Tim Horan: On the possibility of Nathan Cleary heading to rugby union

Former Wallaby Tim Horan joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss his 'insider' knowledge of Nathan Cleary possibly switching to Rugby Union.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldergrave
from News Talk Sedby.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
We join it now by Tim Mhorn as we look
at the interesting case of a Cleary who might play
rugby from Wallaby's captain.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Good evening, Tim, very well, Darcy, A nice to be
on your show.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Mate, Thanks very much for joining us. All the talk
around rugby and rugby league at the moment is about
one Nathan Cleary in the chance of him actually deserting
the NRL.

Speaker 3 (00:39):
Starting to play rugby.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
This is huge for rugby, maybe not so big for
rugby league. But how solid is that rumor?

Speaker 4 (00:46):
Tim, Yeah, it's been the room has been around for
the last six or eight weeks that you know, Nathan,
whether it's his management team, whether it's Nathan, I'm not
sure who it is, but it's especially their interesting you know,
potentially playing the game of rugby, probably you know, in
the World Cup year and you don't think or what No,
Nathan and Cleary. He's done in the game of rugby

(01:08):
league's been unbelievable. He's achieved everything and more than what
anyone would probably expect. And maybe he's thinking of you know, Okay,
my last couple of years of my career I can
have a crack at rugby. So yeah, I think, you know,
if there's an interest there from either his management or
from Nathan, you'd certainly go and have a coffee with

(01:28):
Nathan Cleary and go ok, are you serious? And then
you just have to think about it from there. But
I think also there's so much talent coming through, you know,
the junior ranks for Australian rugby. It's probably not something
I wouldn't look at. But if he's interested, you certainly
have a chat to him.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
How many stops would they pull out Rugby Australia financially
to get a hold of someone like that.

Speaker 3 (01:48):
See that's the balance.

Speaker 4 (01:49):
See, so you know you'd have to get a third
party involved. You know, you'd have to get a couple
of rugby supporters to fund the cost of it, because
if you end up spending a couple million bucks a
year on Nathan Cleary, all the junior rugby clubs and
all the schools and all the young kids would go
hang on, while you're spending all this money on one player,

(02:10):
what about us?

Speaker 3 (02:12):
How do we support the game.

Speaker 4 (02:13):
So I'd have to be probably a fifty to fifty
split I think from Rugby Australia and a third party
benefactor if it was to happen, I think there's a
slim chance it could happen. But you know, as I say,
if there is interest from Nathan, you'd be mad if
you didn't have a chatter if they haven't already done.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
So how many eyeballs would he bring dear thing? How
effective would this be for eyeballs on screens and I
suspect bums on seats long term?

Speaker 4 (02:38):
Yeah, it'd certainly bring more interest to the game. And
you know, at the time the game now in Australia
it's reasonably solid. You know, it's after the spring tour
for the Wall of his last year with Joseph Suleye,
how well he played, and how well the Super rugby's
going and the brand of rugby. I think that everyone's
playing has brought a lot of interest back to the game.

Speaker 3 (02:57):
So yeah, it certainly would help Phil.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
It would be looking at this and trying to work
out that balance. As you said, a gross the unfair
for the kids coming through. The Superstar of league just
wanders into the role from a financial point of view
and a faith point of view of guys who come
up through the system. So he seems to be have
a good hand on what's going on in rugby Australia.
What do you think he's thinking, what's going through his mind?

Speaker 4 (03:22):
I think he'd be thinking, okay, well, if someone like,
you know, if there's any high profile, you know, rugby
league players that are interested in, you know, playing the
game of rugby, you certainly want to have a chat
to them.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
You want to have a chapter them personally, not to
their managers.

Speaker 4 (03:36):
You want to okay, if they are series I want
to look the guy in the eye and say, okay,
are you really interested in playing rugby? If you are,
you have a few more talks and then you've got
to go okay, well is the money best spent on
junior players coming through or do you throw a big
number at a player who's already established.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
That's the challenge for Rugby Australia.

Speaker 4 (03:54):
If there's any chance of Nathan Cleary potentially looking at
rugby UNI, I think it's a slim chance, but you
never know.

Speaker 3 (04:01):
What would you do. I probably wouldn't do it.

Speaker 4 (04:06):
I think Joseph surely certainly has been outstanding, but it
would sort of probably come down to meeting Nathan face
to face and go okay, well, how serious are you?
And then you could certainly if he's very serious and
it's not just about the dollars, it's about playing in
a Rugby World Cup and doing something different. I think

(04:28):
probably if there's any opportunity for Nathan to plan rugby,
he might gather the Northern Hemisphere, but that's.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Where his girlfriend lives.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
That's a very good point. What about pushback from the NRL.
They wouldn't like this at all? Is there golden boy? Well,
short of this season which hasn't been great, but he's
still got New South Wales to have fun and games.
So when you look at the NRL with their possession,
how much would they fight? That's just based on your
experience in lee and rugby in the media.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
I don't really know.

Speaker 4 (04:57):
It's probably you know, it's a case for probably more
so for Nathan than the NRL. But they wouldn't want
to lose him so surely. But it then comes down
to the and how serious he is about it. But
as I said, there are only rumors at the moment.
I have spoken to two or three people in the
last six weeks who are in the know who have
you know, decent dealings with different managers, and you know,

(05:20):
if there's a slim chance, you'd certainly give Nathan a call.

Speaker 3 (05:22):
And so is it real or not? And if it is, well,
happy to catch up one as far as you'd probably
take it.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
And one last thing, Tim Hornan, thanks so much chef
for joining us. How would he transition do you think
from league to rugby union.

Speaker 4 (05:36):
It's interesting because most of the transitions of NRL players,
whether it's a Lotty Takiri, Wendell sailor Matt Rodgers, they're
all outside backs. And for Nathan, you know, I'm certainly
he says he's a wonderful player, you know, one of
the best players we've seen in the game.

Speaker 3 (05:53):
So but it is more difficult.

Speaker 4 (05:56):
The closer you go in to the breakdown, whether it's
nine or ten or twelve.

Speaker 3 (06:01):
You know, if he was to do.

Speaker 4 (06:03):
Anything'd probably be at number ten and run the show.
But rugby ing is a totally different game than the rugby.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
League, There's no doubt about that. And look, if he does,
I'm sure a lot of people will be keen to
see how he goes. And after winning well four consecutive titles.
I don't know if there's much else that he can
actually do so he can understand maybe why he's sniffing around.
Tim Horran always a place with my friend. Thanks very
much for your time of great week end.

Speaker 3 (06:28):
Get on going to ask you mate.

Speaker 1 (06:30):
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