Stumbled on this first thing this morning...

[url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/rugby_league/4807065/Salford-City-Reds-are-looking-to-strike-more-Aussie-gold-with-Luke-ODwyer.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeedLuke O’Dwyer[/url

Thoughts?

would be a great signing for 2 years

Typical Aussie coach wants to fill his team with antipodeans. Also typical rugby league short term thinking which will result in the young, up and coming lads getting no game time at an appropriate standard.

It's the sport I love but I despair at its inability to see past the end of its own nose.

The good Doctor's plans are very interesting! www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... ut-1340140

The good Doctor's plans are very interesting! www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... ut-1340140

but in our case we need experienced players to blend in with the youngsters we already have

I don't think that's the case at all.

We had nearly all our overseas spots open. Would have been silly not to fill them. Our recruitment has basically started when there are very little quality options in the northern hemisphere. Oz teams have been streamlining there finances to fit in with their cap resulting in a larger pool of available players on the fringes of first grade.

If you're desperate to get players in this year you would go to where you've got a chance of bringing those players in. Unfortunately, those players are overseas. It's an indictment on our small pool of players in this country but not surprising seeing as RL is way down the pecking order in this Country and is probably Oz's top sport.

I don't think it's a case of Oz coach always looks to Oz. Think laterally a little and you might realise there's more to these decisions than something as silly as stereotyping.

We are a special case. Little quality at the moment and we need players to pass on their professionalism to our younger players.

Take Cricket as an example. If you want players to have a good defence then you would employ a Boycott. If you need a player to understand how to attack then you would take on a Flintoff or Fairbrother.

Its all about improving standards and thats what we need.

Firstly, I don't think he is a typical Aussie coach because he has served a lengthy apprenticeship as an assistant and has coached younger players,in England,over many years.
His first signing,more or less,has been Andrew Dixon,and a fine signing he is.( In my opinion - and he is young and English )
If we take the Widnes example,where they had to wait 3 years for a Super League licence and told to improve their youth system,their squad now includes several antipodeans.The Under 20's - which came about after the 2008 World Cup has now been considered an unsatisfactory way to prepare for Super League.What happens after the autumn world cup is anyone's guess.
The backroom staff are antipodean and have the contacts to allow the club instant access to players who the club require on the hurry-up due to departures,injuries,and playing standards.
The club may also encounter the problem of offloading some players now that Super League players are on dual registration with Championship clubs.Our contact with Oldham may become more helpful if they get promoted.

The Forever Reds meeting on Monday night with the new chief exec. may answer some of the questions.

Oh,and the coach has brought in a young Welshman and an Englishman on,and given them game time.

Two posts, both going on about the young Salford players apparently being ignored. So, what are you? Young Salford player, relative of a young Salford player or partner of a young Salford player?

Isn't this a Post about Luke O'Dwyer ?
Thought so ..
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRTuNNoH7YkLuke O'Dwyer V Braith Anasta & Mark O'meley[/url

[url=http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/11/03/441133_gold-coast-titans.htmlVeteran Titan aim to establish new era[/url


reminds me of Luke Swain
So He's played Centre - Stand-off - 2nd Row & Loose forward over his career at the Eels & the Titans , a comitted trainer & and daft enough to take on Braith Anasta or Mark O'meley in a biff .
OK for aslong as he's not at salford for [ia holiday, the Salford lifestyle and money[/i

Well, if the academy system in this country was anywhere near good enough, we wouldn't have to import players. It's no surprise that the most successful clubs (by which I mean multiple successes over a prolonged period) are those with the strongest academies, of which just a small handful of clubs in this country can claim to have.
Bagging the Aussies on matters such as this amounts to little more than second generation racism, grounded in irrational hate of another nation's culture rather than the colour of their skin... Oh no, don't tell me, "it's only banter."

[url=http://www.titans.com.au/news-display/Player%20Reviews%202012%20-%20Luke%20ODwyer/64616Player Reviews 2012 - Luke O'Dwyer[/url
[url=http://stats.rleague.com/rl/scorers/players/L/Luke_ODwyer.htmlcareer stats Luke O'Dwyer[/url

more stuff on O'Dwyer

Like he said

Veivers is a very atypical ' Aussie Coach ' . your average coach ( whatever country of birth ) would have A:- gone on the sick B:- quit and flown back to a cushy assistants role in a warm country , given the trouble that Phil has had to deal with. C:- I often forget he is Australian , given that he came over here with Mal Meninga in the 80's he must have lived over here almost aslong as Rolf Harris..

Salford have a good track record of giving youth a chance , holding onto them has been the problem .
It will be years before we can operate in the style of Warrington & Leeds , with big well funded Academy Squads , but even with them their 1st team is awash with older players & overseas signings , their youngsters are loaned out to lower clubs for months if not years before they rightfully land a 1st team place.

If you're good enough and you've got the comittment no matter what the age it will happen

Yes to o,dwyer.

