: Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:33 pm  

The Wood wrote:

But here's the problem. Our "talent" isn't good enough on a wider scale. You get the odd player coming through but that's it. Were not developing masses of youngsters. Throw Brian Noble's latest verbal diarrhoea into the mix, and it seems clubs have given up on producing their own talent.

If the trend continues, standards in SL will drop further behind the NRL and then what?

I can half see where Noble is coming from, but I don't get the numbers. Rugby Union have lost three players today to French RU, players allegedly trebling their contracts. RU operate on a salary cap of circa £4m. So what would you get for your £50k ? Not alot I'd guess. You'd be taking an unproven player for that money, you could do that with an unproven RL player and know they'd have the core skills. He quoted names like Wilkinson & O'Driscoll, they don't come for £50k.

At Wigan, he's lamenting the lack of kids, yet he's somewhat blocking the way of the likes of McIllourm, Tomkins, Ainscough etc.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:39 pm  

JWP wrote:

I can half see where Noble is coming from, but I don't get the numbers. Rugby Union have lost three players today to French RU, players allegedly trebling their contracts. RU operate on a salary cap of circa £4m. So what would you get for your £50k ? Not alot I'd guess. You'd be taking an unproven player for that money, you could do that with an unproven RL player and know they'd have the core skills. He quoted names like Wilkinson & O'Driscoll, they don't come for £50k.

At Wigan, he's lamenting the lack of kids, yet he's somewhat blocking the way of the likes of McIllourm, Tomkins, Ainscough etc.

Absolutely. Although to be fair, and this really is the dirty, dirty little secret, is that Wigan's much praised youth system generally produces average/better than average players. They haven't got anywhere near producing a Cunningham, Roby or Graham. If they did, they'd be in the team.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:41 pm  

Sean Long was probably the last really good one. Wonder what happened to him.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:48 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

Its funny how a lot of people have got upset at these guys not being allowed visas like its an infringement of their human rights.

Who cares?

Did anybody see the World Cup. What we need to be doing is spending money on our Academy players not small time criminals from down under who are coming over here to top up their pension funds.

Maybe you should email your club with this request

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:51 pm  

We don't have many overseas players - Hicks, King, Rau, Monaghan, the Andersons. That's it.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:29 pm  

The Wood wrote:

But here's the problem. Our "talent" isn't good enough on a wider scale. You get the odd player coming through but that's it. Were not developing masses of youngsters. Throw Brian Noble's latest verbal diarrhoea into the mix, and it seems clubs have given up on producing their own talent.

If the trend continues, standards in SL will drop further behind the NRL and then what?

We lose the WCC a few times and don't play well in the world cup.

Not sure it bothers me in the slightest really

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:46 pm  

Aussies are now moaning about the visa problems: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25080584-23214,00.html?from=public_rss Which I find ironic(?) as I watch a programme called 'Nothing to Declare' on Living TV ina morning and Aussie customs don't let anyone in with a criminal record...

Aussies are now moaning about the visa problems: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25080584-23214,00.html?from=public_rss Which I find ironic(?) as I watch a programme called 'Nothing to Declare' on Living TV ina morning and Aussie customs don't let anyone in with a criminal record...

: Sat Feb 21, 2009 11:54 am  

And now Greg Bird has gone to Yawnion: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25085459-23214,00.html?from=public_rss

And now Greg Bird has gone to Yawnion: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25085459-23214,00.html?from=public_rss