That wasn’t the question. Of course there are lots more and lots better props in the NRL and with an unlimited budget crikey you wouldn’t know where to begin.

Sadly not many if any of those are heading to SL these days. I hate to say dregs because they won’t all be but some are. Hence the British angle because at that level there is no difference.

It was exactly the question. If we are going to buy British. Who would you buy?

Unfortunately, before my time watching Trinity.

PT I think you are both talking about different things.

I think Vasty is on about players lurking around in the shadows, Championship players looking for a chance or Academy players who for whatever reason aren't going to make it at their parent club but still have the ambition. He might know who those players are, I don't but they do exist.

What you are on about is whether there are any SL or established Championship props kicking about with a similar rep to the available NRL ones?

To answer your question, probably not.

The argument for me is whether you go down the homegrown route and take a punt on that type of player or you go down the NRL route and take what in my opinion is just as bigger risk and sign one of them?

Take your pick on that one.

I have some knowledge of the Aussie game through some friendships I've made and one of those recently explained to me why SL was no longer of any interest to most Aussie players, so if you're interested here goes.

Firstly there are two types of NRL player. Those who are Australian born and raised, they can be white or black or purple but they are true blue Aussies. Just like there British counterparts most have no wish to move and would rather stay local to where they were born. They don't mind a commute if needs be but to move to a grey island 12,000 miles away, err no.

This mentality has been further compounded by the growing disparity between the two comps. SL is poor the NRL is bigger and far richer, the contracts they now offer to most players are big enough to make a move to the UK unattractive, which didn't use to be the case. Ditto NRL squad sizes have also increased in recent years leaving even fewer quality players floating about, I mean 20 years ago it was a buffet now it's petrol station sandwich.

So with the odd exception that leaves the other group. These are mainly people of Samoan, Tongan and Cook Island descent. Many moved to Australia/NZ as kids but are still effectively still immigrants. So moving from Aus to the UK is not such a biggy for them. However! Most of these players are very good and thus have no problem getting NRL deals. Meaning they remain closer to loved ones etc etc. All the same, it's this group of players that offers the best pickings but it's now a very small pond indeed.

Not saying there are none but I do believe that unless you pay really big money the quality left is now not significantly higher than those British players in the Championship and the SL margins.

So for me, I'd bite Battye type players hand off rather than take the gamble on a 30-year-old NRL squad player, wouldn't you?

Can't agree with you on that one. He may have been a good player when he played but not for us, I don't doubt he was a nice chap but he spent more time selling shirts rather than playing. I didn't know him so I'll bow to your greater knowledge but to me he was the epitome of the vacationing Aussie and he wasn't cheap either.

Ashurst your talking about a player again ,He could and did win a game on his own .I went down in all weather just to watch him.

Really good post.
Thanks for explain the first bit.

The NRL analysis is bang on.
And yes, I'd always take a Battye.

Interview with Battye in today's League Express saying that he wants to get back in Super League ideally with London but if they don't get the nod next month "if the chance to move came around, I'd have to look at it". To me that says he is hedging his bets and if London don't get in then he may come back to us ???





The paper also mentions that Gavet from Shudds is being offered to other clubs and Mitch Clark is also no longer wanted by Wiggin, so there are a couple of options there and we are one of four clubs allegedly talking to Patten along with Salford, Toulouse and York !!

Well in a fair and equitable world it should be London. Luckily for us on this occasion, it isn't, so welcome aboard Mr Battye.

Unfortunately for us I don`t think it will be as easy as that, Battye is a decent player at SL level and it hasn`t gone unnoticed by other SL clubs especially when there are a lot of clubs severely lacking in middles at the moment.

Not sure I agree. He's not top club material, let's not get carried away. There may be others interested but they will be clubs like us offering similar deals. Eddie is no fool by the looks of it, he knows he's already won the Wakefield fans, players and coaches over, why risk it.

This is the sort of fringe player that interests me. Certainly the kind we seem to have a lot of joy with. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Clark_(rugby_league) Nothing special but plenty of experience, 27 years old so coming up to peak age for a prop and from Pontefract. Looks like a player who probably isn't quite good enough to get the regular first-team at a top club but who still must have caught Wigan's eye. At Wakefield he'd find more opportunity and if he took it with both hands then bingo. Before the 'not ambitious enough' brigade start up, I'm not suggesting he's a world-beater or the player who's going to push us to the next level, he isn't. No team is full of those kind of players, not even the current Saints team. However, I'd bet a fiver he's as good as we are likely to find in the NRL bargain bucket.

This is the sort of fringe player that interests me. Certainly the kind we seem to have a lot of joy with. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Clark_(rugby_league) Nothing special but plenty of experience, 27 years old so coming up to peak age for a prop and from Pontefract. Looks like a player who probably isn't quite good enough to get the regular first-team at a top club but who still must have caught Wigan's eye. At Wakefield he'd find more opportunity and if he took it with both hands then bingo. Before the 'not ambitious enough' brigade start up, I'm not suggesting he's a world-beater or the player who's going to push us to the next level, he isn't. No team is full of those kind of players, not even the current Saints team. However, I'd bet a fiver he's as good as we are likely to find in the NRL bargain bucket.

