Munster opt out of Hunt for NRL star
The Brisbane Broncos player was close to linking up with McGahan, who coached the NRL sensation at Brisbane’s Anglican Church Grammar School in 2002 and 2003.
The Munster head coach was keen to sign Hunt, but it appears the two-time European Cup winners have already filled its quota of ‘overseas’ players for the 2009-10 season.
The final place on their overseas roster may already be filled by Springbok centre Jean de Villiers.
Reports in South Africa suggest the 2007 World Cup winner will link up with his Munster team-mates in mid to late September following the completion of the Tri-Nations series.
Meanwhile McGahan says Hunt will remain on his radar and believes the Queenslander can be a hit should he make a switch to the 15-man code.
McGahan said the 22-year-old would be a success in rugby union at full-back or inside centre and he had the ability to join the elite group of footballers to represent their country in both codes.
“Given the right environment and under a good coaching team, there’s no doubt that he could play Test football,” McGahan said. “If you look at the transference of skills and compare him to Mat Rogers for example, you’d say he could fulfil a very similar role to Mat.
“Mat was very successful in rugby union and Karmichael possesses the ability to be just as good, if not better.
“The two years he played at Churchie, if it wasn’t for the Australian rugby league schoolboy trials clashing with the Australian rugby union schoolboy trials, he would have represented his country in both.
“I don’t think there is any doubt whatsoever that his skill set would be applicable to rugby.
“He is a very talented footballer. We can’t fit him in this year but we’ll certainly be keeping an eye on him.”
Meanwhile, Eddie O’Sullivan could be pitched straight back into competitive battle with his successor Declan Kidney in Rugby World Cup 2011.
The former Irish coach O’Sullivan is now in charge of the USA (Eagles), who were beaten for automatic qualification by Canada in a two-leg clash over the last two weekends.
The loss by the Eagles now leaves them in a struggle for qualification, but if they do manage to secure a place in the finals it will probably be in the same group as Ireland.
Under the direction of O’Sullivan, USA must now regroup to face Uruguay in a home and away play-off to determine the Americas 2 qualifier, and decide who joins Australia, Ireland, Italy and Europe 2 in Pool C.
The loser of that tie will have another chance to qualify through the cross-continental final place play-off in 2010, albeit in a different group again.
Canada became the first nation to emerge through the global qualifying process and confirm its place at Rugby World Cup, following a 41-18 victory in the second leg of their play-off in Edmonton on Saturday that gave them an aggregate win of 47-30.
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