Izzy - Did the Storm Create a Monster Sell-Out???
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mattstormy
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I've just been thinking this since Izzy made his debut for GWS a few weeks ago. Did the Storm create a monster and a sell-out way back in 2007 with Israel Folau?
Let's start - Izzy was basically unknown in the pre-season of 2006-07 and made his debut for the club at 17 years and 347 days (according to the Storm's website - as he is the youngest ever player to pull on a Storm jersey) in Round 1, 2007 vs Wests Tigers at Olympic Park. He had a reasonably quiet debut until he scored a terrific first try that won the Storm the game if I can recall (also I think the only reason he debuted that day was because Zappa was out injured). This event would eventually have him cement his spot in the Storm's line-up for the next two years. For the rest of 2007, he arguably had the best ever debut season in the history of the NRL - amassing a total of 21 tries (which remains a club record for the Storm and the most tries in a debut season in the NRL) in 27 games for the Storm that year and winning the NRL Rookie of the Year award. Bellyache then moved Izzy into the centres before the finals and he would play in the Storm's winning 2007 GF side. He remained in the centre position for pretty much the rest of his NRL career. Izzy then played for AUS in the post season test that year.
In 2008, Izzy announced he was defecting to Brisbane for four years starting in 2009. He played in the ANZAC test and would also end up playing for QLD and scoring an amazing leaping try over Storm team mate and NSW winger Anthony Quinn. Meanwhile, his Storm season was less successful than his debut year as he would only score 15 tries in 25 games and would play in the Storm's losing GF side that year. Izzy then played for AUS in the 2008 World Cup.
He then went to Brisbane and over two seasons, would score 37 tries in 39 games for the Broncos and remain in the QLD and AUS (he wouldn't play for Australia after the 2009 ANZAC test though) sides while at Brisbane. However, the Broncos would only make the preliminary finals in '09 (losing to the Storm) and would miss the finals in '10. Izzy announced in mid-2010 that he was defecting to the AFL and joining GWS in their first season in 2012, walking out of his four year deal.
Just over five years ago this unknown teenage winger was making his first grade debut for the Storm, then over five years later he is playing in the AFL for GWS (barely getting any possesion). What would have happened if Zappa Turner wasn't injured at the start of '07 - would Izzy have cracked first grade for the Storm? Did the Storm create a sell-out who ended up chasing the big dollars in another code? What will happen to Izzy if he fails in the AFL?
What are everyone's thoughts on this?
Let's start - Izzy was basically unknown in the pre-season of 2006-07 and made his debut for the club at 17 years and 347 days (according to the Storm's website - as he is the youngest ever player to pull on a Storm jersey) in Round 1, 2007 vs Wests Tigers at Olympic Park. He had a reasonably quiet debut until he scored a terrific first try that won the Storm the game if I can recall (also I think the only reason he debuted that day was because Zappa was out injured). This event would eventually have him cement his spot in the Storm's line-up for the next two years. For the rest of 2007, he arguably had the best ever debut season in the history of the NRL - amassing a total of 21 tries (which remains a club record for the Storm and the most tries in a debut season in the NRL) in 27 games for the Storm that year and winning the NRL Rookie of the Year award. Bellyache then moved Izzy into the centres before the finals and he would play in the Storm's winning 2007 GF side. He remained in the centre position for pretty much the rest of his NRL career. Izzy then played for AUS in the post season test that year.
In 2008, Izzy announced he was defecting to Brisbane for four years starting in 2009. He played in the ANZAC test and would also end up playing for QLD and scoring an amazing leaping try over Storm team mate and NSW winger Anthony Quinn. Meanwhile, his Storm season was less successful than his debut year as he would only score 15 tries in 25 games and would play in the Storm's losing GF side that year. Izzy then played for AUS in the 2008 World Cup.
He then went to Brisbane and over two seasons, would score 37 tries in 39 games for the Broncos and remain in the QLD and AUS (he wouldn't play for Australia after the 2009 ANZAC test though) sides while at Brisbane. However, the Broncos would only make the preliminary finals in '09 (losing to the Storm) and would miss the finals in '10. Izzy announced in mid-2010 that he was defecting to the AFL and joining GWS in their first season in 2012, walking out of his four year deal.
Just over five years ago this unknown teenage winger was making his first grade debut for the Storm, then over five years later he is playing in the AFL for GWS (barely getting any possesion). What would have happened if Zappa Turner wasn't injured at the start of '07 - would Izzy have cracked first grade for the Storm? Did the Storm create a sell-out who ended up chasing the big dollars in another code? What will happen to Izzy if he fails in the AFL?
