While Eddie Jones may have insisted he wasn't on a NRL poaching mission, the Wallabies coach has been caught at Maroons training in the lead-up to Game 2 of Origin.
A self-confessed rugby league fan, Jones was a spectator as the Maroons took on the Brisbane Tigers in the lead-up to next Wednesday's Origin game.
Praising Billy Slater's efforts as coach and his side for a solid Game 1 performance, Jones was asked byย News Corp which players could successfully transition from the rugby league field to the rugby union code.
Without hesitation, Jones mentioned a number of players which included Cameron Munster, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, David Fifita, Harry Grant, Ben Hunt and Daly Cherry-Evans.
โMunster could play any game, couldn't he?," Jones said viaย News Corp
โAnd definitely Tino (Fa'asuamaleaui) could play in the back row in rugby. (David) Fifita would be the same. They would be great backrowers.โ
โYou've got Munster who is a warrior, isn't he? Whatever team he plays for he makes them play better,โ he said.
โThen you've got Harry Grant who has something a bit special around the ruck.
โThe two guys who've really impressed me are two of the veterans in Ben Hunt and DCE (Daly Cherry-Evans). They're in their middle 30s, but they're so fit and dedicated to the game.โ
Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan further doubled down that Jones was not on a scouting mission for future recruits and insisted they were nothing sinister regarding his appearance at the training.
โWe want to get back players who played rugby and are maybe playing rugby league now and want to come back,โ he said via News Corp.
โWe're just focused on the World Cup now. It's challenging, but also a fantastic opportunity because we can't be any lower in rugby at the moment.
โThis is our opportunity to create a different picture for people about rugby.โ
