There is actually no quote by Richardson saying he wants to sign them. It is guess work.

I know Hall has no interest (and hasn't for a long time) in moving to Australia. I've also heard rumours that Watkins isn't interested too and both are for the same reason, they've both got a young family that they don't want to move them to the other side of the world.

South Sydney desperately needs a pair of classy centres, and a winger. Money can change a lot of minds. In Ryan Hall's case a fellowship in maths at a major Australian university might also be tempting.

Where in that article did you pick up that Richardson wants to sign them? And even if he did, Souths couldn't afford them. They had to release players to fit Sam under the cap

They'd also have to pay a sizeable transfer fee for Watkins or Hall as both are signed up for the next few years. IIRC Hall is signed up until the end of 2018 and Watkins the end of 2019.

Yeah if money was going to change Hall's mind it'd already have happened unless you think no other NRL team have tried to get him since 2009 when he became a successful starter for both England & Leeds.

Unlike Sam Burgess and Sam Tomkins, some guys are more wise in knowing such moves aren't right for them and their family and they would only end up coming back in 12-18 months.

I have never been against SL players leaving for the NRL, even in the case of my own teams players. However, i do think Hall has missed the boat now, if he was going he would have gone a couple of years back imo. Watkins could possibly go but as others have said he has shown no real desire to do so and he is hitting his mid twenties now.It's a big decision to make when you have had kids too.We will see, pure speculation for now as ever.

Exactly. He'll be 29 by the time the 2017 season started and when was the last time an NRL team took on an English player at that age? More likely they'll go for the next promising guy at an early age like they have done with Joe Burgess.

Also Hall is due a testimonial year in 2017 (and Watkins in 201icon_cool.gif so both have upcoming financial incentives to stay at Leeds.

Australia, especially Sydney, and especially Coogee, is a wonderful place to raise a family. I would think that Kallum Watkins and his family would not mind too much the chance to frolic in the surf for six months of every year, especially if the four Burgess boys, Sam's and Luke's family, and mother Burgess, are also down there so often. Don't put it past Kallum Watkins to consider the migration option if Souths offer him a four year contract.

People have not commented here on the great boost for English rugby league it would be if George North was to go to South Sydney.

George North can do without any more concussion scares. I cannot see a switch of codes. More likely he will be an early retiree.

I remember some time back reading one of the puff pieces about the amazing subtlety of tactics that you get in rugby union, which pointed out the great skill in going through phase after phase in attack on your opponents' line, until George North was left with only a prop to defend against him in the corner. And I thought of course, well, if GN needs to be up against a prop to score... He is lionised by the British media, but he's never struck me as anything that special: he's certainly no Joe Burgess, and he's no Ryan Hall either. I wouldn't see him as anything but 'average SL winger' standard at best.

If Joe Burgess is a success we'll probably see a few younger players being poached by NRL sides. Five years ago the NRL as a whole was almost completely disinterested in British players, with the likes of Morley and Ellis being seen as outliers. That's probably understandable when you look at some of the really poor players that came over about the same time - Thorman, Edmonson, Tansey.

The Burgii and Graham have turned that perspective around, and the success of Cooper and Hodgson has also shown that players don't need to be superstars in SL to be effective in the NRL.

Whos George North?

Ive heard the same. Ive heard Ryan Hall is such a home loving man and doesn't even want to leave the Leeds area.

All it says is that Richardson likes Hall and Watkins.
So do I but they won't be playing at Wakefield any time soon.

Just a filler story and posted on here by a filler poster

He`s a pal of Kyle Eastmond and a cousin of Graeme West.

Also related to Neville Southall?

And to be honest, even if Souths had a load of money spare, which they don't as they have spent it all on The Sparkly Eyed Man, there is a long list of Rugby Union players from the World Cup you would want on board before you went for George North......Julian Savea would be first on my list.

I agree with you about Savea. He is a winner.

Kanye West's latest offspring.

Spoken like a man who has either not got kids, not got a wife or probably both. The Burgess boys mum is not going to be a pull for any woman in her quest to look after and raise her children. The life of a rugby star probably means functions and travel away from the wife and kids. With that means lots of time alone for partners. No support from close family or friends. Support which can not be rectified by Skype or Mrs Burgess. Or a frolic in the sea.

I admit that if I had this kind of opportunity when i was in my 20s I'd have taken it, no questions, but you have to see that it's not as simple as regular blue sky and warmer sea.

I was going to post the same.
Just having good schools is not a reason to move. Your extended family and support of friends is very important and the main reason people don't move away from familiar areas.

For young guys with no ties moving over it's a great opportunity, for those with young families it's a great opportunity with lots of difficult decisions to make.

Probably because George North is Welsh. Just a guess.

To be fair, if he plays in the Premiership, he's as English as, say, Sergio Aguero as far as the media is concerned.