Looking at the teams on sunday it appears that around 23 of the 34 players were non UK federation trained + Thomas has switched from RU.

So with all the licencing and quota rules and general encouragement of player development we have a SL game with less than 1/3 of players developed in Uk RL.

[Credit to Quins who have been pilloried in the past but looked to have only 2 non fed trained in their 17 versus Saints.

Just out of curiosity, is that reflected in the broader game? Or are they just bringing the average down? And how does it compare to previous seasons averages?

How long have crusaders been in business? Give them a chance.

Christ, that was almost positive!

Around 5 years with South Wales as a catchment area. They have known they will be in SL since spring 2008. They are based around 30 miles from Widnes but find it more convenient to fly in players from Oz than to recruit in the UK. they had around 13/17 non fed trained. A joke.

Yet you are giving credit to quins? How long have they been going?

I am giving credit to quins having 2/17 on Saturday.

We differ. I think 23/24 NF trained in a SL game is a complete farce. You do not.

I didnt say that. Im looking at the bigger picture, you arent. Wakefield have no excuses. Crusaders are relatively new. Yes, you can point to the catchment area but what would be the point of playing 17 welshman who are of amateur level or 17 random englishmen who are no good. The fact is, in the short term, you get more bang for your buck from aussies who have played in the NRL

Hang on a minute they knew from January that they were playing in Wrexham so how many players of SL standard do you think are available in January?

Given that you feel you have all the answers tell me how many federation trained players are available in South Wales or North Wales for that matter or how many federation trained wanted to up sticks and play in South Wales last year? (I'll give you a starter with Matty Smith and Ste Tyrer)

Credit to Quins who've been in Super League for how long?

We don't have enough UK players who are good enough. Crusaders need a team that will get the results NOW to pull the punters in & so far full credit to them they are doing it. Michael Witt has been a joy to watch this season.

Hey we will still win the Four Nations though!

SL clubs have seen to that havn't they.

Made me laugh when the bloke a few rows away was shouting and screaming about the 'Welsh' having too many Aussies! And they say another one will replace Tronc...are there any decent props in the Championship who'd deserve a go?

Chris Hill is the best prop in the CH, deserves a shot at SL sometime soon again after making his Leigh debut in 2005 in SL. Luckily for Leigh he signed another contract not long back.

I feel that, do I? Show me where I said such a thing or are you resorting to making up what other posters write?

The Crusaders have been in the market since Spring 2008. How long do they need to contact GB developed players?

Noble has no shame in this regard.

Were you living under a rock during the winter that you didn't see the problems that the Crusaders might have had with recruitment?

The Crusaders are still a very very new club. You might have a point if they were producing no welsh people but they have done and a lot faster than Quins managed. You're argument is a poor one, why is playing English players any better for them really seeing as though they are Welsh and especially as they get a lot more for their money with Australians?

You are judging a system that has been in play for less than 2 years based on one game that is an extreme in modern day RL.

Must say I'm a bit dissapointed by it from a Wakefield fans view.

I'd love to see all English lads in there with just a few overseas to compliment them. It's a shame for clubs like us though when we do produce the good ones and then other clubs just come waving more money at them and prise them away, must be disheartening for the club when they are putting a huge effort into nurturing young British talent only for them to leave.

Brough and Southernwood being 2 latest examples, wouldn't surprise me if Annekin was the next....

Morton has already had a fair share of games but does need looking after and both Gledhill and Davey look exciting prospects and have broken into the 1st team, but again they need to be looked after.

The Wigan team of this year are a fine example to me of what you should be aiming towards, they had a very lean few seasons and have been heavily criticised (and rightly so) for bringing in too many overseas and letting good local products go, but they now have a large number of local lads in the team and it seems to be paying dividends.

I would quite happily see us out of the play-offs in the next couple of seasons if it meant investing heavily in the lads who were outstanding last year in being academy champions, and trying to blood them through together and building for the future instead of the short term fix.

You specifically mentioned licensing so you cannot bring in attempts to reduce the quote before that.

The Crusaders have used many Welsh players in those 5 years but the vast majority are not good enough, this is not a shock as they are not a RL playing nation. You are expecting far too much. Melbourne Storm are a dominant Australian RL side and have been around for nearly 15 years yet I'm not sure they have a single Victorian in their team.

I don't see why you expect them to play English players when they are Welsh. Everybody knew that the Crusaders would be filled with Australians for many years to come, many of us argued against it for this reason but it's hardly a shock and plucking a non-shocking statistic doesn't change that.

You praised Quins yet ignore how many Australians they were playing after 2 years in Super League. It took them a lot longer to produce any Southern based players.

What folk are laughing at was the concept of growing your own wood being easier with a 3 year excemption from relegation, and we have Wakey with only 6 players not CC with 13
Franchising is a joke, remove it before the laughing stock we have become is too far gone or simply say this is who we are running with if your not in tough.

Suppose we can't all fill our team with Wigan rejects...

A few Yorkie clubs fill theres with Leeds rejects too.
Facts are after many years of SL cash most SL clubs cant grow their own wood, pathetic.

I'll try and put this really really simply.

The UK does not produce enough decent sportsmen.

This doesnt just apply to footy but also Cricket (English national team is like South Africa's B team), The Soccer national side (England havent won anything since 1966) The English premier league (most of the players are foreign)

I'm sure there are other examples too but I have a filthy hangover and I really cant be bothered to try and think.


The Superleague has so many overseas players because even though they are generally old, sick, lame, idle or unwanted in the NRL they are still far better than anything England Scotland or Wales can produce.

If you got rid of all the Aussies, Kiwis and Islanders playing here watching superleague would be even more like Park footy than it already is.

Look Pal I know you are a visitor to our great nation and that you probably descend from convict stock but that was a very poor wind up when you exclude RU's failure to grow its own wood from the list.

The British disease is quick fix/the grass is greener, but then again we have more than 4 RU teams, 6 county cricket clubs etc

We need to stick to 2 overseas per club max, and make them the best 2 capable of adding to thge team and bringing the juniors through. Having said that the NRL would be in a mess with only 2 overseas.

Its about creating the opportunity for the 18-20 yo, not closing doors on them and that is what we are doing.