Quote ="DHM"How many "English" players were playing in Australia the last time we won the ashes?
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But how many were playing there shortly afterwards (or at least the '72 world cup) ?
As well as the change in Australian Rugby coaching methods, taking the game to a massive new level down under during the late 70s onwards, it is also worth remembering that there was a transfer ban between the two countries for a period.
It was a short-sighted attempt by the RFL to keep the British talent here in the UK during that time to stop a 'brain drain'. Certainly Steveo, Phil Lowe and Brian Lockwood went off to ply their trade down under.
The story with Steveo playing for Penrith came about when the Australian team's representatives went to Dewsbury .... After speaking to the board at Crown Flatt, they asked them to name a price for his services. The story goes that a Dewsbury director plucked what he thought was a wild figure out of the air (so big, as to put them off) and blurted it out .... Apparently the Aussies when 'thank you very much' and wrote out the cheque there and then.
The bottom line is that the NRL is the best domestic competition in the world, with derby-intensity matches week in week out. If any British player thinks they're good enough and wants to try the lifestyle there, then why should we stop them ? They're certainly not going for the money (with the NRL salary cap, they get paid less than here) and the world is getting smaller. It is no longer 6 weeks on a boat to Sydney. Playing in that sort of competition can only benefit a British national side.