But to be honest i dont think he would come over.

married family man young kids in school, very disruptve for his family just for 2 years.

as for Jonhathan thursten then yes yes yes,

some one else said about asking the STORM for a loan of Slater Cronk and Smith, go for it i say , they need match practise for the sart of the ARL so why not.

Slater, Cronk and Smith in a reds shirt = wet dream....

cant see it happening though

Not sure why people are kicking off over this post. For years most RL clubs have wasted money on average overseas signings. Nothing wrong with top quality coming over but some of the jokers that have come over on big wages is remarkable. The sad thing about it is that clubs and fans see filling the overseas quota as compulsory regardless of quality.

For me this is exactly the type of player we need to going for, this year is going to be difficult and we very much want solid grafters who will help with what if we're all honest will be damage limitation until a proper off season of recruiting.
As someone says his bio reminds me of Mark Henry who was one of our better imports of recent years and everything you read about comments of his work ethic which would make him ideal in a squad full of so many very talented youngsters.

Frustrated relative actually. Your question suggests that my opinion is therefore invalid! I don't think so!

The game has, since the inception of Super League and the alignment of the English and Australian playing seaons, with few rare exceptions, brought over second rate or over the hill players from the southern hemisphere. Salford has suffered more of this than most, but on the whole, I believe the British game has suffered because the pool of British players has been restricted by the inclusion of too many imports.

Many on here believe that Sneyd and Fages (neither of whom are my relatives!) both deserve a chance to prove themselves. What are their chances with another half back import?

I think Salford have shown that ,if the youngsters are good enough,they will progress at the club.
The truth is that we need to try and put a competitive team on the pitch.
Evalds has already shown enough and will be looked after.
Sneyd had chances last season and,whilst not making a long term judgment,the fact is he didn't take the chance that he had.
If the youngsters that we have supposedly ignored had been good enough they would have turned up somewhere else and made the grade.
Not many have,the obvious exception being Michael Platt,I suppose.

Think with the youngsters this season we need to tread the very thin line between throwing them in there and throwing them to the wolves. I'd hope to see Evalds get a decent run as he really looks to have 'IT' and I don't think Ford would let anyone down.
Do honestly think this season we'd be best served getting grinders to sure things up rather than one super star surrounded by players who'd be light years behind him talent wise.
I'd be happy if we get into double figures in the league but would hope there will be more of a focus put on a decent cup run.

And isn't that the reason GB and more laterly England have struggled to live with Australia. Personally I'd much see clubs invest in young British talent than average Aussie. It boils down to money and the spectators need for sucess.
Good on any team who turns their back on all things Aus,we are way to obsessed with Australia anyway.

Yes I think most supporters wouldn't care if they had a squad full of aliens representing them if it made their team more competitive. The argument of foreign players stifling the development of young british talent is no different in football and other professional team sports.

As much as some of the very best british kids make the breakthrough perhaps you have to look deeper and accept that not enough quality is coming through from junior level. This may have nothing to do with poor coaching and could simply be a result of not enough kids or too many athletically inferior lads playing rugby league at youth level.

It will never change.

While Australian NRL remains their number one sport, which means money, investment, youth development, and importantly communities are based around League Clubs. We will never be able to compete as we are, whether we like it or not, mainly parochial with small and limited areas for youth development. We don't have the financial clout, support, or public interest.

It's not hard to figure out that if you have two pools of players, one of which is vast, had superior youth coaching and opportunity to develop. Access to the best facilities and nurtured by the pro Clubs from an early age. While the other one is small, with hit and miss opportunities for development, often with limited or poor facilities. Where the amateur game has little to do with pro Clubs and youngsters are more likely to drift away from sport than embrace it.

It's not hard to see, from a Clubs perspective why they would choose Australian players.

The fault is not with Clubs but with the fact that RL is more interested in expansion than hardening and perfecting youth development by supporting and investing in grass roots RL. Bring in infrastructure that enables and encourages youngsters to develop and ease their transition from amateur to pro. Have more solid processes in place to stop those talented players from becoming disillusioned by the shoddy hit and miss nature of Amateur/Academy RL.

I'm sorry, Butcher, but the fault does lie with the clubs. The RFL Performance department were tasked with proposing improvements to the Player Performance pathway. The decision to take part of the proposal and discard the rest, resulting in the current debacle of "partnerships", was made by the SL clubs' Chief Executives on a vote of 11-3.

A clear demonstration of the lack of joined up thinking and willingness to continue to "buy out" . The RFL would like to see an effective development pathway whereas most of the clubs see that as an evil necessity.

That's the challenge the RFL need to get a grip of. I understand that Clubs don't generally help when what they want is the status quo. My original point stands though. We don't have the infrastructure to match Australia. The RFL are going to find it difficult to change something that should have been changed years ago. Development pathways are all well and fine, but without the whole of RL pulling toward an outcome they'll become stale very quickly. Besides, what's the point in having development pathways when the problem lies in the fact that we are severely fractured as a sport at every level?

I'm not arguing against your opinion as I can't. But there are many more factors than just seeing it as a problem caused by Clubs short-sightedness.