He is described as the 2nd hottest property in Super League, after Sam Tomkins. www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 2efvc.html The English talent drain to Australia continues.

He is described as the 2nd hottest property in Super League, after Sam Tomkins. www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 2efvc.html The English talent drain to Australia continues.

oh well better for England..might win a series or world cup with them playing in the premier comp

That is certainly the hope, but if England don't win a series with all these players in the NRL in the next few years surely we must start to question the rationale behind this exodus - at least from the perspective that it is good for British RL.

If we were to form an England team with the majority of players plying their trade in the NRL, and we were still to lose – we’re doomed & the Aussies could claim they are a super-human race

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I wouldn’t blame the lad for giving it a go, the lure of a far better lifestyle & more cash in the pocket is quite a temptation.

Its generally assumed that playing in the NRL will improve our elite players, therefore improving england's chances against the aussies. We then suggest that, if we can beat them more often, we'll see a rise in interest in the international game.

But what about this - if the ENgland team is made up mainly of local lads that have left these shores, will that in itself cause an increase in people wanting to watch England play? Saints fans who long to see Jammer again - Wigan fans who want the chance to see Tomkins run with the ball - Bradford fans eager to see how the Burgess tribe have bloomed....

Will we see England taking on NZ around the same time the aussies are playing SOO?

It's unlikely to happen soon because he signed a 5 year deal with Leeds last season and Aussie clubs aren't known for paying transfer fees

Do you think that SL players ever have NRL clauses that could get round this?
Hock obviously didn't else he'd be there now.

I doubt there would be a clause allowing Watkins to leave soon. Maybe a release from the last year of his contract to go to the NRL, but any more than that would negate the point of signing him up on a long term contract.

I know champioship players tend to have clauses for SL clubs.
If the money really cranks up in the NRL, I can imagine SL player having clauses that at least set a transfer fee from a NRL club.

Well it's not really a policy that England are adopting, is it? The reason players are leaving/will leave is because they will get more money, live somewhere sunny and play at a much higher level, not because it will benefit the English national team.

If Super League want the biggest stars, Sky will have to up their contract. You never know, they may perceive this player drain as a need to put in more investment and keep their product (SL on TV) at as good a quality as possible.

Competition could be good for us in the long run.

For now, it will make the NRL a lot more interesting for the Brits!