Talking Footy

Karmichael Hunt makes encouraging debut but Melbourne Rebels prove too strong for Queensland Reds

KARMICHAEL Hunt's encouraging debut for the Queensland Reds in Cairns was specked with moments of style.

Yet he will be happy to forget being fleeced for the 90m runaway try that got a 28-13 upset rolling for the Melbourne Rebels.

His injections into the trial were spasmodic but always absorbing for the 4234 curious fans with clipboards trying to assess how the three-code pioneer will perform as a first-time Super Rugby player of 28.

Hunt did not look like a player who had been on Planet AFL with the Gold Coast Suns since he last played rugby for five years ago — which is to say he looked comfortable and will only get better.

Karmichael Hunt’s kicking was assured against the Rebels.
Karmichael Hunt’s kicking was assured against the Rebels.Source: Getty Images
His first significant touch came in the 11th minute when a deft grubber kick ahead was pinpoint for winger Chris Kuridrani, who coughed it up in contact.

Hunt's assured kicking in general play was a positive and one clattering clean-out on Rebels flyhalf Jack Debreczeni was textbook perfect, a skill other converts from NRL backgrounds have taken far longer to master.



Equally, the Reds fullback comes in a 90kg frame so anyone expecting the sledgehammer tackle-shredding of a Folau are on the wrong track from the start.

Hunt did glide into the lineout wide as a running threat late in the first half. But the flow of ball to the Reds outside backs was often disrupted or poor because kid flyhalf Duncan Paia'aua dropped passes cold twice.

Hunt collected a Paia'aua pass and two defenders at the same instant late in the first half. Rebels winger Tom English stripped the ball and dashed 90m for the trial's first try.

Mike Harris of the Rebels is tackled by the Reds defence.
Mike Harris of the Rebels is tackled by the Reds defence.Source: Getty Images
Hunt played 63 minutes and he saved his moments of greatest authority to the end.

He smashed Rebels centre Dom Shipperley to the turf with a fine tackle just a minute after making an equally important one-on-one tackle on Mike Harris, another former Red, as the last line defender.

Hunt is not the Reds problem. It is finding a flyhalf for Round 1 on Friday week against the ACT Brumbies.

Paia'aua played like the rookie he is and halfback Nick Frisby was a better performer as a fill-in No. 10 for the final 20 minutes.

Flanker Beau Robinson burrowed over twice at the end of strong lineout drives from the Reds pack, which featured strong displays from skipper James Slipper and James Horwill for the 49 minutes they were on.

Sean McMahon put in an encouraging performance for the Rebels.
Sean McMahon put in an encouraging performance for the Rebels.Source: Getty Images
The Reds scrum and lineout were excellent, so that bedrock was the strength of this trial hit-out as well as the continued metres being made by centre Samu Kerevi.

Full credit to the Rebels, who were already ahead 14-8 when Slipper, Horwill and standout halfback Will Genia were replaced by the Reds.

They hustled and got in the Reds faces in defence and replacement Rebels prop Cruze Ah Nau scored twice from their own lineout drives.

The Reds will be dirty to give the Rebels a look in and must step it up again to play the Crusaders at Ballymore in the final trial on Friday night.


like Israel the AFL falure

top of his game in the NRL, plays AFL, to stupid, so slow, so unifit, to unskilled just not good enough crossed back to Rugby and looks to be starring already
real skill catch the ball from a 9 meter pass, running forward with it under your arm with no opponent, then off load it out to the left or right & repeat the process :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>
another dud from the NRL failed at AFL off to star in the other bumsniffing code

The_Wookie wrote:

With Folau doing well as well, one can only wonder if Union wouldnt be better off teeing up with a QAFL/NSWAFL club for developing players.

maybe, or does it just prove how much more of a more skilled, faster better games is than the rugbys

the rugby codes, can drink each others piss & poke each others bums & assault each other to look for improvements! hopefully the AFL has learnt from those to failures.

:_<>

Im sure hunt is devestated at the amount of money he stole off the VFL hey dumbo?

Wot was the final tally again

6 million





Do ya think a fumbler would be offered that by the NRL
For a bumbling ****** in a singlet ?

I think not
I think not

The Hunt saga did one thing n one thing only
It showed how pathetic the VFL is
Wot lengths theyll go to to

Attempt

to succeed outside their heartland
& how little theyve actually come in the last 30 years there

The_Wookie wrote:

At least they are doing stuff outside their heartland.

