) is ever considered for the fly-half position of an international team then I'll agree that Farrel was a flop.



Anyone with two arms and two legs can play for Wales. They had some class players but a tiny squad.

Wiki is wrong mate if you looked at that.!!

Ellis played for Bridgend in the Schweppes cup final in MAY 1990 and signed for Wire the next season Sept 90 and was in GB tour of summer of 91 so by my calculations thats the first GB tour he could of been on.?

The wales team that nearly beat england WC.? and its the same comparison to the farrel story he would never get anywhere near a lions RU team with the welsh and irish backs..lol

So what?

He didn't play six games and then get drafted into internationals so what's your point?

Nobody ever made it to the international team as quickly as the "failure" Farrell.



Well I suspect that even Farrell might have had to play the game more than a dozen times to be better than the Welsh or Irish backs.

Are you real.... henson(at the time) and darcy where way in front of him and by the lions tour roberts, flutley and hook where far better options. even alfie did the job against england at 12 in 2007.

Just becuase england picked him doesnt make him a great player in union that is.!

I didn't say he was great, I said it was absurd to dismiss him as a failure, particularly when he was thrown in at the deep end.

OK we agree to disagree, maybe he was good by englands standards of back line play.!

On his Twitter this morning, 1st post in over a week: "[iHi dudes.123 im back in the room.Been making some future plans so needed some Alfie time.Hoping your all ok.Off training.Chat later.x[/i" Hopefully he will make the move and play a couple of games for the South Wales Scorpions first to familiarise himself. Then the move would have a massive benefit for them as well. www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/ma ... eds-rhinos Quote ="The Guardian"The Crusaders have dropped the strongest public hint yet that the former Wales and British Lions captain Gareth Thomas will switch codes this season. Paul Retout, the chief executive of the Welsh club, has told the latest edition of Rugby League World magazine: "We have big ambitions here and the signing we are going to make will show just how ambitious. It will be a big-name union switch to league. This is about as big as you could get and it will put league on the map here. The guy really wants to come and is keen to give league a go."'"

On his Twitter this morning, 1st post in over a week: "[iHi dudes.123 im back in the room.Been making some future plans so needed some Alfie time.Hoping your all ok.Off training.Chat later.x[/i" Hopefully he will make the move and play a couple of games for the South Wales Scorpions first to familiarise himself. Then the move would have a massive benefit for them as well. www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/ma ... eds-rhinos Quote ="The Guardian"The Crusaders have dropped the strongest public hint yet that the former Wales and British Lions captain Gareth Thomas will switch codes this season. Paul Retout, the chief executive of the Welsh club, has told the latest edition of Rugby League World magazine: "We have big ambitions here and the signing we are going to make will show just how ambitious. It will be a big-name union switch to league. This is about as big as you could get and it will put league on the map here. The guy really wants to come and is keen to give league a go."'"

According to an article in The Sun he's extremely keen to learn the game of RL. Gonna have to be a f*****g fast learner isn't he.



For the record I have a lot of respect for Thomas and would rate him as one of the most exciting RU players I've watched, but to try and learn a professional sport (and play at a pro level) at 36 is crazy IMO.

Great publicity for Crusaders though eh.

He is only 35



No but seriously there aren't massive differences in back play in league and union, especially if you are on the wing.

Yes there is - you have to run with it in league.

Coming from Union to League though it's more about forgetting than learning. Forget to aimlessly hoof the ball forward, forget to play all pile on when someone gets tackled and forget to fall over when someone gets a finger tip on you.

Cant the Crusaders follow this up with a bid for the leg waxing, self pruning mega star married to Charlotte Church?

The involvement is the main thing.

The fact that he will be touching the ball most sets will have an instant impact on his body, the collision and general speed of the game will probably catch him out IMO but that is also to be expected. One things for sure it will create quite a bit of discussion around wales and should put a few more on the gate which is only good for Crusaders progression.

First thing he should do is read Inga the Winga's book... if that doesn't put him off, then good luck to him

What a legend - has to be one of the most successful converts of the last 20-25 years?

You're just jealous that the biggest Rugby comp on Earth is at least Twice as big as the best Union comp.



Care to disagree?

Oooh. My dad's bigger than your dad.

Quote ="Gareth Thomas""The future for me as a rugby player is bright. I have interesting options to say the least," he said. "Yes, moving northwards is one of the options... I feel I am as fit as anybody. If I decided to do another sport, all I have got in my head is a lot of experience and you can't buy experience - I don't feel like a 35-year-old when I am playing." '" news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_l ... 518962.stm

Quote ="Gareth Thomas""The future for me as a rugby player is bright. I have interesting options to say the least," he said. "Yes, moving northwards is one of the options... I feel I am as fit as anybody. If I decided to do another sport, all I have got in my head is a lot of experience and you can't buy experience - I don't feel like a 35-year-old when I am playing." '" news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_l ... 518962.stm

I wonder when he does feel like a 35 year old?

Funny how Nobby's gone and mentioned Andy Powell by name too. Not suggesting he's one of the few players he says they've had discussions with but while he's bigged up bringing union players to league long before he moved to Wales, it does seem he's cranked it up a notch today and that the club want to make a statement of intent.

Can't see the WRU shaking in their boots just yet though. Or Gareth Thomas being anything other than a poster boy for Crusaders. Hope I'm wrong.

1) proven try scorer 2) rock solid in defence 3) superfit sounds like RL material ( unlike Adam Jones ) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Rhys_Jones

1) proven try scorer 2) rock solid in defence 3) superfit sounds like RL material ( unlike Adam Jones ) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Rhys_Jones

Quote ="port64"1) proven try scorer 2) rock solid in defence 3) superfit sounds like RL material ( unlike Adam Jones ) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Rhys_Jones'" Yes at 21 or 22, not 35.

Quote ="port64"1) proven try scorer 2) rock solid in defence 3) superfit sounds like RL material ( unlike Adam Jones ) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Rhys_Jones'" Yes at 21 or 22, not 35.

Signing Friday ... timesonline.typepad.com/rugby_le ... sader.html

Signing Friday ... timesonline.typepad.com/rugby_le ... sader.html

Maybe, but my dicks bigger than yours