: Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:41 am  

Cruncher wrote:

Sorry Jon, but I'm with Dave on this one. There seems to be a naive belief among British fans that sending all our best players to the NRL is the way forward. To me, that is the worst kind of forlock tugging. The evidence thus far suggests that that there's about a 50% chance it will improve their game and not actually ruin it. While there's considerably less than a 50% chance that those who go over there and succeed will return in time to do any more than earn an end-of-career payday from the likes of Warrington. On the evidence of his no-show last week, Morley is counting down the minutes to his retirement. I'm sure Gareth Ellis will do the same thing. What the f**k good is it to SL if our best players spend their prime years in another competition? Because it will give us more of an edge at international level? Do me a favour. As long as we've only got a pool of about 200 professional players to select the England team from, we'll always be third best at world level. If we genuinely want to improve internationally, we'd do better to modernise the salary cap so that it encourages clubs to produce more players rather than tries to peg the top clubs back.

We can look at ways at improving the game by altering the cap etc, but they are not going to happen.

The only way certain players are going to improve is if they test themselves at the next level up which is the NRL.

I do not for 1 minute think every good British player should go to the NRL but i think the forwards in particular can benefit from playing at a higher intensity.

England in my opinion need to add some real metal to the pack, in the short term, and the only way that is going to happen is by players like Ellis and Burgess to the NRL, would also like Westwood, Crabtree and Locky to have had a spell over there.

Long term we need to improve the standard of our comp, but if we want to compete at the next World Cup then we have to look at short term fixes sadly.

: Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:51 am  

jonh wrote:

We can look at ways at improving the game by altering the cap etc, but they are not going to happen.

The only way certain players are going to improve is if they test themselves at the next level up which is the NRL.

I do not for 1 minute think every good British player should go to the NRL but i think the forwards in particular can benefit from playing at a higher intensity.

England in my opinion need to add some real metal to the pack, in the short term, and the only way that is going to happen is by players like Ellis and Burgess to the NRL, would also like Westwood, Crabtree and Locky to have had a spell over there.

Long term we need to improve the standard of our comp, but if we want to compete at the next World Cup then we have to look at short term fixes sadly.

But that's at the expense of our own competition, which I cant't agree with. We need all the good players we can get. As it is, any bright star who emerges in the three-quarters will go to Rugby Union. And now we want to send our best forwards away as well? For me, the end result of being able to compete with Australia - which is only guaranteed to happen if we send ALL our international squad over there - does not justify such a drastic reduction in the quality of our domestic game.

: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:28 am  

Cruncher wrote:

But that's at the expense of our own competition, which I cant't agree with. We need all the good players we can get. As it is, any bright star who emerges in the three-quarters will go to Rugby Union. And now we want to send our best forwards away as well? For me, the end result of being able to compete with Australia - which is only guaranteed to happen if we send ALL our international squad over there - does not justify such a drastic reduction in the quality of our domestic game.

I disagree as i think we need to concentrate on our own style of play in the backs, because quite frankly we will never compete with them in this department.

Its like reducing the quota, that is and will clearly harm our competition regards the standards but in needs to be done if we are ever going to get an acceptable pool of players from which to select.

Long term i agree 100% we have to work towards strengthening our own competition, but as a short term measure with all the restrictions that currently exist it is a quick fix and ensuring our players are prepared for the intensity the Aussies and Kiwis play.

We are constantly caught cold from the kick off against them as we have no idea how to deal with them till we get into the pace of the game, by which time it is usually too late.

: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:49 am  

To improve the game long term a rule brought in that players brought through your system didn't count fully on the salary cap would help a great deal and would increase the player pool we'd have to choose from massively.

That would take a few years to fully take effect though so in the meantime I see no problem with a few players going testing themselves in the NRL. It's the best league in the world by miles and would serve to give some of our lads the belief that they can compete at the top level.

Long term though we have to improve our own compatition and stop letting the 'have nots' make the rules.

: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:53 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

To improve the game long term a rule brought in that players brought through your system didn't count fully on the salary cap would help a great deal and would increase the player pool we'd have to choose from massively.

That would take a few years to fully take effect though so in the meantime I see no problem with a few players going testing themselves in the NRL. It's the best league in the world by miles and would serve to give some of our lads the belief that they can compete at the top level.

Long term though we have to improve our own compatition and stop letting the 'have nots' make the rules.

Agree it is a long term project to get the Standard of SL up to anywhere near the NRl and while we put systems in place to do this which i think we are trying to do, players like Graham etc will never realise there potential as they simply cannot be tested like they would be in the NRL week in week out.

: Sat Nov 07, 2009 12:13 pm  

I think a few people are going a little OTT about this.

I just want to see Graham go to the NRL because I’d love to see how he goes over there that’s all. It’s a far better & harder comp and I’d like to see if the top prop in SL can hack it over there as I think he could.

That's all. Hardly a controversial post or the death of RL

: Sat Nov 07, 2009 12:41 pm  

Personally, I think its a fantastic idea for the best players from all the other SL clubs to spend several seasons in the NRL.

: Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:00 pm  

thepriestman85 wrote:

I think a few people are going a little OTT about this.

I just want to see Graham go to the NRL because I’d love to see how he goes over there that’s all. It’s a far better & harder comp and I’d like to see if the top prop in SL can hack it over there as I think he could.

That's all. Hardly a controversial post or the death of RL

I didn't say it was the death of RL. But I'd rather see him doing it over here than hear about him doing it over there.

It's not a small thing, though. If just Graham goes, fine - he'll be a better player, Saints will get some much-needed cash and whichever Aussie club signs him will have yet another star with which to lighten up their competition. But it won't significantly improve England's international chances. To do that, you'd need to send ALL of our top players over there, and then all of a sudden you're looking at something that could indeed damage our domestic game because we've got few enough stars as it is.

: Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:07 pm  

Cruncher wrote:

While there's considerably less than a 50% chance that those who go over there and succeed will return in time to do any more than earn an end-of-career payday from the likes of Warrington. On the evidence of his no-show last week, Morley is counting down the minutes to his retirement.

Idiot alert

Morley has been fantastic at Warrington and has worked his nuts off week after week and earnt an extra two years on his contract. And in case you have forgotten he did get to lift the Challenge Cup this year.

Perhaps he should of not bothered and took his career to another level like Stuart Fielden did in chasing the money at Wigan rather than challenging himself at the top level of the game in the NRL.

: Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:10 pm  

Paul Youane wrote:

Idiot alert

Morley has been fantastic at Warrington and has worked his nuts off week after week and earnt an extra two years on his contract. And in case you have forgotten he did get to lift the Challenge Cup this year.

Perhaps he should of not bothered and took his career to another level like Stuart Fielden did in chasing the money at Wigan rather than challenging himself at the top level of the game in the NRL.

Perhaps you should stop being an offensive gimp and realise that Cruncher was only trying to make a point that his best years were played in the NRL, you're very foolish if you think that's not the case.