Chev Walker

[Mean Dean]

DV wouldnt get a game at Orrell.

[ince warrior]

jimofwigan posted:

HindleyGreen28 posted:
http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid ... ch+to+Bath



Bath have won the race to sign rugby league star Chev Walker from Super League side Leeds Rhinos, after the 23-year-old decided to switch codes in search of a new challenge.

Walker turned down the chance to sign a new contract at Headingley and it was expected that the Leeds centre would move Down Under to join the NRL.

However, Walker has now decided to remain in Britain and try his hand at rugby union, following in the footsteps of Jason Robinson and Andy Farrell.

Walker will now move to The Rec in November following the end of the Super League season, and he already has his sights set on making an immediate impact on the 15-man code.

"After eight seasons with Leeds Rhinos it is time for a new challenge, with the end of my Rhinos contract coinciding with my 24th birthday," Walker told Bath's website.

"Rugby union offers a new stage club and potentially international level. Having decided to switch codes, Bath rugby offers the promise of an exciting brand of rugby at a traditional union club with a great heritage.

"England coach Andy Robinson and Brian Ashton, as the then Bath rugby coach, have become inspirational mentors and I look forward to working with them in the England camp as well as the new coaching staff at Bath the rest of the Bath rugby squad."

After making his debut at the age of 16, things have not always gone right for Walker and he spent time in prison in 2003, but he has turned things around since then.

Walker has made eight appearances for Great Britain and featured in the Challenge Cup finals in 2003 and 2005, winning the Grand Final in 2004 and the World Club Challenge in 2005.

Bath director of rugby Jack Rowell says that Walker will be a great addition to the squad and has all the attributes to be a success.

"Chev is a young player with proven skills in the cauldron of Super League and he has also represented Great Britain," added Rowell.

"He has made a strong impact in rugby league and is now coming to rugby union. He is a quick, powerful and skilful player who will reinforce the Bath rugby back line.

"He is joining a great club in Bath rugby and he will have one eye on translating his talents onto the international field with England. However patience will be needed with Chev as it will take time for him to adapt to rugby union, as other players who have crossed between the codes have shown."

Bath, who first brought World Cup-winner Robinson from rugby league, added that the deal had been achieved in 'cooperation with the RFU'.

I will give chev maximum two seasons in the kick and clap routine before he reolises his mistake.

with all this switching codes, perhaps we could tempt some massive RU backs to come, and slip them a back-door payment outside of their contract.. we could afford it

[- psycho -]

apparently he will be playing for england RU according to the metro for the 2007 world cup.




b'day today!!!!!

[Fraggle]

- psycho - posted:
apparently he will be playing for england RU according to the metro for the 2007 world cup.

Has Walker actually played any RU before? One of the reasons for Farrell going early LAST season was so that he would have time to learn the sport and get fully up to speed in time for this 2007 World Cup, and he's had a little bit of RU experience (albeit 10 years ago vs Bath in the Cross-Code Challenge!). But the union guys are expecting Walker to be ready to play for England in just a year. Hardly a great incentive to any of the upcoming players who qualify for England, who know they've got little chance of getting a rep jersey when the Powers-That-Be just dip into their pockets to buy yet another league player with no experience...

[Nine]

Fraggle posted:
But the union guys are expecting Walker to be ready to play for England in just a year.

Should be plenty of time for a full-time professional if he's coached properly in new angle sof attack & defensive systems. It's not like he's new to rugby generally, just rugby union.

I agree it makes their player-production set-up look like the laughing stock that it is. But we need to be careful because in rugby league we have brought players over from the other code who have made our rep teams as quickly, even quicker. Billy Boston, for one. Class will out in either code, I suppose.

[Fraggle]

Nine posted:

Fraggle posted:
But the union guys are expecting Walker to be ready to play for England in just a year.

Should be plenty of time for a full-time professional if he's coached properly in new angle sof attack & defensive systems. It's not like he's new to rugby generally, just rugby union.

I agree it makes their player-production set-up look like the laughing stock that it is. But we need to be careful because in rugby league we have brought players over from the other code who have made our rep teams as quickly, even quicker. Billy Boston, for one. Class will out in either code, I suppose.

I'm sure he will pick it up, but then I'm left wondering why Farrell had to go at the particular moment in time, why everyone was so insisent that he would need two years to prepare for the World Cup? Ok, so he was out-of-action in any case when he made the move, but why could he not have seen out last season with us before going to Union? With hindsight, he (and they) may even have benefitted from that if he had not sustained all those injuries, although that's not to say he might not have picked up new ones...

[DaiJones]

Walker is being groomed for the 2011 World Cup really but it will be a bonus if he can take part in next year's. He could turn the trickle into a flow, as a Welsh Union fan, this is all deja vu, if I was a talented young teenage rugby player there's only one code I'd want to play professionally and it wouldn't be the one restricted to the North of England and the East of Australia with no decent international competition and restrictive salary cap and 20 20 rules

[jinkin jimmy]

What about spending a Russian summer at the fast emerging Strella Kazan?

[jaws1]

DaiJones posted:
Walker is being groomed for the 2011 World Cup really but it will be a bonus if he can take part in next year's. He could turn the trickle into a flow, as a Welsh Union fan, this is all deja vu, if I was a talented young teenage rugby player there's only one code I'd want to play professionally and it wouldn't be the one restricted to the North of England and the East of Australia with no decent international competition and restrictive salary cap and 20 20 rules

Rugby League like you say is restricted mainly to the North of England ,France,Australia ,New Zealand.Jason Robinson went to Rugby Union as did Andy Farrell just for the International scene alone .The salary cap does not help the Rugby League it is an inhibbeted practice which stifles the game.Rugby Union over the last decade has been influenced a lot by Rugby League coaches coaching Rugby Union Shaun Edwards ,Phil Larder ,Joe Lydon,Ellery Hanley Billy MCGinty just to name a few .All this came about when Wigan went to Twickers for the sevens and won against all odds at on stage they were losing 20 points and the Swing Low Sweet Chariot Brigade were in their element until the fitness level of Wigan kicked in and silenced them.It proved to Union that their fitness levels were not up to the level as League The Bath game against Wigan at Twickenham playing union and they also showed the vast difference between the fitness of the league players as opposed to the Bath side.I can see a few more players going to Union ,i cannot see League picking any Union players up but on the other hand Iestyn Harris and Henry Paul came back to League.