Joel Tomkins becomes another departing talent from Rugby League to Union
Joel Tomkins, Wigan Warriors’ ace player, is all set to say goodbye to his hometown club in a bid to test his skills in the alternate code of rugby. The player will join the Premiership champions Saracens from 2012, which is another instance of the out flux
of players from league to union.
The exodus of players from league has been highlighted for quite some time but authorities had been ignoring the increasingly alarming situation until they began losing real talent from league. However, this is not only upsetting for those league players
who are still loyal to their choice of rugby but it is also a worrying the league games organisers.
The question remains: Why do we see so many players opting for the alternate code of rugby? The answer is very simple: Money talks!
The players in rugby union are better paid which is the biggest reason behind this outflow. Mostly, all players who have made their debut in league, which is older in comparison to union, are inevitably lured by the big salary caps offered by rugby union.
When and how well a player is able to strike a deal for his future career is only a matter of time.
The reason for the cross code switch does not end there, but in my view point the list is much longer than just that.
According to me, the second reason of the preferred switch is associated to the popularity of the game. In that race, Rugby Union is far ahead of its counterpart, Rugby League. Union is considered more popular all over the world, which means that players
will have more chances to play and get recognition. Its fan following stretches across the globe, which means that you do not know which part of the world is actually breeding your fans base.
On the contrary, Rugby League is more of a local sport, which has localised fan bases, restricted to your own home town or may be your country, but the numbers are not even close to Union’s. This is a major drawback for League. Players are considered stars
in the world of Rugby League, may or may not be recognised for their talent in the remainder of the world. In other words, their celebrity status is also bound by locality.
Then, there are those, who were unable to make their mark in the league platform, hence they want to try their luck in the alternate code of rugby. This is also one of the reasons behind the trend.You never know, your failure in one platform may turn out
to be a massive hit in the other.
Lastly, in my opinion there are those, who have tested their skills in league and have already experienced the glitz of their league career and know their career is stagnated with almost all milestones already under their belt. Since, there is no further
award to win while continuing in the same on-field position they need to experience transition. This means that they have to embark on a new phase of their professional life. That may translate into switching rugby code or shouldering bigger responsibilities
such as coaching.
If the player is young and still has the energy and skill to continue playing, the player will definitely opt for more playing but in an alternate code. However, if the player is exhausted already, then code switch option will be written off and he will
go ahead with coaching. This time should be labelled as the payback time to the world of Rugby League and must be aimed for by all League players.
The views and opinions expressed int this article do not reflect the editorial policy of Bettor.com
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