Are you kidding? Wakefield have had ten+ years of SL and a far worse record of overseas players than Crusaders. Wakefield in their 7th year of SL played a game with 14 overseas players in the 17, Crusaders dont even have that amount in their entire squad in only their third year.

That was when the quota rules were not really in place but now there are quota rules they should be the same for everyone.

Also Wakefield beat Huddersfield at the Galpharm in 2008 with 16 of the 17 being British and earlier this season we played a game where the only 2 people in the 17 who were not British were Rinaldi and Morrison. This season Huddersfield named an entire 17 ho were all British Will Crusaders ever do this? Will they chuff.

Aaaah so when Wakefield benefited it was ok. Now it evens it up for Crusaders its terribly wrong.

Of course they will. Probably not 2 years into professional RL in Wales but in the future yes.

Why don't they just play a team of Welsh lads now? With no threat of relegation they have nothing to loose and also they may even attract bigger crowds to watch a team of welsh lads in Wales (just) rather than a team of overseas journeymen.

For the same reason Wakefield dont field a team of Wakefield born lads right now, and instead field a team with still decent amount of overseas journeymen.

There are young welsh lads coming through and more will do so.

Maybe we would if we could have kept hold of all of our players instead of the big clubs coming in a taking them.

Blaymire

Morton
Griffin
Ellis
Murphy

Brough
Wildie

Griffin
Davey
Mason
Westwood
Ferguson
Pitts

There is a team of players who all came through the Wakefield academy who are all still playing and if you ask me they would make a competitive team. Lets compare thsi team with a team made up of players who have come through the Crusaders and Quins academies.

That team would get absolutely destroyed, every single week.

I beg to differ and I think most people would agree with me.

Are you for real. That team is much better than the current one which has managed 6 wins

You mean the one that is getting destroyed most weeks and will probably finish bottom, the one which has conceded 48, 46 and 70, 52, 40 points in its last 5 games. Its probably not better if so, not by much.

Right so who in our current squad is eqivalent to the following players for starters :

Brough
Ellis
Westwood

The fact the current team has been getting hammered each week in the last month and a half is IMO down to a combination of things 1) coaching & strange team selections; 2) conditioning; 3) a relatively poor quality squad being without some of its better players during the period; 4) The uncertainty surrounding the clubs future in SL and the fact that alot of players have been having their heads turned by other clubs and their agents.

I can confidently say that if you asked Glover if he wanted to replace his current squad with the one Altofts listed he would bite your hand off and that squad would certainly not be getting hammered every week.

EDITED:



Fact remains, if Wakey get the boot, they will have only themselves to blame. Same goes for Harlequins RL.....it's not like the club haven't been warned about attendances. Crusaders would also have no real complaint if they were to go either.....Bottom line is that it is a shame somebody has to go........and supposed fans of the game trying to score points over fans of the game is a bit sad really.

This all happens because of the system

Which we will all see is fair and above board when Wakey and Quinns/Crusaders get kicked out on Tuesday.

Just Wakey this time Greg in exchange for the scousers

You get another derby next year with Wakey.

...as I say, the three clubs named above could have no issue if they were to one(s) to get the push....I hope the server upgrade on this site is ready for the meltdown.........

We all know whats happening- Wakey down, Wideknees in.

Fatty Wood was at The Quins v Wire game last week watching his love child- He seemed pleased with his franchise team.

He should be, look what they have achieved.

......but they still haven't managed World Peace

thats nothing a bit of correctly applied marketing wouldnt sort out

Smurfy

Did I hear one of them 2 Widnes idiots (Cullen and blocked nose) on B n A last week saying franchises should be about locals in the team and not buying in big names! Let see who the big buyers are next year

i have no idea what you heard Easty. I didnt watch it


Bu i believe the jist of their point (which they have stated many times before) is that franchises allow teams to blood upcoming youngsters without the immediate fear of relegation as a result, because not all young superstars hit the ground running in first team rugby, many grow into it. so some hammerings are inevitable regardless.
that being said, of course no team in their right mind is going to field a team of seventeen year olds all freshly promoted from the valvoline academy team squad, thats insanity.
such a team would get completely destroyed every week.
any team going up, (or any established superleague team for that matter) needs to buy in experienced pros to blend with and aid the aforementioned young talent.
lets see who the 'big' buyers are next year? probably Wigan, Warrington and saints more than anyone. widnes are not in a position to sign top class players, neither financially or indeed by reputation.
no team going up these days can go without signing in many new players. its the reality of the gulf between the two divisions. to pretend otherwise is both disengenous and unfair.

too bluddy right

It's just a shame no one on here knows anything about marketing.

Maybe they could have helped Quins out a bit.