Sale raid Wigan Warriors, sign Thornley
Sale have raided rugby league side Wigan Warriors to secure the services of star teenager centre Iain Thornley ahead of the new season.
The 18-year-old was thought to be one of the hottest prospects in rugby league but Sale have snapped him up on a good contract and he will now make the transition into rugby union.
He becomes the latest signing in a long line of summer arrivals that have walked in through the Sale gates. They have been one of the most active clubs during the close season and are clearly looking to push on next season.
Thornley arrives at the club with a number of positive attributes that should work well for him as he settles in to life at Sale. However, it's important to remember that he is still a very young man and there are many dangers linked with this.
The Player
Thornley has a tremendous amount of natural talent for someone of such a young age. He is not as physically developed as he will be in a few years and the fact he has managed to make an impression at Wigan is remarkable.
He has a lot of pace and this makes him very difficult to defend against. He can switch positions in a second and this means that it's sometimes impossible for defenders to get across and stop him from bursting through a gap to score.
His ambition is clearly something that should be praised. Many young players would have ignored a move to the rugby union premiership completely and sunk back inside the security that their current club gives them.
Head coach of Sale Mike Brewer said: "Iain's name was brought to my attention shortly after arriving at the club and after having a look at him play and talking to him, I decided to sign him up - He is a big lad in peak condition who has pace, great handling skills and is very strong defensively."
A Few Dangers
A lot of people will argue that age doesn't matter in rugby but it is one of the factors that can often trip a player up. Thornley will have to play against some very experienced players and they will know all of the tricks in the book to brush him and push him off the ball.
He will be targeted straight away as a weakness by Sale's opposition. They will see the player as someone they can bully out of the game, push back and use to create a scoring chance.
Brewer added: "Iain is one of the hottest young properties in both codes of rugby. He has chosen to move to rugby union although he was a member of the Wigan first team squad and was attracting interest from Australian Rugby League sides. He will have to work hard but I have every confidence in him."
Betting Advice
Sale have proved with this move that they are not looking for a quick fix of success due to the number of people that have been brought in to the club. This is a move for the future and it would not be a surprise if Thornley has a massive impression in one or two year's time.
Sale are looking good as an outside bet for the title next season but it's unlikely they will be anything more than this. You will still get good odds on them if you act now but if they win their first few games of the new season, these odds will shorten dramatically. Keep this in mind if you're thinking of backing them.
Tags: