Why hasn't the ARU targeted Hazem?

[injuryupdate]

This is not an injury post, but I'm putting it in under the guise of sports science.

The word on the street is that the ARU are about to offer Mark Gasnier an unbelievable amount of money to switch codes. This is obviously based on the logic that he is the best current outside back in the NRL, which is the same flawed logic that they use when they got Wendell Sailor to make the switch.

Can someone tell them that the best league player isn't necessarily the best union player?

From my recollection, England won the last World Cup on the back of Johnny Wilkinson. OK he is a good five-eighth but an exceptional goalkicker. Goalkickers are worth their weight in gold in union, partially because penalty goals are worth 3 points, secondly because there are so many penalties given away by the defence and thirdly because a super sharp goalkicker makes a defence 'lay off' a bit because they are so scared to give away a penalty.

Hazem El-Masri is the best goalkicker in world rugby (either code), is a pretty good winger on the field anyway and on this basis should almost be in the Australian rugby league team. The criticism of his in league circles is that he isn't a 'big unit' who can come infield and do a few hit ups for the forwards a la Sailor etc. Of course this won't matter in union. The role of a winger is much more as a 'finisher' in union and Hazem is as good as anyone going around in this respect.

Last time Hazem was off contract he took a long while for the Bulldogs to re-sign him, again because he is 'small' despite winning them a few games per year on the back of his goalkicking. He would be winning the Wallabies more than a few games per year with his goalkicking, his weaknesses would be diminished, and the only reason why the ARU haven't had a crack at him, in my opinion, is that they are an organisation with a private school/Eastern Suburbs/North Shore demographic that doesn't think a Lebanese player would fit their marketing push.

[Mike Davis]

Peter hewat has kicked 16 in a row in the last two games for the waratahs and is a much better ball player than Hazem. Stirling Mortlock has a pretty good percentage for the Brumbies too, Cameron Shepherd hasnt missed many for the Force either.

Next time you watch a game of rugby watch how much work a winger/fullback has to do. you will be surprised and see that Hazem is just a finisher and not really as good a footballer as you think, in fact he would be exactly like Wendell Sailor, a big waste of money.

If he is comming off contract maybe he should go and kick for an NFL team in America. He can make plenty of money doing that.

[Unregistered]

You cant seriously believe Hazem El-Masri is the best goal kicker in the world. Dont get me wrong he has a great percentage but League players kick from one distance 95% of the time along the 22 metre line?. The likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Dan Carter and Elton Flately consistently kick goals from anywhere within their oppositions half. Jonny Wilkinson isnt a good 5/8 he is exceptional watch his passing tackling and decision making. Yes he one the world cup from some unbelievable goal kicking. But he actually one the world cup by a drop kick on his wrong unpreferred foot, bet u couldnt name to many players from either code who could dream of doing that?.

As for wingers just being finishers in rugby union proves you know very little about the game. Wingers in union need to be able to not only kick return but also be able to kick out of hand under extreme pressure. If you get could with the ball as a winger in union deep inside your half more than not you'l lose the ball. Thats why Wendell is not classed as one of the best players in the world he doesnt have any skills apart from strenght.

As for your opinion on the Lebanese marketing push, my opinion is he just offers agood goal kick and thats probably not enough

[Unregistered]

Hasem is by far the greatest and most accurate goal kicker of all time, in either code.
As for his plying skills, he may not be great, but he always gives his best.

[Unregistered]

Jonny Wilkinson is the best goal kicker and general play kicker in either code without a doubt. Being able to kick fluently on either foot isnt matched by any other player in world rugby. OK so you believe Hazem is the best goal kicker in either codes, A penalty on Half way and Half way towards the sideline? Hazem wouldnt even make the distance because league kickers dont kick further out than the 22 metre line?. Wilkinson, Carter, Neil Jenkins and peter Hewitt would have a much higher percentage than Hazem ever would. I admit Hazem is the best percentage kicker in the NRL.

[injuryupdate]

Wilkinson has kicked about 6 goals of any type in the last 30 months.

I would maintain that El Masri would be far better value for one of the Aussie Super 14 franchises than Gasnier, given that he'd come at a quarter of the price. He also has plenty of practice submitting in tackles, which is what you want to do in Union to get the ball out behind you. Carter is a great player but not available to Australia anyway.

