Luke McAlister

[quirkealiss]

terrible loss to NZ that's fowsure

 

[weasel5000]

He is exceptionally talented and has great speed for someone with such a low centre of gravity. I think his the game up North will help to improve him for 2011

 

[Dmx#1]

He is exceptionally talented and has great speed for someone with such a low centre of gravity. I think his the game up North will help to improve him for 2011

[/b]

Really? I don't. I think his skills will be exactly the same or he won't be as good.

 

[SaintsFan_Webby]

<div class='quotemain'> He is exceptionally talented and has great speed for someone with such a low centre of gravity. I think his the game up North will help to improve him for 2011

[/b]

Really? I don't. I think his skills will be exactly the same or he won't be as good.
[/b][/quote]

Or, if you opened your mind just a little, you might realise that he could develop into a player with a more rounded skill set having played at the top level on either side of the world.

And mabye learn when and where to use a drop goal.

 

[Bullitt]

Pwnd

 

[scuubasteve]

<div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotemain'> He is exceptionally talented and has great speed for someone with such a low centre of gravity. I think his the game up North will help to improve him for 2011

[/b]

Really? I don't. I think his skills will be exactly the same or he won't be as good.
[/b][/quote]

Or, if you opened your mind just a little, you might realise that he could develop into a player with a more rounded skill set having played at the top level on either side of the world.

And mabye learn when and where to use a drop goal.
[/b][/quote]

Harsh, but fair enough on the dropped goal.

But, I'd feel more confident of Hayman coming back better then he left. However, McAlister would very likely have developed faster if he had remained in NZ rather than shifting to the UK.

He will be something of a Guinea Pig if he does return. There aren't many players who have been there and back again as a player. Andrew Blowers is one of the only guys I can think of who left NZ as a capped (but discarded) All Black at a young age (25).

Coincedentally he went to Northhampton of all places, where he carved out a pretty decent career, before returning to NZ where he barely registered on the radar (not helped by injury). He's now back in the UK with Bristol isn't he?

So it's fair to say that should McAlister return in 2.5years time he will be watched closely as a measure of the developmental environment of the UK.

 

[SaintsFan_Webby]

Andrew Blowers is one of the only guys I can think of who left NZ as a capped (but discarded) All Black at a young age (25).

Coincedentally he went to Northhampton of all places, where he carved out a pretty decent career, before returning to NZ where he barely registered on the radar (not helped by injury). He's now back in the UK with Bristol isn't he?[/b]

Having developed a great admiration for Blowers in his time here, I assure you he would have done a better job than the likes of Reuben Thorne in the 2003 RWC squad.

Concussion injuries greatly hampered him after he left us I believe, but he is now back in England turning out rock-solid performances week-in week-out.

Skill sets don't suddenly drop off just because a player moves to somewhere other than his own country. McAlister will have to adapt to different conditions, but I would firmly expect the change to aid his growth as a player.

Equally, I would expect the same of Michelak going to play in the physical climate of South Africa.

Anyone who thinks coming to Europe will damage a player in some way clearly has some sort of strange view of what goes on up here.

 

[scuubasteve]

Tough on the Reuben Thorne call, he was the captain in 03 afterall...

I guess while there's a general chip on the shoulder and ill feelings regarding the NH addiction for bringing in more and better foreign talent, then SH fans will always question the development potential of the NH clubs competitions, possibly unfairly because of the apparent conflict of interest between North and South.

Whether it has any basis or not can't yet be proven. But maybe Michalak will dispell the myth after a season in the Super14? How do you think he'll go with the Sharks next year?

I wonder whether he'll have the same turnstile pulling power as a SH import in the NH? He must be one of the more fan fare generating NH players, with the modelling etc and the flamboyant playing style. Something of a Carlos of the North really (althought I guess you'd argue Carlos is of the north now anyway).

 

[Ripper]

McAlister would've been better suited to staying in New Zealand, playing against Giteau and Mortlock 5 times a year is better than playing 22 games against (mostly) international journeymen, has beens and never will bes.

Either way, he'll be back in 2009, he will have enough money to shut his wife and daddy up and he'll get bored of having to play with Hodgson soon enough. (Whatever happened to him? He was a beast on the Lions Tours, but whenver i've seen him since he's done jack squat)

 

[skarnage]

he played exceptionally well in the world cup and it was a shame that he was sinbinned in the quarters

 

[Bullitt]

Either way, he'll be back in 2009, he will have enough money to shut his wife and daddy up and he'll get bored of having to play with Hodgson soon enough. (Whatever happened to him? He was a beast on the Lions Tours, but whenver i've seen him since he's done jack squat) [/b]

Was injured for a large portion of last year, but apart from the Lions tour (where he was criminally overlooked for Jonny "the name" Wilkinson), he's never good been anywhere except at club level.