Two brilliant live quarter-finals now setting us up for what should be two great semi-finals where all the teams will believe that can truly win this competition. It's a long time since I've felt that feeling, probably over twenty years. Thank you Super League.

Great post Billinge_Lump.


In this months RLW Garry Scholfield also chips in, backing up the anti-cap argument, which means the cap is obviously the best thing EVER - FACT.


Frankly the anti-CC supporters haven't a leg to stand on. (as if they ever did).


This pathetic right wing/fascist "free market" argument is more tired than it has ever been.

I have only one think to say about GS is "Cod Eyes" Ok that was 2

Wish our England Boys could do the same!

Sub-standard rugby though. Only Saints can truly believe they can win this, the others are hoping for a Saints f*ck up.

Your wasting your time!

If they are Happy to watch the likes of Gardner/Wellens/Wilkin etc win against Poor opposition almost every week then fair enough.

But they aint pulling the wool over my eyes!

Legends of modern day super league players eh

, they are not good enough to lace the boots of the proper league players when the game was called [uRUGBY LEAGUE [/upre 1995 for you sint tellenors

As I said; If you want to know if the standard has gone backwards, I suggest you compare the squads of the top team of 1996 (Saints) with that of the top team of last year (Leeds/Saints).

Of course, that would blow any theory that SL has gone backwards out of the water, hence the reason why you chose to ignore it.

HTH.

Why stop at 1996.

Go back to 1994 or 1995.


There is only one answer.

Wigan 1994-95 Squad. Taken from Bilko's site.


Gary Connolly 43 2 45 30 - - 120
Henry Paul 38 5 43 19 25 - 126
Martin Hall 42 - 42 13 - - 52
Va'aiga Tuigamala 39 - 39 25 - - 100
Martin Offiah 38 - 38 53 - - 212
Paul Atcheson 23 15 38 7 - - 28
Denis Betts 37 - 37 20 - - 80
Andy Farrell 33 4 37 5 59 1 139
Mick Cassidy 25 12 37 6 - - 24
Neil Cowie 35 1 36 6 - - 24
Jason Robinson 35 - 35 23 - - 92
Shaun Edwards 34 1 35 20 1 1 83
Frano Botica 31 2 33 9 186 - 408
Terry O'Connor 18 9 27 1 - - 4
Phil Clarke 25 1 26 7 - - 28
Kelvin Skerrett 25 1 26 6 - - 24
Kris Radlinski 17 4 21 18 - - 72
Simon Haughton 7 7 14 4 - - 16
Barrie-Jon Mather 6 8 14 6 - - 24
Barrie McDermott 8 5 13 4 - - 16
Scott Quinnell 8 3 11 5 - - 20
Craig Murdock 10 - 10 4 1 - 18
Sean Long 2 3 5 2 2 - 12
Andy Johnson 1 4 5 2 - - 8
Joe Lydon - 4 4 1 - 1 5
Martin Dermott 3 - 3 - - - -
Matthew Knowles 1 - 1 - - - -
Paul Stevens 1 - 1 - - - -
Andy Craig - 1 1 - - - -



Now what was that again about the lack of decline in RL standards?


You have not a leg to stand on.

Why not have a look at the other players in the other teams and other squads and compare????

Look a t the 2nd place team Wigan & compare it with the 2nd place team of today either Leeds/Saints!!!!!!

Err, because you keep saying how the standard of the Super "duper" League is dropping, so you cannot therefore use a team from outside the SL era as evidence that standards in SL is dropping!

QED.

Do it then. I think you will find that the top two are comparable.

What about the third place and beyond?

Pedantic point, and tbh I have said the standards of RUGBY LEAGUE are slipping.

However, if it makes you feel better.

Kris Radlinski 21 - 21 10 - - 40
2 Jason Robinson 25 - 25 26 - 1 105
3 Va'aiga Tuigamala 25 - 25 13 3 - 58
4 Gary Connolly 25 - 25 15 2 - 64
5 Martin Offiah 10 - 10 12 - - 48
6 Henry Paul 23 - 23 22 19 - 126
7 Shaun Edwards 21 3 24 17 1 - 70
8 Kelvin Skerrett 2 10 12 - - - -
9 Martin Hall 26 - 26 6 10 - 44
10 Terry O'Connor 26 - 26 1 - - 4
11 Simon Haughton 19 7 26 11 - - 44
12 Mick Cassidy 25 - 25 3 - - 12
13 Andy Farrell 25 1 26 7 113 - 254
14 Rob Smyth 11 6 17 16 - - 64
15 Danny Ellison 10 1 11 10 - - 40
16 Scott Quinnell 8 3 11 3 - - 12
17 Andy Johnson 4 17 21 5 - - 20
18 Craig Murdock 8 13 21 11 - - 40
19 Martin Dermott - - - - - - -
20 Daryl Cardiss - 1 1 - - - -
21 Nigel Wright - 2 2 - - 1 1
21 Andy Craig 5 6 11 2 - - 8
22 Steve Barrow - 10 10 3 - - 12
22 Paul Johnson - 1 1 - - - -
23 Matthew Knowles - 3 3 - - - -
24 Shem Tatupu - 3 3 - - - -
25 Neil Cowie 19 2 21 2 - - 8
26 Sean Long - 3 3 - - - -
27 Neil Baynes - 3 3 - - - -
28 Gael Tallec


Taken from 1996.

The point still remains.

Do you seriously think that the current Stains squad is stronger than this one?

As previously stated on this subject many times.

Have a look at the England/Wales teams from the 95 WC semi final.

Look How many others weren't playing and the quality that was missed out and then Look at the England squad of today and tell me where getting closer!

Third place? Bradford were third place in SL1. They topped the league the following season.

Not a bad side at all in SL1 and would do very well indeed in the mediocre SDL.

I've edited that squad and taken out the chaff. (Before you say it, Radlinski was only 19/20 in the 1996 season so could in no way be construed as being one of your Superstar players back then but have allowed a 20 year old Farrell to sneak in).

Compare that Saints of last year comprising; Wellens, Talau, Gidley, Pryce, Long, KC, Graham, Roby and Flannery - I would say that the Saints squad of last year was comparable.

List the squads then and we'll do a comparison shall we?

You also said on the Saints board that Thorman would be a good replacement for Long, which tells me all I need to know about you, thanks.

The decline of the International scene is down to individual Clubs having had (mostly) appalling youth policies which is a separate issue altogether.

Some of those "stars" were on their last legs and about to be binned off.

They couldn't even finish above the 1996 Saints - the 2006 Saints would muller that team, and the current Saints team would beat it too.

You really should start to wear a cap in the sun.......

Stalker alert!!!

Did you also read the part where I explained my thinking and reasoning?

What did that team win in 1996?

Saints did the double with a team that would get spanked by the 2006 Saints.

Paul Anderson (the rubbish one), Danny Arnold, Simon Booth, Dean Busby, Andy Haigh, Joey Hayes, Andy Leatham, Vila Matautia, Chris Morley, Jon Neill, Andy Northey, Julian O Neill, Ian Pickavance, Tony Stewart, Adam Fogerty, John Mcatee.

All these players would struggle to get a gig for Celtic these days, most would be Championship.

Comparing past and present squads doesn't make the point in my view. Just look at the fare on offer today in the UK compared to Aus and we are miles behind with the gap getting wider. Just look at the averages for completion rates, the appalling kicking game in general, the quality of our match officials, players and coaches, etc.

No-one can argue that the competition isn't much closer but anyone who thinks we are watching top quality rugby is deluding themselves.