Auckland Blues captain Tom Robinson joins Cheree Kinnear to preview their clash against the Melbourne Rebels along with the weekend's sport. Video / NZ Herald
OPINION:
For a moment, imagine the scene.
The Roosters playing the Panthers at a packed Sydney Cricket Ground in August.
In a close contest beamed out to millions of Australian households on free to air TV, Thomas Tekanapu Rawakata Perenara comes on as a second-half replacement, sparking two late triesto clinch a comeback win over the top of the table Panthers.
It's pure fantasy, but it's easy to wonder what might have been if TJ Perenara had made the leap to the NRL.
It might have worked, it might have failed, but it would have been intriguing to watch.
Imagine him throwing 30-metre passes across the field, the kind of rockets not seen in the NRL since Ricky Stuart in his Canberra heyday, when he could almost hit the sideline from beside the goalposts.
And what about Perenara's ability with the boot?
There are a couple of hookers with handy kicking games in the NRL, but it's not a speciality. You would back Perenara to reel off 40-20s from dummy half, which may have forced changes to defensive structures.
It would have been a steep, and maybe impossible, learning curve.
The attacking plays, the different emphasis around the ruck and especially the relentless defensive workload. In rugby a scrum and a couple of resets can chew up three minutes, while the backs catch their breath; in the NRL that's three or four sets of six.
And Perenara wouldn't have had a pre-season to scope things out and master the skills, instead learning on the fly, during training sessions with the Bondi club.
But that would have only added to the fascination.
Former All Blacks fullback Matthew Ridge made a mid-season jump to Manly back in 1990.
The Sea Eagles already had a big following, but quickly became the most popular Winfeld Cup team in New Zealand, mostly because of the interest in Ridge, put straight into first grade by Graham Lowe.
There would have been a romantic appeal to Perenara's attempt, a player essentially walking in 'off the street' to try to master a vitally important position in one of the world's toughest competitions.
That underdog spirit is the essence of sport – and why it is so popular.
Like Lance Cairns heaving half a dozen sixes at the MCG in 1983, or an 18-year-old Carlos Spencer weaving magic for Horowhenua, despite his team conceding 80 points against a formidable Auckland team.
It's teenager Marco Rojas tearing up the A-League, after ending up at the Wellington Phoenix thanks to a scholarship provided by a supporters' group, or schoolboy Jeff Wilson starring with bat and ball for the Black Caps, a few months after roaring down the wing for Otago in the National Provincial Championship.
Perenara's final decision was understandable. There aren't financial incentives for crossing codes anymore, unlike when Ridge swapped petrol money for a lucrative contract.
TJ Perenara looks on during a New Zealand All Blacks captain's run at Sky Stadium on October 10, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images.
There's also the lure of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Perenara won't supplant Aaron Smith as first-choice No 9, but is likely to remain in the halfback mix. The appeal of being based in New Zealand was another factor.
With the Perenara switch falling though, it's hard to imagine another high-profile rugby player coming close.
There were plenty in the 1980s and 1990s (Ridge, John Gallagher, Kurt Sherlock, Daryl Halligan, John Schuster, John Kirwan, Frano Botica, Inga Tuigamala, Craig Innes) with varying degrees of success, but the money doesn't stack up now.
League is also physically more demanding in most positions – just ask Sonny Bill Williams – and doesn't offer the same marketplace or opportunities for professional players as the 15-a-side code.
