Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Tue Nov 19, 2019 2:03 pm  

If anything, the performances of Tonga, Fiji and especially PNG should give some hope that success at international level isn’t only about having the best / highest paid players.

Where do we go from here? Well firstly we have to assess the brutal reality of where we’re at and drop the rose tinted glasses. We are currently a second tier nation and being overtaken by Tonga in particular.

The English game is not in total meltdown, we still produce fantastic players (occasionally) and have a proud tradition, but we are not competitive. I don’t know how many times we need to fail before we get real here.

Funding is certainly a big part of the equation. Our youth side recently beat their Aussie counterparts - but that’s not regular and it was in freezing conditions in our Winter. Are all the players in that Academy side getting access to the same support and facilities as the Australian lads? Probably not and that gap then grows over time.

On the plus side I think the continuing emergence of these Island sides is fantastic.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Tue Nov 19, 2019 2:46 pm  

The Eagle wrote:

No money in the game. No trickle down to the amateur game, and developing areas. These are the places that the talent pool comes from and the RFL have cut corners for years.

Compare with football or even ru and how the game is run at grass roots is miles away

Our club (RU) received an RFU grant to build a 4G pitch and new floodlights over the summer. It's fantastic. The president of the RFU came down on Sunday for the official opening.
This is a club in SW 1 (tier 6). It's a place you want to go and play and train. The RFU has really gotten its act together in the last 10-15 years in supporting junior clubs. And they are right to do so. Two of the junior clubs I played for produced players in England's starting 15 in the world cup final. The structure and rules of the junior game have also changed in the last few years to bring kids along and develop at a pace that doesn't miss out on kids who don't grow as fast as others. It's also designed to keep people in the game full stop. Players are what junior clubs need, at all levels.

But it's not always been easy, there used to be very little money in Union at the lower levels (and still it's not exactly flooded with money). Our club relies on volunteers, club membership subscriptions and local sponsors. Pretty much everyone does a job for free.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Tue Nov 19, 2019 5:34 pm  

BrisbaneRhino wrote:

What players? We've got no fullback worth squat, our best wingers are slow and we've got maybe one centre who can match the best physically.

Hardaker with another full season could be good enough to hold his own. We have plenty of wingers i'm not worried about that- Johnson, Makinson, Manfredi and others pushing through; even Jerry Mcgilvary could be still in the mix with a better season in 2020.

Centres i agree but we have always been handicapped there compared to the Aussies who seem to have a truck load who are better than our best.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Tue Nov 19, 2019 5:59 pm  

We will not beat them over a series by trying to imitate them, we must be different, even if that is a risk. They are bigger, fitter and stronger than we are generally speaking, so we have to use that against them. Our game is a little like chess, there is always a weakness, you just need to find it.

Rob Burrow didn’t look like a conventional RL player, but he had his fair share of success and some pretty special moments by doing things differently.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Tue Nov 19, 2019 7:10 pm  

DHM wrote:

Our club (RU) received an RFU grant to build a 4G pitch and new floodlights over the summer. It's fantastic. The president of the RFU came down on Sunday for the official opening.
This is a club in SW 1 (tier 6). It's a place you want to go and play and train. The RFU has really gotten its act together in the last 10-15 years in supporting junior clubs. And they are right to do so. Two of the junior clubs I played for produced players in England's starting 15 in the world cup final. The structure and rules of the junior game have also changed in the last few years to bring kids along and develop at a pace that doesn't miss out on kids who don't grow as fast as others. It's also designed to keep people in the game full stop. Players are what junior clubs need, at all levels.

But it's not always been easy, there used to be very little money in Union at the lower levels (and still it's not exactly flooded with money). Our club relies on volunteers, club membership subscriptions and local sponsors. Pretty much everyone does a job for free.

Good post and you do wonder whether the RFL could focus resources on some key hub clubs to help provide facilities for younger players.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:21 pm  

KaeruJim wrote:

Good post and you do wonder whether the RFL could focus resources on some key hub clubs to help provide facilities for younger players.

What resources?

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Tue Nov 19, 2019 10:15 pm  

I agree with the Legend Bennett shouldn't be anywhere near an England or Great Britain team.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Tue Nov 19, 2019 10:17 pm  

Marty Grrrrrrrrrr! wrote:

What resources?

Erm...

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Thu Jan 06, 2022 7:37 pm  

I've always had my suspicions about you and If you're a Rhinos fan rather than a mischief maker then I will eat my hat Shabzy
Just been reading through your timeline of posts Shabino and there's some right whoppers in there and i'm only on the first few pages

This one for example

Shabino wrote:

Think we are clutching at straws talking about Broadbent/ Newman at international level. Let’s see if they make it as regular Super League players first!

You've either been rumbled or you simply know F all about RL

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Fri Jan 07, 2022 12:52 pm  

The Chin's Back wrote:

I've always had my suspicions about you and If you're a Rhinos fan rather than a mischief maker then I will eat my hat Shabzy
Just been reading through your timeline of posts Shabino and there's some right whoppers in there and i'm only on the first few pages

This one for example

You've either been rumbled or you simply know F all about RL

I've had a few suspicions too . It was a post he put on Wigan's forum stating that Sam Tomkins was the best rugby league player he's ever seen that caught my eye.