: Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:24 pm  

Tony Catsmith wrote:

does anyone not see the silver lining here if this does go through, for years people have been banging on about cutting down on over seas players, imposing foreign quotas, encouraging junior development etc.


All it possibly comes down to is taking the money away from em.

I can. Might get me off my soapbox if it happens.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:40 pm  

Not sure of exact figures but I would imagine the value of the pound against the Aus$ has dropped something like 30% since King and Monaghan signed. This will be hitting them hard in the pocket also and making Super League not quite the cash-cow it was a couple of years back to Aussie imports.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:51 pm  

There will still be Aussies coming over but it won't be the big fish as much, you would get the likes of Gidley, Lyon, Berrigan etc staying in the NRL if the option of bigger money in SL wasn't there. It will be more like it was in the early SL days with the Aussie signings being fringe players like Withers, Brooker, Jamie Mathiou.

There will always be Aussies willing to come to Super League, with the bigger names staying it will tie up NRL clubs' salary caps so the ones squeezed out will have nowhere else to go but England. They will accept more reasonable deals as they don't have the big reputations.

Actually going off Warrington's experience the bigger names on bigger money have been a mixed bunch, we've had a better return from fringe players like Nutley, Nat Wood, Burns.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:00 pm  

Tony Catsmith wrote:

does anyone not see the silver lining here if this does go through, for years people have been banging on about cutting down on over seas players, imposing foreign quotas, encouraging junior development etc.


All it possibly comes down to is taking the money away from em.

All we need to do then is get Saints and Leeds players to talk to each other and we have a winning team.........

: Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:41 am  

Some people seemed to think Nat Wood could walk on water. Not me personally, but I don't seem to remember Alfie Langer being too bad an import playing at 7.

On another thread people are saying they wouldn't want a player of Danny Brough's ability anywhere near the Wire number 7 shirt, but he's one of the best British scrum halves around. Who exactly is this all conquering young English half-back who will lead our team to glory?

Nothing wrong with imports, its all about signing the right ones. At the moment Matt Orford could do a great job for a couple of years for us. Remember he was the one actually playing at scrum-half for Manly, while Monaghan was in the hooking role. Last season he led them to a record breaking Grand Final victory, while also winning Dally M player of the year.

In a couple of seasons we could see how the likes of Myler, Tomkins or McNally have developed and sign one of them. Alternatively O'Brien, Leatherbarrow, or someone else from within our own youth system might have shown incredible promise and be ready for the first team. I'm sure they could benefit from a couple of years working with a world class number 7 like Orford.

People saying no more imports, who would you want as Monaghan's replacement if he leaves?

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

: Thu Apr 09, 2009 10:28 am  

FireWire wrote:

Some people seemed to think Nat Wood could walk on water. Not me personally, but I don't seem to remember Alfie Langer being too bad an import playing at 7.

On another thread people are saying they wouldn't want a player of Danny Brough's ability anywhere near the Wire number 7 shirt, but he's one of the best British scrum halves around. Who exactly is this all conquering young English half-back who will lead our team to glory?

Nothing wrong with imports, its all about signing the right ones. At the moment Matt Orford could do a great job for a couple of years for us. Remember he was the one actually playing at scrum-half for Manly, while Monaghan was in the hooking role. Last season he led them to a record breaking Grand Final victory, while also winning Dally M player of the year.

In a couple of seasons we could see how the likes of Myler, Tomkins or McNally have developed and sign one of them. Alternatively O'Brien, Leatherbarrow, or someone else from within our own youth system might have shown incredible promise and be ready for the first team. I'm sure they could benefit from a couple of years working with a world class number 7 like Orford.

People saying no more imports, who would you want as Monaghan's replacement if he leaves?

i'd quite like the monaghan we signed from manly not the one that arrived at warrington.

: Thu Apr 09, 2009 10:39 am  

highwire wrote:

If there is any truth that Monaghan wants to go back to Aus then I wonder if Tony Smith will find a way to make that happen like has happened with Gleeson.
I suspect the 2 cases are miles apart with Monaghan being dissapointed with his ability to have an impact on the team that he would have liked and taking a fair bit of stick, Gleeson, it would appear just wanted away for different reasons.

Will TS persuade Monaghan to stay and achieve what he came over here for along with King and Hicks, or will all 3 be on their way at the end of the season. I will be a little bit dissapointed if he/they are throwing the towel in now. We are seeing glimpses that TS is starting to get these aiming in the right direction playing footy more to their style (I am not saying that these are going to start tearing teams apart anytime soon).
Wonder if the situation would change if a trip to Wembley came along and / or a decent run in the play offs.

Looking at those out of contract at the end of the season. This could be the mother of all clear outs.

either way if they don't wanna be at the club get rid and sign somebody who does

: Thu Apr 09, 2009 2:15 pm  

Yeah lets get rid of all the overseas players and replace them with home grown kids. I'd much sooner see us play loads of inexperienced lighweights and get beat 80-0 every week. I mean who wouldn't

: Thu Apr 09, 2009 2:27 pm  

I think a lot of overseas players have come here in the past and not settled due to the fact that our behind the scenes operation was 2nd rate and totally unprofessional but now Smith is on board and players now know that nothing less than 100% commitment is required, anyone not offering 100% will be off loaded quick time Gleeson being the 1st casualty it may take a year or 2 to make us into a top quality consistent team but I think Tony Smith can make us into the next dominant force in Super League !WATCH THIS SPACE

: Thu Apr 09, 2009 2:44 pm  

Lost in Leeds wrote:

Yeah lets get rid of all the overseas players and replace them with home grown kids. I'd much sooner see us play loads of inexperienced lighweights and get beat 80-0 every week. I mean who wouldn't

But that is part of developing for the future. There are still experienced players at the club for them to integrate with and look to for support.

According to you should we keep importing players and then remain as a club that is just making up the numbers? Don't the examples of Leeds and Sintellins tell you anything?