Why don't we attempt to recruit from union anymore some of the best talents over the years have been discovered by people like the mighty Doug Laughton on our back doors surely it still can be done guys who are more suited to league playing style than union this is the only way to compete with the aussies again plus a larger pool to fish.

because why would they take a big cut. there salary cap is miles more than hours

Get the undiscovered ones each team can only play one first class stand off for example this might be a player with a better kicking game opposed to the running type player Laughton got most of his talent for absolute peanuts on long term contracts.

While I agree with your original point, I'm less sure that the above is true.

How do you mean? He left both Widnes and Leeds in excellent financial health?

[url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyleague/article-1305101/Leeds-captain-Kevin-Sinfield-finally-gets-shot-Cup-Final-glory.html[uHe was rubbish was Doug Laughton[/u[/url.

No one can deny that regardless of any other recruitment decisions made by him that he pulled off arguably the most crucial in Leeds' history by nabbing Sinfield.

You do wonder how things would've gone had he ended up at Warrington or Wigan though? Warrington still sold key players around that time in Sculthorpe and Harris so he may well have moved on from them anyway. As for Wigan would he have had to play 2nd fiddle behind Farrell for too long?

Offfiah . Davis Morriaty Bateman Scott Gibbs emosi koloto Craig innes the great Lewis jones Watkins Alan tait many many more for all clubs it. Worked before and not all came as superstars during this present era of a lack of home grown superstars we need to try other talent pools can it hurt?

Weren't Keinhorst and Walters both RU first? As for recognised players it'd be very hard with the differences in salary cap unless the player had a real passion to give RL a go. Danny Care for example is a Leeds Rhinos fan, that might be the only way you'd get recognised one but as long as he's in the international RU squad he'd stay there.

Some great players listed and many others have come in the past, guess Leeds would say Michael coady and josh Walters have been picked up in recent times.

Trying to remember players who Laughton signed (including kids)?

I stand to be corrected on some of these...

Morvin Edwards
Ellery Hanley
Craig Innes
Mike O'Neill
Bobbie Goulding
Jim Fallon
Andy Goodway
Andy Gregory
Kevin Iro
James Lowes
Gary Mercer
Mike Worrall
Alan Tait
Jason Donohue
Richie Eyres
Neil Harmon
Harvey Howard
Gary Rose
Patrick Entat
Esene Faimalo
George Mann
Tony Kemp
Adrian Morley
Terry Newton
Kevin Sinfield

A lot of dosh spent on the above, some were good signings, some not so good... but nobody can deny they were exciting times and Leeds played some good stuff.

Unfortunately, not good enough to beat Wigan when it mattered but neither were anyone else, apart from Castleford who beat them in the Regal Trophy Final in 1994, and even then there were rumours of discontent in the Wigan camp over their coach Dorahy.

No idea what would have happened had Sinfield joined Warrington or Wigan instead. It's hard to believe he'd have been as influential at either of those two clubs though, given the very different circumstances.

indeed. despite missing out on silver still the era i enjoyed the most watching leeds.

There just ain't the money in the game or the desire. The sport cannot compete salary-wise with Union either.

I've opined numerous times that RL entered a state of managed decline around a decade ago. And that state is the only plan in town. Sadly, there is nobody currently employed in the game who has any vision to change that.

It survives on handouts from Sky, which is tantamount to visiting a foodbank.

I hope I'm wrong but I forecast the game to be semi-pro inside the next decade with only a handful of clubs able to sustain full time contracts. I think we know who those clubs will be.

You've been saying it'll be semi-pro for several years now so that decade keeps shifting.

It's certainly an era we will never see the likes of again.

Great while it lasted though.

Lots to talk about and get excited over, massive up's and massive downers from one week to the next, a thriving transfer market, more publicity, more terrestrial TV coverage, more star players, larger media profile, more fans in total through the turnstiles each season.

Union going full-time pro has had a huge effect. RL always benefited from a steady stream of recruitment from Union, particularly from Wales. Not anymore, sadly.

Just like that SL salary cap keeps shifting, eh?

Hope you continue to enjoy your foodbank rugby league.

There was certainly plenty of it on show last season and on Boxing Day.

Nice trying to avoid the point.....but how long is this decade going to last because you have been saying it'll be "semi pro in a decade" for quite a long time now, probably almost a decade in fact.

I've definitely been stalked for over a decade.

I wasn't aware I was being stalked for over a decade by you too?

I'll add you to my fan club, shall I?

.

Either that or there'll be further cuts to wages all round. In other words, the game may remain professional though standards may not. Still, the odd stand-out player could well shine more brightly so no doom & gloom on my part.

Nope you've just been repeating the same lines over and over on here that it's impossible to forget what they are.

Just answer the question, how long is this decade before semi pro going to last??? You were saying it when I first started posting on here in 2011 so surely you only have a few years left?

So it's half a decade now?

Bill is correct super league ain't super any more how can it be when it can't even support an a team league bring that back to begin with and the kids will stay in the game longer players stay at clubs for longer also should allow a teasers to remain semi pro.

The really interesting question would be...

Could Leeds realistically remain full time pro without the annual foodbank handout from Sky?

Cap in English union is 7 million and it will go up. I don't think they have a cap in France. Wasps made an operating loss of 3.8 million end of last season, they can't exist without input from owners, but that's not the point. The point is that RU players are not interested in league. There's no money in it, and no good reason to switch.

Facts are facts. Quins can fill Twickenham for a league fixture and a resurgent England have massively revitalised the international game as a whole. The profile, the money, the safety and security in the mini and junior game, player development pathways, European club competition etc. Union didn't just go professional, it got it's act together in a big way at all levels.

It may be unsustainable, but Union is I think on the brink of really taking off. Japan World Cup could kick it off to a genuinely global audience. It could go big or it could pop like an over inflated balloon. Whatever, there's no "talent" for league clubs to poach anymore.

"the game will be semi pro in a decades time" - William Eve - January 2029