We are not in the same class full stop.

Still proud of where our game is now though, were no too far off

This sounds to me as if he's trying to defuse the internal split in the Manly board which is well documented in the Aussie presss, and which he is obviously afraid will upset his own team. Ignore him, and Leeds will have all our teams cheering them on to another WC victory......grannyfan Cindy

I don't think his opinion counts for anything tbh, his opinion is no more valid than someone on here.

Purely stirring up things before the WCC.

Second class is a bit OTT but he has a point that we are way off where we would want to be.

We are not second class, the NRL is better but that is hardly breaking news is it.

Like I said earlier, he is just trying to stir things up ahead of the WCC.

You are having a laugh aren't you, the aussie comp and the national team are streets ahead of this country like it or not. So yes second class i say isn't far wrong

Get real mate, we'll light years behind not just the aussies but the Kiwi's. At club level if you took out all the overseas players our game is well and truly second class.

As for international level we were closer to the aussies when we were a part time sport FFS.

Totally agree and listening to Eddie on Boots 'N' All trying to defend the SL was cringeworthy! Has he forgotten the WC already?

But then we will win the WCC which the aussies never take seriously and be dis-illusioned that we are the best again!

But Oz tv just shelled out millions to show Superleague games this year if i remember rightly a record deal.

Coverage means they are interested i guess, doesnt really mean our sport is competetive though.

Yeh and we buy Home & Away & Neighbours

If they would start filming prisoner cell block H again and add that to those 2 it would be a fairer swap!!

Well James Graham & Rob Burrows are dead ringers for Bea Smith & Lizzie.

i think aus rugby is better but not in a different class

superleague clubs can beat aussie clubs just in the world cup all there best players outshine ours

I find it difficult to tell the difference between the NRL and the WWF. I prefer Super League to wrestling any day.

Comparing Super League to the NRL is like comparing 5 a side football to a full pitch game.

It means its viable and people want to watch it.
I personally believe ours is the more expansive and exiting to watch maybe thats because our defence isnt as good as the oz teams so be it.
i'd rather watch free flowing attacking rugby not defence based zone based tripe that the Oz game offers every week.
Oz coaches may have brought better training and defencive qualities to our game but they have also stifled our natural flair if thats better then some people need to open there eyes.
The Oz game might have the better skills man for man but they arnt world champs in either club or international rugby

IMO the quick PTB over here is just as much, if not more of a problem then the ‘wrestle’ in the NRL. At least by slowing the PTB down a team needs to be creative in order to break a defence down. Whereas, in SL creativity is virtually none existent with any attacking play coming as a direct result of a quick PTB, and the defence not being set. And we wonder where our creative half backs have gone, simple answer – they’re not needed in SL.

Spot on IMO.

SL is all about athleticism rather than skill. It can be exciting to watch but it has resulted in the loss of craft and guile from the game.

Not that I don't think you have a point there.... but I think the wrestling can also lead to a boring game as well as injuries - look at how the inordinate amount of time Ellis was pinned and wrestled led eventually (and I mean eventually - was it 5,6 10 seconds?) to his injury in the World Cup.

Couldn't agree more. For me, it's the main reason why, when we come up against an Aussie team with a supremely well organised, extremely hard to fluster defence, we have no idea. It doesn't really matter how quick the PTB is against them because, even if they give away an inordinate amount of penalties, we still wouldn't be able to break them down near the line.

Well said that man,the Aussies perfected the quick play the ball and moved on,we are still trying to play the Aussie game of 20 odd years ago.The Aussies didn't seem to scare the old time players like they do now.We go on the field and we are beat before the ball has been kicked off.