[Unregistered]

Hazem: Great % goal kicking within 25 m and reasonably good finisher....but for union:

Unproven for long goal kicks
Compared to Gasnier/Rogers/Taquiri, unable to consistently beat a man one on one
Unable to punt/kick in general play well (does not even do take the penalty kicks for sideline for Bulldogs!
Lacks any sort of intimidation factor
Several yrs older than Gasnier
Union already have 2 league wingers, they do not need another one...but Mortlock is tending to be injury prone.

Sorry, but he would come cheap to Union because there is a lack of value

DK

[Syd Uni sports clinic]

Union fans might not like to admit it, but goalkicking is FAR more important to the outcome of their sport than it is in league for multiple reasons:
(1) Penalty goals worth 3 points rather than 2.
(2) Far more penalties per game than in league.
(3) Number of occasions in which the winning team has scored fewer tries than the opposition is far greater.

Based on this reality, it is amazing that for the purposes of WINNING games (as opposed to marketing/strategic reasons) that union have not made any moves to recruit the top goalkickers from league. It seems that the ARU is more content to target the most valuable LEAGUE player and try to convert their skills to union rather than looking for value in terms of whose skill set would be more valuable in union than league.

Beating a man one on one is an important skill in both sports, but it is of MORE importance in league than union, because you are more likely to be one on one in a sport with fewer players on the field and repetitive hit ups. This is the classic Wendell Sailor problem - he is great at evading or breaking a one on one tackle in either sport, and did it on a week to week basis with the Broncos, hence was one of the NRL's most valuable players. However, on moving to union his opportunities to do it are far fewer, and hence his greatest strength is less important in that sport. He was worthy of being one of the highest paid league players, whereas in union (if you take marketing/stragetic considerations out of the equation) he is probably being way overpaid compared to his fellow outside back union players.

[Mike Davis]

too bloody right wendell is worthy of being one of the highest payed league players and geez i wish he would go back to league.

he lost us the world cup with his pathetic defence and has committed the same defensive problems this seasonfor the tahs. Of the few tries scored against the waratahs i reckon 80% have gone around the outside of wendell who for some reason is trying to tackle the inside or outside centre. that is how the crusaders beat the tahs and any smart team would target him.

I reckon hazem would have a similar defensive problem and therefore would be a liabilty in a union team. i hate to be a parrot but the amount of kicks from the 22 in union are minimal and it is yet to be seen if hazem is powerful enough to kick accuratley and long enough to convert those essential penalties in union.

[The Bone]

Andrew Johns is the best kicker I have ever seen......the banana kick, the spiral wobble bomb, the goal kicks from the side line, pressure, grubbers, you name it he can do it.

And let's not forget some of the free kicks taken in the past by one David Beckham, dipping, swinging and changing direction into the back of the net

[injuryupdate]

the amount of kicks from the 22 in union are minimal and it is yet to be seen if hazem is powerful enough to kick accuratley and long enough to convert those essential penalties in union.

It's not going to happen with Hazem now because he's too old to switch, but it amazes me that Union has not ONCE gone after a league outside back who is a great kick for goal (Rogers is only average). It wouldn't take too long to do a field test to work out whether someone who is deadly accurate from the sideline in league could get the same accuracy in union from 40 metres out slightly in.

I still believe that the ARU targets the best league players and pays over the odds rather than those who would be better in union than league.

[Mike Davis]

It could be that rugby in Australia didnt have the household names that rugby league has due to the coverage rugby league gets in the media especially the papers and free to air TV.

In order to lift the games profile some big name players were targeted and since raised the rugby profile and, in wendell's case, lost us a world cup. I agree they should look for players with the talent to perform well in rugby. We dont need another overpaid turnstyle losing us a world cup.

Mark Gasnier has the talent to perform in rugby and the Matt Giteau contract size may mean that Mark Gasnier stays with Rugby league because i dont think there will be too many backers to make contracts that large for a player that hasnt shown his prowess on the union field, but Mark Gasnier will probably want one as an ego thing.

[Unregistered]

in reference to Wilkinson only kicking 6 goals in 30 months, u cant help injury mate but still one of the best goal kickers the world has seen and if fit any side in world rugby would gladly haver hin in their team.
As for Hazem being good at submitting in the tackle? and thats what you have to do as a union player haha. U obviously know little, in rugby union you dont submit in the tackle you try and stay on your feet as long as you can and wait for your support because if you submit in the tackle a good loose forward as in George Smith will take the ball off you, unlike in league whenever you get into any trouble you just hit the floor and play dead??? Do you agree??

[injuryupdate]

It all depends on whether you have support or not in union I suppose.

They might have to look at someone else now they have missed gasnier.