That's the headline in today's (Saturday) sports section The Press, which is our paper in Christchurch NZ. Asked what his time at Hull had offered him, Berrigan is quoted as saying "I wouldn't say it's done much for my game at all really. I got chopped and changed around a fair bit. There's not much depth in the squads there... I played centre, hooker, half back, even the back row." Read the whole article at www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/476 ... to-be-back

That's the headline in today's (Saturday) sports section The Press, which is our paper in Christchurch NZ. Asked what his time at Hull had offered him, Berrigan is quoted as saying "I wouldn't say it's done much for my game at all really. I got chopped and changed around a fair bit. There's not much depth in the squads there... I played centre, hooker, half back, even the back row." Read the whole article at www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/476 ... to-be-back

Just seen this linked on twitter.

Can't say I blame Berro at all. His comments are spot on.

Interesting..nice to hear a player speaking honestly about the english game..just a shame it reflects so badly on us inparticular.

Should have also added that he was paid lots of cash and didn't deliver very much for it.

Does this not breach his gagging clauses in the contract he previously signed for us? I think it's a blatant critisism of our incompetent regime and I for one am outraged. This could knock back ticket sales and other profit making ventures. If we let one of them get away with it, then soon they'll all be at it.

Yer, can you even begin to imagine what it's like to come from the NRL to being faced with training at Ionians and Brantingham under Rich Agar. It's a genuinely hideous thought... In all seriousness how does a bloke like Berrigan even begin to respect someone like Agar?

He clearly doesn't, hence his public remarks.

Good to see some honesty. Hope he goes well at Warriors.

Indeed, but, well, I don't know what to think to be honest anymore!

Agar Out!

He tried ,carried us around for a season no backing up and then got bust up and played all over the park . To prove a point his last few games in the centre showed what we have been missing , class act playing with average players and coach

Regardless of what he thought, should of done better considering the money FC paid him.

How does Willie Mason begin to respect Justin Morgan?
Both players have glittering careers behind them, neither coach has won feck all.
If I employed somebody and paid them more than anyone else in my companies history, who had a similar record of producing results. Then I would expect that person to produce excellent results, wherever I used him, regardless if he had any respect for me. Berrigan took the pi$$ after his first year and the only people sad to see him go where berros best mate on here and the owners of the weir bar and sugar mill.

Some truth in what Berro said but he should take a look at himself too.

Thats a fair point although at least Morgan can point to having built something, you could argue that even when taking the pis$ Berro should have walked SL. Just pointing out that maybe the culture shock of coming from the NRL to here is enough to make even the best players switch off completely if their personal pride isn't 100% what it should be. Can't agree though with the claim that a player should be expected to produce 'excellent results' regardless of where they are deployed purely on the basis that they are highly paid.

Exactly. I'd agree, mate.

Did he need to have a dig at us and the English game. It was disappointing we didn't get the best of Berrigan, at times we seen some brilliance but at times we seen some mediocre displays too. I don't really see why he felt the need to say it anyway, never came into our press and said anything while he was here yet as soon as he's moved back to Aus he's having a dig at the club and SL. He won't be complaining about the huge wedges of cash that have been put into his bank the last few years. Quite disrespectful.

not a bad player berrigan,but we have had far better.i still think the really great rugby league players are specialists in one position.like peter sterling,gary kemble,steve norton.berrigan was fairly good in a few positions,but not great in any one position.

Having read comments on here I am a little confused. Unless my computer has only given me half the article I fail to see where he has a dig at Agar or Hull FC. Its more a dig at the English game imo. Lets take it piece by piece.

[iWarriors recruit Shaun Berrigan says three years in the English Super League have done nothing for his game[/i

No dig at Hull specifically though it certainly doesn't help the ESL.

[i"I wouldn't say it's done much for my game at all. I got chopped and changed around a fair bit. There's not much depth in the squads there ... I played centre, hooker, halfback, even the back row." [/i

I think this is a simple comment that is 100% true. He never really had a settled position over the past 2 years. There isn't depth in squads here (note plural) compared to down under. To me thats because the game is smaller and equally because of the very low salary cap limit we employ compared to Oz and equally Union.

[iBerrigan has always prided himself on his fitness and he's relying on that to help him with the adjustments needed to reacquaint himself with the pace of the game here.

"The guys generally are bigger and it's more physical," he said when asked to compare the northern game. "There were 12 interchanges so the guys can carry a bit more weight and can get subbed a bit more. The last two years there was a real big emphasis on the wrestle."[/i

Again totally honest and another that is wrong with the entire game here. It would seem that we train our players to be exactly like the other teams squads in order to compete. Not a dig at Hull FC but the entire ESL.

The rest seems to be about the NRL and what he once did and what he hopes to do.

I would agree that we never saw him at his best, but that comes from whats around him and frankly due to injurues and lack of depth as he quoted he didn't get the same standard as he was / is used to in the NRL.
There is no mention of Agar or anyone in particular at Hull and to seize on this as evidence of the failings of Hull FC is stretching it to the extreme.

Before anyone asks I am firmly in the Agar out camp and have been for 18 months so I am no apologist for the current regieme.

The guy was a POMPOUS TW4T, who strutted around Hop Pole pub as he thought he owned it and every bit of skirt in the place.

He gave us what.....6 good games.

Hope Hull FC thought he was worth it...because I certainly didnt.

A very, very poor Richard Swain...in fact he couldnt tie up the boots of Richard Swain.

A bloke who far up his own ar4e and anyone who wants to put him up as one as our one greatest signings are just deluded.

Problem is if you put someone in charge of him who didn't know what they were doing and surrounded them with idiots then you'd get the same results Hull did with berrigan. It was as if Hull expected him to be richard swain mkII and berrigan was a completely different type of player

The issue with Hull is that agar isn't able to get the resources he has to be at least as good as the sum of it's parts. Interesting that berrigan's best season with us coincided with the latter stages of peter sharp's tenure

Can't see how the amount of money he was paid has any baring on how he performs on the pitch.

If he was paid 150k a season, should he put in twice the effort and skill than a player on 75k???

Good on Berro, tell us all what a shambles our club has become.

Spot on.

What berro said is true to be honest , his first season he was very good when he played most of the season at hooker then he seemed to never get a proper run in 1 position. Also the fitness side is obvious to anyone who watches the two leagues they are far better athletes

For me Berrigan had enough opportunities to make an impression over here and didnt deliever regardless of how many positions he had to cover..other players of less stature manage it with the same squad depth/interchanges etc that he had to contend with...

personally think he was the wrong signing at the time really, you lost a real leader in richard swain and thought berrigan as an aussie international would fit the bill to replace him. trouble was as good as berrigan is he isn't and never has been a leader on the field for any of his teams. you paid him lots of money because thats the going rate for aussie internationals, he couldn't deliver what you wanted him to do because he wasn't that kind if player imho

A player of his apparent stature, skill & experience should have enabled him to drag the mediocrity up a notch and stand out 9 times out of 10. Good workers produce good results even within teams that aren't all that and despite crappy line managers. Fact is Berrigan didn't deliver the consistant quality that was expected of an international centre/hooker.
@ Graham Richards, if can't read between the lines then that's fine but that is a very thinly veiled pop at Hull FC & the management henc why so many are commenting on it. The words are chosen so as not to make a direct link to the club so it doesn't cause a stink, very smart if you ask me.