What are everyone's thoughts on this?
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roberttuz
My thoughts are that you are a dead set idiotmattstormy wrote:
What are everyone's thoughts on this?
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Cherry_Poppins
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What you think is irrelevant as nobody gives a flying shit what you thinkroberttuz wrote:My thoughts are that you are a dead set idiotmattstormy wrote:
What are everyone's thoughts on this?
To answer the question yes and no,the bloke gives money to his church
in the vicinity of 10% i believe but he is getting payed an absolute fortune
to be bandied around for islander kids,Sadly like Leela in Futurama when she
played major league blurnsball he is possibly the worst AFL player to ever pull
on a cheap,sleaveless jersey and ultratight shorts which excentuate the sack
of every player on the field so the squirrel grip is alot easier to perform
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Michael :P
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I'm sorry but that is ferkin funnyroberttuz wrote:My thoughts are that you are a dead set idiotmattstormy wrote:
What are everyone's thoughts on this?
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Christabella
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I'm not sure what I find more amusing:
a) the time mattstormy took to put all that together and his attempt and relate it to the Storm, if the Storm didn't recruit him as a teen somebody else would have and he would have still left for the money
b) roberttuz's reply, given the usual style of threads he posts
c) Cherry Poppins' take on AFL uniforms
I think it's c, definitely c and that's coming from an AFL fan too.
a) the time mattstormy took to put all that together and his attempt and relate it to the Storm, if the Storm didn't recruit him as a teen somebody else would have and he would have still left for the money
b) roberttuz's reply, given the usual style of threads he posts
c) Cherry Poppins' take on AFL uniforms
I think it's c, definitely c and that's coming from an AFL fan too.
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mattstormy
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I don't know why everyone is being negative about this thread. I'm not bagging the Storm for Izzy's current status in the sporting world, but it's just an interesting look at the career of Izzy in rugby league and how he then signed for the big dollars in the AFL and how he will eventually perform in that code. Just watching him in only three games, he won't make it playing full forward.
In reality though, if Izzy stayed with the Storm in 2009-10, the Storm wouldn't have been able to keep him 2011 onwards anyway due to cheating the salary cap. I just get sick of players who go to other clubs (like Izzy to Brisbane or to GWS) and say the reason they went there was because they were "homesick" or for a "new challenge", when really they just leave purely for the money. Cut the crap and talk the truth to the media and the public. I can see him back in the NRL by 2014-15 if he fails in the AFL.
In reality though, if Izzy stayed with the Storm in 2009-10, the Storm wouldn't have been able to keep him 2011 onwards anyway due to cheating the salary cap. I just get sick of players who go to other clubs (like Izzy to Brisbane or to GWS) and say the reason they went there was because they were "homesick" or for a "new challenge", when really they just leave purely for the money. Cut the crap and talk the truth to the media and the public. I can see him back in the NRL by 2014-15 if he fails in the AFL.
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LESStar58
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Jokes on Izzy IMO. I could care less that he went from Storm to Brisbane and I could care less he went to AFL as he only went for the big coin that no rugby league club could match.
But you'd have to wonder how he feels about seeing how well his former club and rep sides are performing. In those teams he was a strike weapon, a go-to guy. Now he's the centre piece in a dog and pony show where he doesn't get the ball and gets beat on a weekly basis. I hope the money he's getting is worth missing out on playing Origin and potentially winning premierships...
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But you'd have to wonder how he feels about seeing how well his former club and rep sides are performing. In those teams he was a strike weapon, a go-to guy. Now he's the centre piece in a dog and pony show where he doesn't get the ball and gets beat on a weekly basis. I hope the money he's getting is worth missing out on playing Origin and potentially winning premierships...
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LESStar58
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He won't come back to rugby league. The AFL are fighting a losing battle in Western Sydney but will throw more money at him to promote the game to justify their investment once his contract is up. As long as the dollars are enough to look after his family and his church Issy will stay at GWS.
What will work against him if he does back to RL is that he had dropped a ton of weight to get to his AFL playing weight. He'd get snapped in half unless he bulks up again....
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What will work against him if he does back to RL is that he had dropped a ton of weight to get to his AFL playing weight. He'd get snapped in half unless he bulks up again....
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Chez you certainly come up with a pearler with your description of afl players uniform.. 
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Rose Madder
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Surandy wrote:Izzy who?
