Re: French and Field withdraw from Combined Nations Squad : Mon Jun 13, 2022 3:38 pm  

I thought "Not a Single Wigan player would get in the Saints team"
So as far as I'm concerned Wigan have too may in there and Saints not enough

Saying that - I mean talk about re-writing history - False equivalence comparing Saints histrionics last season to Wigan and/or the player himself pulling 1 player out

NK was right this time last year in his assessment of Saints/Wolff etc, and what happens this year is completely irrelevant to the whole situation.
The marker was laid down last year (And that's before bringing the whole Covid card into it)

Re: French and Field withdraw from Combined Nations Squad : Mon Jun 13, 2022 3:40 pm  

I think there's also one other thing being conveniently overlooked here. There is only 1 player from Huddersfield, another of the form teams at the moment. Neither of the challenge cup finalists are overburdened with selections. Doesn't take a genius to work that one out.

Re: French and Field withdraw from Combined Nations Squad : Mon Jun 13, 2022 3:51 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

as he works and has worked with the fringe players on a regular basis he's taking the opportunity to work with others who he doesn't have the same opportunity to work with.

Let me be clear on this - I don't think Wane is gaming anything and I don't think he would. If Field has pulled out with anything minor/imaginary, it will be Field/Peet that have questions to answer not Wane.

But let's say your potential theory is correct, then you are saying that there is a reason directly linked to Wane's involvement at Wigan why he doesn't need to call on Wigan players for this mid-seaon match. If that theory is correct then the net result is more rest for fringe international players at the club Wane works for and less rest for fringe international players at other clubs like Saints (e.g. Bachelor / Lees).

If I have a point (I sometimed don't! ) it is that whichever way this game is dressed up my view is that a) criticism of Woolf/Saints for not respecting the international game looks miles wide of the mark and b) having international coaches involved at clubs is always going to be a little problematic.

England should have played France rather than this non-event.

Is there a way around potential gaming of the syastem? Maybe:
1) bringing in a Rule that any players named in a squad to play in the game before the International that pull out of the International should miss the next SL/Cup game. Yes there will still be room to game based on fixture lists etc but it's a start;
2) if this match is to be a feature (I hope it isn't - we need genuine mid-season opposition) then maybe we should offer extra cap space or something to clubs whose players are selected and feature for England / the All Stars? Or make the match fees sufficiently meaningful to encourage involvement.

I guess the only thing we can really all agree on is that Wigan are cheats and can't be trusted and that Saints are a beacon of best practice.

Re: French and Field withdraw from Combined Nations Squad : Mon Jun 13, 2022 3:54 pm  

Jukesays wrote:

I thought "Not a Single Wigan player would get in the Saints team"



NK was right this time last year in his assessment of Saints/Wolff etc, and what happens this year is completely irrelevant to the whole situation.

I don't think you will find one decent sane Saints fan who has said your first sentence .

And secondly its all irrelevant now we are no longer the bad boys with 5 English players selected? Now that Wigan are providing less (we don't know the full reasons why) then its irrelevant.

Ok.

Re: French and Field withdraw from Combined Nations Squad : Mon Jun 13, 2022 3:59 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

Let me be clear on this - I don't think Wane is gaming anything and I don't think he would. If Field has pulled out with anything minor/imaginary, it will be Field/Peet that have questions to answer not Wane.

But let's say your potential theory is correct, then you are saying that there is a reason directly linked to Wane's involvement at Wigan why he doesn't need to call on Wigan players for this mid-seaon match. If that theory is correct then the net result is more rest for fringe international players at the club Wane works for and less rest for fringe international players at other clubs like Saints (e.g. Bachelor / Lees).

If I have a point (I sometimed don't! ) it is that whichever way this game is dressed up my view is that a) criticism of Woolf/Saints for not respecting the international game looks miles wide of the mark and b) having international coaches involved at clubs is always going to be a little problematic.

Probably true mate but that was always going to be the case from the moment he was appointed. I don't really see a parallel with Woolf pulling Saints players out if I'm being honest. The only parallel would have been if he didn't include fringe players from Saints in his Tongan squads but, unless I'm missing something, that hasn't been the case has it?

I get that opposition fans will be looking for reasons Wane is favouring Wigan's needs but anyone trying to make that argument simply doesn't understand Wane or what makes him tick. Beating the Aussies/winning the WC will be his crowning glory and there's literally nothing that would come before that.

Re: French and Field withdraw from Combined Nations Squad : Mon Jun 13, 2022 4:04 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

I don't really see a parallel with Woolf pulling Saints players out if I'm being honest.

You say Woolf pulling Saints players - the two that didn't play for England didn't play for Saints in the next match. We have 5 in this squad.

Maybe all the players pulling out this week will miss their next club game like the Saints players did last year. Maybe they won't. It will be interesting to see

Re: French and Field withdraw from Combined Nations Squad : Mon Jun 13, 2022 4:15 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

You say Woolf pulling Saints players - the two that didn't play for England didn't play for Saints in the next match. We have 5 in this squad.

Maybe all the players pulling out this week will miss their next club game like the Saints players did last year. Maybe they won't. It will be interesting to see

Wasn't making an accusation mate. I don't know the details of why they didn't play if I'm being honest. I was merely commenting on the parallel (or lack of it)

Re: French and Field withdraw from Combined Nations Squad : Mon Jun 13, 2022 4:16 pm  

It’s a complete and utter farce but I don’t think any individual club or coach is to blame. It’s a collective thing starting at the top with the incompetent fools who run the sport.

Let’s not make this a Wigan v Saints debate. ALL clubs, players, coaches and of course the RFL are responsible for creating an international setting that us fans can fully invest in and support.

I consider myself to be a passionate Rugby League supporter and I don’t even know if I will watch on Saturday. It’s not even crossed my mind to attend the game. That in itself is sad.

We’ve ended up with a half-baked England side playing against a load of strangers cobbled together this morning plus any English lads not deemed good enough for England.

It’s a mess.

Re: French and Field withdraw from Combined Nations Squad : Mon Jun 13, 2022 4:17 pm  

Stu M wrote:

I don't think you will find one decent sane Saints fan who has said your first sentence .

And secondly its all irrelevant now we are no longer the bad boys with 5 English players selected? Now that Wigan are providing less (we don't know the full reasons why) then its irrelevant.

Ok.

I think by prefixing Saints fan with the words you have used immediately omits the very people who said it, agreed with it.

You were the one who raised a false comparison to last year in reference to NK implying that 1 players withdrawal somehow equates to a similar situation to Wolff and the Saints club last year.
It really isn't

I'll let you work out which Saints fan did say those words.
And you can also look at Saints fans opinions of Wigan on Redvee where I would say a majority agree with that analysis & not only don't have a nice thing to say about Wigan, can't form a coherent fair analysis of any subject including Wigan but also seem to go into complete mental breakdown when the Word Wigan is mentioned losing any logic or common sense they may have had.

Re: French and Field withdraw from Combined Nations Squad : Mon Jun 13, 2022 4:28 pm  

The Yellow Giraffe wrote:

It’s a complete and utter farce but I don’t think any individual club or coach is to blame. It’s a collective thing starting at the top with the incompetent fools who run the sport.

Let’s not make this a Wigan v Saints debate. ALL clubs, players, coaches and of course the RFL are responsible for creating an international setting that us fans can fully invest in and support.

I consider myself to be a passionate Rugby League supporter and I don’t even know if I will watch on Saturday. It’s not even crossed my mind to attend the game. That in itself is sad.

We’ve ended up with a half-baked England side playing against a load of strangers cobbled together this morning plus any English lads not deemed good enough for England.

It’s a mess.

This.