Chabal says Non to league
Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:26
It is reported that the Rugby League club South Sydney had approached the charismatic French forward Sébastien Chabal in attempt him to join them, but the hirsute Frenchman had turned them down.
According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald Souths' CEO Shane Richardson confirmed that the club had approached Chabal's agent to ask about if Chabal would play "a portion of this season" with the club.
Richardson said: "We looked at Chabal at the start of the year. You've got to look outside the square sometimes, if you want to be successful, and we believe that if Chabal wanted to play some [Rugby] League he would be a success.
"He's got pace, he's strong, and he really rips in with his defence. You've got to look harder to find a union forward that could switch to league and be successful than you would to find a back, but Chabal would have great potential. We weren't able to work anything out with him, but it was worth a try."
The trend in recent times has been for Rugby League players to go across to Rugby Union, several of them in fact going to Europe. Recently the Dragons chief executive Peter Doust suggested that League players be allowed to play Union in Europe if it meant them staying in League in Australia as well.
Richardson agreed, saying: "That sort of discussion is good for the game. I don't think the physical toll on outside-backs would be too bad. Give players the chance to earn more money like that, if it will help keep them in our game.
"It might lead to us getting something back the other way. If you were able to bring out a European rugby star for four or five months for a guest stint with a league club it could really add some colour and excitement to the strong product that we already have."
