Currier was the league's joint top points scorer that season. He could kick afterall. 89 GF also had Shaun Edwards in that side.

On the English theme. Canberra's fitness, strength and conditioner was the Englishman, Kelvin Giles.



I still maintain that if the seasons ran at opposite times, we'd have more poms over here like we used to.

I think pretty much all of the England Elite Training squad, plus a fair few of the Knights squad are good enough to start regularly in the NRL for at least one team, should any teams show an interest. The difference is that the talent pool in Oz is bigger and deeper than the talent pool over here so there's no need for Aussies to look over here too often, except to take a punt on the exceptional talents like Graham and Sam Burgess, and even then those two look a cut above the majority of the players they come up against over there. The NRL isn't that much better at the top of the table, as recent WCC games show. The difference is that the teams at the bottom of the pile are ten times better than in SL. There genuinely are no easy games over there and it's both rare and surprising that a team runs up a 50+ score on someone, something that is a pretty regular occurence in Super League these days

There's a gap between the top NRL sides and top SL sides as well. If Leeds were in the NRL we'd get a few wins but we'd also take a hammering or two through a season in part because our top sides aren't used to needing to be anywhere near 100% evey week. There's a huge difference between getting up for a one-off game and doing it for 20+ weeks.

Should point out that Luke Burgess wasn't a star by any means last year. He looked pretty solid in one of the worst teams in the competition. Its also notable that nearly all the players we are talking about are forwards. we have backs with real potential, but the only ones I'd bet money on being able to star today would be Tomkins and Hall.

www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 1unc0.html

www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 1unc0.html

I regularly hear this argument about our teams not playing to the same intensity as the NRL every week and therefore wouldn’t cope with the NRL. While I fully agree that the NRL top to bottom is more competitive than the SL, I’m not sure that it would take teams that long to adapt? Leeds don’t play at the same intensity level every week because they don’t have to, not because they are not capable of it – if they were to play Wigan one week and then Warrington the next, they won’t say “I’m sorry, I can’t play t the same intensity this week as I did last”

Morley, Burgess, Ellis (and I am sure Graham now) have shown that the players can play at this intensity week on week so why can’t we extend this logic to a whole team?

Many Super League coaches rate Briscoe as the finest athlete in the league – he is unbelievably strong for a winger and has a proven scoring record. He is still a bit raw in defence and he needs to work on taking the high ball under pressure but people forget that he is an established international and still only 21. I think he would handle the NRL just fine but I would prefer he stays in the SL... alongside the likes of Charnley, Hall and McGillvary. We are now seeing the best generation of wingers in England since we had the likes of Robinson and Offiah and that can only be good for our game

Hull KR

Briscoe has looked poor and out of his depth everytime he has played against New Zealand and Australia. He seems to be one of those players that doesnt have the skills to be a decent centre nor the speed, acceleration or agility to be a top winger like Hall or the potential to be one like a Charnley or McGilvary. For me he is solid enough at SL level and does a job and thats about it. After watching the NRL the last couple of weeks I certainly couldnt see him successfuly being a winger there.

Id take Briscoe over Charnley every day of the week.

Is this the same Charnley who embarrassed Ryan Hall in Round 2 by scoring a hat-trick past him along with another effort which was incorrectly ruled out?

Funnily enough, the other day I was just re-watching the England NewZealand game from the KC in the last 4 Nations. There is no way in the world you could describe Briscoe as out of his depth – he wasn’t exceptional but he brought the ball out of his half strongly, snuffed out a couple of dangerous New Zealand attacks and took his try well (although any winger should have scored that try). You describe him as lacking speed, acceleration or agility and many Super league players and coaches have described him as a freakish athlete... I guess I know whose opinion I will take

Unless he makes the move, arguing about whether Briscoe could handle the NRL is simply opinion – mine is that he would make it no problem

Absolute rubbish. As others have said Briscoe has alot to learn but as an athelete hes up there with anyone. The comment about him not having acceleration of agilty tells me you've never actually seen him play.

Have you the links to these many coaches saying that? Cheers.

I have certainly seen much better athletes than Briscoe knocking about Super League, never mind in the NRL. He is strong for his size but is far from some exceptional athlete like you are trying to make out. For a top winger Briscoe is certainly not that fast or agile and isnt blessed with great acceleration. Indeed in the last 4 Nations he looked positively slow compared to the wingers he was up against and wasnt he caught by a forward against either Australia or New Zealand when he was in the clear?

As you say we are all entitled to our opinions. Mine is that Briscoe is a decent player in Super League but isnt good internationally, indeed he has been lucky to retain his England place on occasion, and is a player that doesnt have the raw attributes needed to be a top winger. In the NRL there are many wingers who are true athletes who have a damn more to their game than Briscoe.

Sorry, I don’t have any ‘links’ to radio and tv interviews I’m afraid. Not all my life is spent on the internet



I guess this conversation has arrived at an impasse, you think that Briscoe is not a particularly talented player or athletic, mine is that he is clearly one of the best athletes in the league

If he ever makes the move to the NRL, I guess we will know the answer to the underlying question of can he make it there

Funny enough just watching on telly the 1991 game between Easts and St George. On tuesyda nights you can choose between a few games. This one was picked. Martin Offiah scored a hat trick for the Dragons. He scored something like 11 tries in 14 games for them. It all came flooding back. I was there at that game. Bloody pommie bastárd Offiah.

James Roby would tear the NRL apart.

I also think Sean O'Loughlin would be a class act in the NRL, it suits his game

They certainly didn't seem to have any problems with raising the intensity in the playoffs last year, beating three of the top four sides in the league on the way and all away from Headingley.

Neither have done much at International level consistently.
Roby would be just a tackling machine I guess, he does not have good ball distribution skills, scooting is a SL phenomenon that would get nowhere in Oz.

O Loughlin has the same illness that Keiron Cunningham had, he has been in grade for what around 11 seasons and played against Australia around 5 times and 14 Test Caps over all? I may be a couple of caps out but its hardly a player setting the World on fire in a team that should be easier to get into than most based on the last 4 decades results.

And that's utter e.

Why don't they have a go then?

There is far more money on offer in the NRL for top shelf players.
Surely most Athletes want to compete in the best competition their sport has to offer.

Because they might not want to leave the uk?

And it hasn't always been financially better in aus.

For the top rung of players it has been better financially in the NRL, that is why the Cream of the NRL have not played in England in the last decade.
The Aus dollar has been strong for a couple of years to add to that payday for players.
Maybe they do not want to leave Super League and are happy being big name players in a smaller pond.

I have a lot of time for guys like Ellis that backed themselves for less money, its not about Oz v England or NRL V SL its giving it a go and backing your talent in a League that is generally considered more competitive and more professional.

I don't know what your point is, if a player and his family don't wont to leave the uk it doesn't matter how much they get paid or how greater the comp is.

Believe it or not I know all about the strength of the dollar, I also know how relative it all is considering what the rent I pay in Sydney could get me in northern England.

Players like O' Loughlin are plenty full in the NRL

My opinion is that numerous uk players could make it in the NRL. Even some of our backs, who aren't in the same league as some NRL backs, would easily secure a NRL contract.

To suggest Roby, who the Australian press creamed themselves over during the world cup, couldn't be a top player is laughable.