Wot
Conducting 3 ringed circus' s ?

Raiderdave wrote:

:_<>

Im sure hunt is devestated at the amount of money he stole off the VFL hey dumbo?

Wot was the final tally again

6 million





Do ya think a fumbler would be offered that by the NRL
For a bumbling ****** in a singlet ?

I think not
I think not

The Hunt saga did one thing n one thing only
It showed how pathetic the VFL is
Wot lengths theyll go to to

Attempt

to succeed outside their heartland
& how little theyve actually come in the last 30 years there

and look what happened dribbler dumbshit dave. they both failed, given all the time, millions of money and failed in the AFL
not 1, Izzy the failure but 2, cant play AFL hunt! 2 of NRL finest tried AFL and failed

why the fark would an AFL player take a pay cut to play NRL, hang around a bunch of bum poking, urine drinking *********!

if you want to talk expansion hows the NRL going in Australia
the swans are the biggest club in NSW & the Lions haven't won a finals game in a decade and are still turning over more money, more memberships & crowds than every NRL club out side of the Broncos!

hows the Storm going? most irrlevant club in Melbourne won premierships, world championships yet still few give a farrk about them! the NRL allowed them to cheat the salary cap, even gave them extra money to cheat their way to premierships!
still how are they going

I think he will have to put on weight to play union. 90kg is too lite.

Hardly bothers the average NRL fan what these former players do.
There are that many good players arriving in the NRL this year, people will forget these guys. Hunt is past his best as a league player so union can have him.

AFLsforPussies wrote:

I think he will have to put on weight to play union. 90kg is too lite.

Hardly bothers the average NRL fan what these former players do.
There are that many good players arriving in the NRL this year, people will forget these guys. Hunt is past his best as a league player so union can have him.

what NRL's finest arnt suited to AFL
youre right as they are to ******, to unskilled & stupid for AFL

Billy slater says hi .
Smashed your best at a multi sports challenge .

Lol dumbo .
Try harder son

Yeah the AFL could never get someone like Johnathon Thurston. I know for a fact he would kill it in AFL.

What we do need is an AFL player that actually has the balls to attempt playing rugby league. They all seem to chicken hey???

No points for missing or chances to drop the ball in our game. That only happens in AFL

AFLsforPussies wrote:

Yeah the AFL could never get someone like Johnathon Thurston. I know for a fact he would kill it in AFL.

What we do need is an AFL player that actually has the balls to attempt playing rugby league. They all seem to chicken hey???

No points for missing or chances to drop the ball in our game. That only happens in AFL

the NRL finest in folau and hunt failed at AFL level, aparently slater & thurston can do better
proven *********. top of their game in NRL, failed at AFL, starring in Union

Thurston wouldn't last out an AFL game. His bursts of pace are set for 80 minutes, not 120 minutes.

I think it's too early to judge Hunt. It was a trial match. And he would be going to match Folau because I honestly think it was Folau's input that helped the Waratahs to last year's title. Izzy was superb.

Foolproof wrote:

Thurston wouldn't last out an AFL game. His bursts of pace are set for 80 minutes, not 120 minutes.

I think it's too early to judge Hunt. It was a trial match. And he would be going to match Folau because I honestly think it was Folau's input that helped the Waratahs to last year's title. Izzy was superb.

Hunt will have to put on size to play union though. No doubt about it.

As for thurston, you get 4 quarters so is more rest time in AFL. I know for a fact his goal kicking ability would have had AFL clubs jumping to get him and his fitness would not be a problem. Thurston did not miss much in his prime when it came to goal kicks.

Would easily be as good if not better than AFLs best with accuracy. And I am talking field goals with a cross bar and no side posts while under pressure of being tackled.
Not like your easy AFL goals where the game usually stops to take a shot at a massive goal area with points for missing .
And AFL people try to say that is skillful???

Did you know that the AFL ball is actually heavier than a league ball? Not by much but enough. Also AFL balls are not as pointed making drop kicks harder to do. League balls are made for the drop kick. AFL balls are not. Thurston would need to adjust. Not only that could he be accurate on the run rather than off a step?

On the quarters, maybe, but the quarter and three quarter time breaks aren't that long if I remember.

I'd love for league to have six points for a conversion. But that's not happening. Such a value for a goal in AFL makes missing actually an exercise better avoided.

Oh sweet Jesus .
That is the biggest load of tripe I have read since dumbo last logged on .