Quote ="Fishermanscap"This is the sort of fringe player that interests me. Certainly the kind we seem to have a lot of joy with. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Clark_(rugby_league) Nothing special but plenty of experience, 27 years old so coming up to peak age for a prop and from Pontefract. Looks like a player who probably isn't quite good enough to get the regular first-team at a top club but who still must have caught Wigan's eye. At Wakefield he'd find more opportunity and if he took it with both hands then bingo. Before the 'not ambitious enough' brigade start up, I'm not suggesting he's a world-beater or the player who's going to push us to the next level, he isn't. No team is full of those kind of players, not even the current Saints team. However, I'd bet a fiver he's as good as we are likely to find in the NRL bargain bucket.'" Would be an okay signing, I thought he went okay for Cas, but very inconsistent, type of player that turns up when he wants to play which is why Powell dropped him, It all depends on whether we want to keep that last quota/Non-fed spot free though for whoever we are looking at in the NRL.

Quote ="Fishermanscap"This is the sort of fringe player that interests me. Certainly the kind we seem to have a lot of joy with. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Clark_(rugby_league) Nothing special but plenty of experience, 27 years old so coming up to peak age for a prop and from Pontefract. Looks like a player who probably isn't quite good enough to get the regular first-team at a top club but who still must have caught Wigan's eye. At Wakefield he'd find more opportunity and if he took it with both hands then bingo. Before the 'not ambitious enough' brigade start up, I'm not suggesting he's a world-beater or the player who's going to push us to the next level, he isn't. No team is full of those kind of players, not even the current Saints team. However, I'd bet a fiver he's as good as we are likely to find in the NRL bargain bucket.'" Would be an okay signing, I thought he went okay for Cas, but very inconsistent, type of player that turns up when he wants to play which is why Powell dropped him, It all depends on whether we want to keep that last quota/Non-fed spot free though for whoever we are looking at in the NRL.

I was impressed with him at Cas and was thinking he would be good for us, but I didn't realise he wasn't British and looking at that link on Wiki, I also didn't realise how many British clubs he had already played for and am thinking there must be a reason for that

Sorry, the wrong link, if you go on the Wigan site it states he is British, born in Ponte, his dad played for Fev and Bradford. The thing I noticed was that he is local and that does help settle some players. He's also coming up to the 'sensible' age for props. Three of those were loans to be fair. As I say, worth a look. You can always find issues with most players other than the very best. https://www.wiganwarriors.com/teams/fir ... itch-clark

Sorry, the wrong link, if you go on the Wigan site it states he is British, born in Ponte, his dad played for Fev and Bradford. The thing I noticed was that he is local and that does help settle some players. He's also coming up to the 'sensible' age for props. Three of those were loans to be fair. As I say, worth a look. You can always find issues with most players other than the very best. https://www.wiganwarriors.com/teams/fir ... itch-clark

Played all his junior rugby in Aus so he will be on the Non-fed quota.

It's clearly the same guy FMC, but I think some of the details on Wiki may be incorrect ?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Clark_(rugby_league)

It's clearly the same guy FMC, but I think some of the details on Wiki may be incorrect ?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Clark_(rugby_league)

Quote ="FIL"It's clearly the same guy FMC, but I think some of the details on Wiki may be incorrect ?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Clark_(rugby_league)'" He was born in Ponte FIL, but the quota is down to where you played your junior rugby, he moved to Aus at a very young age, similar to Widdop.

Quote ="FIL"It's clearly the same guy FMC, but I think some of the details on Wiki may be incorrect ?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Clark_(rugby_league)'" He was born in Ponte FIL, but the quota is down to where you played your junior rugby, he moved to Aus at a very young age, similar to Widdop.

Even if he's a British citizen, you sure about that?

Casty is being released by Catalans...could be worth a 1 year deal ?? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/55132970

Casty is being released by Catalans...could be worth a 1 year deal ?? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/55132970

Quote ="homme vaste"He was born in Ponte FIL, but the quota is down to where you played your junior rugby, he moved to Aus at a very young age, similar to Widdop.'" I'm not his agent but this seems to suggest he doesn't count. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quota_players Exceptions There are three exceptions for a player to avoid quota player status. Those are listed below: 1. When a player has played for a rugby team for six years, he is eligible to gain British citizenship and does not count under the quota. 2. If the player has a passport for any EU nation or a Kolpak nation. 3. If the player is from a Kolpak nation such as Papua New Guinea, Samoa or Tonga. No 2?

Quote ="homme vaste"He was born in Ponte FIL, but the quota is down to where you played your junior rugby, he moved to Aus at a very young age, similar to Widdop.'" I'm not his agent but this seems to suggest he doesn't count. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quota_players Exceptions There are three exceptions for a player to avoid quota player status. Those are listed below: 1. When a player has played for a rugby team for six years, he is eligible to gain British citizenship and does not count under the quota. 2. If the player has a passport for any EU nation or a Kolpak nation. 3. If the player is from a Kolpak nation such as Papua New Guinea, Samoa or Tonga. No 2?

That just makes him non fed trained.

Yep, a non-fed player is one who was not playing for a club within the Rugby League European Federation between age 16-21 regardless of where they were born.

The employments laws affecting quotes are EU led - will the game change the rules in the future??

Quote ="FIL"Casty is being released by Catalans...could be worth a 1 year deal ?? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/55132970'" Well past his best . Un âne

Quote ="FIL"Casty is being released by Catalans...could be worth a 1 year deal ?? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/55132970'" Well past his best . Un âne