HKR are screwed then.

Sorry but the depth in talent ( if you believe the exconns ) is so deep they wont want any of the has beens in ESL, NPS then Rangi is staying at CAS

There's a fair few who could go back, they'll get a few more Brits as well.

Maybe it's the chip on your shoulder, your flat cap being pulled down to far, your pigeons shi77ing on your computer screen or your Whippet barking to loudly.....


London, an expannsion area, has a production line that is starting to cough up international players at all stages, from u16 through to University and SL level. For years, flatearthers like you have banged on about it being a waste of time and effort.....yet only last year a lad from gravesend scored 4 tries for England.....another lad was snapped up by the most succesfull club in SL history.....and the London Franchise is no longer relient on overseas talent.

What's wrong....not quick enough for you? It takes time.....the mothers in London object to being told to give birth to 18 stone fully trained RL players......they still prefer babies that can be taught the game as they grow



Wales will go the same way if given time.........France is starting to get its act together, but I would suggest that if you want to bang on about the over reliance on overseas talent in the ESL you look along the M62 for some better targets......like Hull KA, Salford or Wakefield for starters.....and let's not forget Widnes weren't scared of using the odd overseas players when you were at the top table.....


Bottom line...if the NRL gets what it deserves from TV, then yes, they will send less players over here, but that's not a bad thing...in the long term (if you can be bothered waiting) as it will be more than an RFL edict that makes teams produce and play their own.

Ok sorry i so wish people understood sarcasm

gutterfax. i hope those smiles denote a tongue in cheek tone, or i would have to open a can of whoop ass on ya!


im not decrying expansion at all, i was merely stating that the links provided in no way back up the point being made.
and france is simply not an 'expansion' area. pro rugby league didnt just appear recently in france.
and why are you quoting me then going of on a rant about other peoples points? at least make it clear who your repsonding to please.
its not my fault someone else made a point you didnt like

ima cry now.

and another thing, i never mentioned london, or even attempted in any way to slag of expansion. or made any mention of overseas players being a bad thing.
so i dont know why any of that was aimed at me.

:2s2nwbvc
Is that some form of Northen Delicacy





there is no absolute up and down in the universe


i believe its a delicacy beloved of our American cousins.
although sadly you can all to often see cans of whoop ass being opened on people in northern town centres on saturday nights

I would suggest "any" town centre....not just northern ones

and not just Saturday nights either

some thoughts of St Helens fans on just one of the quality players comming off the production line in London......





.......given the kid was 9yrs old when London Joined SL....not bad.
Then you have the lad who scored 4 tries in a game for England RL in 2010......another London product. Then if you take the lads that are representing England at age group level and university level I think you are exposed for what you are.......bitter that you have to wait another year for SL rugby.



By the way....I have no issues with spelling mistakes, but sort your user name out

'til not 'till.....unless you are a farmer from Widnes

So it could hurt "some clubs", but overall, the long term prospect is a good thing for British RL?

That 29 million sports England provided the RFL with, is that only to be used on junior development or can the RFL spend it any way they choose?

They can spend it pretty much as they want, but they will have to show an ROI in the eyes of sport england if they want any more. Stuff like getting schools playing the game etc will be key to being seen to do the right thing. Development outside of SL.....as the SL clubs have their own hand outs from uncle rupert

ahhh, ok.

best be spending big on junior development to get some cash again.

that just about sums up the situation,doesn't it ?



and the game will continue to plod on in europe but at an even lower level - unless of course a bigger uk tv deal is done to play 'keep-up'.

No, it's a very bad thing for domestic Rugby League. We can't sustain a SL with 8 teams of English players never mind 14, the standard will drop dramatically in an instant.

So yes we'll have a load of kids, all of which will be used to playing an average standard. It'll be like Ireland and Wales at soccer where their best players play in the premierleague and we'll never get close to NRL hardened players.

We need a quota system that is not challenged, reduce the imports slowly without reduces the quality of the competition. The need to grow our game is paramount to increase the cap so we keep good players here.

To back that up, it widely regarded by people in the know in Australia that the standard of the NRL has dropped due to losing too many players to salary cap restrictions (lower leagues and retirement) and Super League. Phil Gould has been suggesting for a few years they need to bring 'their' players back as they need them.

They have better depth of talent and they've struggled so you can only imagine the problems it will cause over here when the NRL get their new TV money without SKY having a negative influence on negotiations.

Big payday for the NRL = a poor SL.

just because the NRL is deemed bigger and better than the SL doesn't make the SL bad - just not as good as the NRL,that's all.
Any fool can throw money at a venture down under and make it successful but it doesn't have to devalue the SL game which will find it's own level and give the fans the entertainment value accordingly.
I reckon last season I watched as many SL games as Championship games and I would say I found the Championship games more entertaining overall - so,the moral of the story ? - well,just because it's bigger doesn't automaically mean it's better.....

I see your point, but Rugby League should no longer settle for second best and accept we're a inferior sport and competition.

It'll de-value Super League when most of the better players are playing in the NRL. It will truely be a second rate competition. We have to grow the sports revenues through working with the clubs, expansion and greater TV revenues long term.

you're right of course it will devalue the SL if money isn't pumped into SL to give it a chance to keep up.
But we,the humble fan,can do very little to change this trend.If the overall quality drops,then so be it.It doesn't mean we have to stop liking and following our sport,just accept the lower standards,realise we will be even further behind the big two internationally and just get on with it.
You can't change the inevitable....

well.....the london kids just handed the widnes kids their ar5es......explain that

surely the question should be. why do we import overseas players in the first place?

it is a quick fix, laziness on the part of the SL teams. spend more time and money on good scouting and good coaching and develop our own players.

there are loads of very good players in the lower leagues that with full time training and good support would be easily good enough to play at SL level yet are not given the opportunity.

London kids like Mark Calderwood & Joe Mellor?



Saw Harlequins u-20s at Oxford the other week, some very good players coming through.

I'd rather the best RL players in England went for a bigger salary in the NRL than a bigger salary playing union. We've had several decades of the Ausssie dollar having a similar exchange rate to monopoly money, commodity prices have changed that and now it's worthwhile for British people to go there to work.

The rules regarding home grown players takes time but the first shoots are definitely showing-Cas last night had a number of good kids playing, Quins have 10 + in there 25, Wigan as ever have a great through put, Leeds with BJB, Watkins continue with great youth, Saints etc. The future is like what we all want. I suspect clubs will steer clear of the NRL going forward- Big money doesnt always produce big performances from them