Major rugby union star open to joining rugby league giants

In recent days we have seen a flurry of high profile rugby union stars agree to NRL moves and now another could be on the way.

This shows just how much Rugby Australia’s decision to pursue NRL talent has back fired. They were able to sign World Cup star Joseph Suaali’i from the Sydney Roosters but as they chased the likes of Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster as well they prompted the NRL to hit back, the league offering clubs salary cap leeway for signing rugby union talent.

The likes of Sydney Roosters, Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra Dragons have gone out and utilised this offer and South Sydney Rabbitohs may not be far behind them.

They have had New Zealand All Blacks star Caleb Clarke training with the club recently and Clarke has been open about wanting to make the move to rugby league, though it seems a move would be difficult to engineer immediately.

“That would be an actual dream come true,” Clarke told Newshub earlier this week, “That’s one of those life goal things.

“It would be a dream to play league. Hopefully I still have time to do it. I’m young now so hopefully these legs can still carry me.”

“I reflect on the year I had this year and it wasn’t one that I was fully happy with, so going into the next season with the Blues, I wanted to do something different,” he added.

“I wanted something that would find a bit of an edge. Being here in an environment like the Rabbitohs, a team I watch, a team I respect a lot – being able to rub shoulders with the boys, I felt like that would give me that edge just to get another spark in.”

It does seem that Clarke will be the next rugby union star to make the switch a rugby league giant in the near future. Will he be the last?

And what about Super League? Leeds Rhinos were the latest side to probe the union market bringing in Ryan Boyce on trial at the club likely to lead to a move into the Championship.