Eddie Jones’ preferred No. 10 Carter Gordon is the next player from the 2023 Wallabies World Cup squad to switch codes and join the NRL.
The now ex-Wallabies first-five has signed a two-year contract to join the Gold Coast Titans for the 2025 season.
Former dual-athlete Michael Witt spoke with SENZ Mornings about how rugby union in Australia is in a slump and at risk of potentially losing more players in the future.
“Rugby union has really fallen off its perch here and I guess for a young athlete who feels that he is at the top of his game, he wants to get into the ‘big show’ and that over here is rugby league, which is unfortunate for rugby union, but they are just not on the same level as League is at, at the moment,” Witt said.
“What this move says to me is the way that rugby union is over here in Australia.
“I hardly watch much rugby union at all because it is never on TV, it’s never spoken about, it all seems to be about rugby league and AFL, it's certainly different to what it is like there in New Zealand.
“And I guess they see the bright lights of rugby league and what opportunities are available to those players, and this young man seems to have been told the dream and he is making the move.”
With the Rebels going into liquidation, Gordon was in search of a new club to call home.
Witt says that Gordon’s transition from union to the NRL is unexpected and it will be interesting to see how his skillset with transition.
“Obviously a lot of similarities, but certainly a lot of differences as well. I think he is a fantastic athlete, he is a great runner of the ball, I think he’ll transition and I think he’ll be good at rugby league.
“But there is a lot of subtle differences, like the way that you take the ball into the line as well, so those are all things that he’ll have to encounter on his change over.”
However, Witt believes that in these situations people get too excited too quickly and need to understand that it does take a little bit of time for players to make the switch.
However, re-signing current Titans five-eighth next year to mentor Gordon will help fast-forward the process.
“Foran is a great guy and as well as a great footballer so he’d be the perfect guy to be there to help Carter like he knows the game back to front and being a Kiwi lad he’ll know rugby union pretty well also," Witt said.
“He’d be the perfect guy to keep around there in helping transition with all those little differences.”
Gordon joins ex-Wallabies teammate Mark Nawaqanitawase who has also hopped codes from rugby union to the Sydney Roosters for the 2025 season.
Listen to the full interview: