Aussie NFL Players

[220]

Looks like another rugby league player is about to walk out on a multi million dollars contract to try and make a NFL roster.
Like Jarryd Hayne before him Valentine Holmes has zero experience and no contract although he did do a trial a year or so back along with another NRL player and a few franchises expressed interest in seeing more.

Personally I think it is good to see, you could say it is about the money but given these players are on million dollar plus contracts per season playing in the NRL and if they succeed in making a NFL roster will be lucky to see half that it hardly seems the case.
Holmes does have one advantage over Hayne in that he is making the switch at 23 so has a bit more time on his side.

[Coach]

They usually don't do too well in the NFL. NFL players are bigger stronger and faster. It's a completely different game with the explosive plays you have in Football.

Rugby is a continuous game for the most part and the players are like bowling balls , Short and round

[220]

Rugby League and Rugby Union are very different games in the way they are played and even players now days. The average NRL player is 6'2" and 220lbs. Hayne was pretty much that and was 4.5 for the 40 when he left the NRL with the focus on endurance not speed.
I think Holmes story might be a fun ride to follow just like Hayne's was.
One thing you need to keep in mind is these are elite athletes not park football players. Hayne was the first NRL player to have a go and everyone said he was no chance of even making a training squad. He went from never having played a snap at any level to playing 8 games for the 49ers in just over 12 months. I would have loved to have seen him play a few more seasons to see how he developed but he pulled the plug after just the one season and tried to make the Fuji rugby 7s team for the Rio Olympics. Nearly did that as well but missed the final squad cut. Not a bad effort in about 2 months coming from NFL training or considering Fuji were the best team in the world going on to win gold.

[Coach]

I hope he does well...

You nailed what I was trying to say with endurance vs speed. In football you have big fast guys that go at it for a short period of time. Rugby you need a different type of skills and toughness. I have no doubt he's an elite athlete.

Soccer was my main sport. Played for 30 years and coached for another 20 years or so.

I played Football, Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Track, Wrestled. We didn't have a Rugby league.

You have to be a tough dude to play either sport.

[220]

Here you go Coach a few hits from the NRL, not as big as some NFL hits but to be expected seeing these blokes go at it for 80min with only a 10min half time break. As you can see most aren't the short round bowling balls you envisaged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNFPoi4WAjw

[220]

Holmes got picked up by the Jets, looked good in the first practice game but very little time in the second.
He is a certainty to make their practice squad being a international they can add him without using a position on the squad.
Who knows he may even make the roster, his performance in the first game certainly looked better than a few above him in the RB depth chart. Also brings some versatility and I think would make a good punt returned as it is very similar to his position when playing NRL.

jets put out a video of him playing around catching punts at practice
https://www.newyorkjets.com/video/highl ... five-punts

[220]

First Jets podcast for the season is with Holmes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00qhmZiUtRc
Very good indication of the different fitness between NRL and american football with Holmes talking about running the New York marathon with no prep at all apart from his regular season NRL training.