: Tue Feb 17, 2009 10:48 pm  

vila_16 wrote:

...

dont get me wrong i love seeing fantastic australian talents coming over to super league but i would rather see the best coming over here with the touring teams, providing a quality tournament at the end of the year, as opposed to seeing the lets be honest at best average players turn out in super league, and the fantastic prospects of our youth systems going to waste

Its a fair point to make in isolation, but it is contradictory to your original point as Lyon isn't average.

There are plenty of other imports to choose from if you want to question whether youth should get a chance.

If we blindly put are youth players forward, then we will no longer be a top side. Don't forget in 2 years time we will have lost the spine of the last super league winning team. You need quality and experience, to let the youngster come in and grow.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:20 pm  

If we had Gidley AND Lyon we wouldn't need the other 11 players, so we'd save a bit of money.

: Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:40 am  

First pre WCC interview with Lyon on Sky text.

What is it about? Build up to Sundays game with Quins? How Manly are going to stuff Leeds? No

How he loved playing for Saints and that he will be back over here playing "when his contract is up in 2 years"

Saints will have first refusal because he loved the club and the fans.

: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:00 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

What makes you think that the current crop of Superleague youngsters are going to be any better than the ones we have failed to produce for 13 years?

ahh Roguey you never fail to let us down.

I am slighty disappointed you havent worked out the average the Saints squad will be in 2011 if we sign Jamie Lyon though.

: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:01 am  

SSN says he wants to see out his contract at Manly and then wants to return to Saints.

: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:04 am  

vila_16 wrote:

point ill make again surely for the greater good, of the international game it would be better to give the young lads a go,

i no i dont post alot but i read alot and it seems people on here are quite prepared to big the youngsters up and wish them the best of luck etc but when given the option would prefare to bring the highly paid aussies over for two possibly three seasons, meaning that possibly 3 age groups of players will pass through the reserves and amount to nothing.

dont get me wrong i love seeing fantastic australian talents coming over to super league but i would rather see the best coming over here with the touring teams, providing a quality tournament at the end of the year, as opposed to seeing the lets be honest at best average players turn out in super league, and the fantastic prospects of our youth systems going to waste

signing world class players like Lyon can only help to improve the development of young talent.

: Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:49 pm  

rlcoach wrote:

It is not a question of bring in Lyon or have a youth policy. You have to have a balance to stay competitive. Which means if you bring in imports make sure they are high quality. It also means not bringing in average imports, and play them instead of giving youth a chance.

As long as Lyon doesn't cost too much, it is a no-brainer.

That is about right. Development of young players along with the signing of the best overseas talent.

Rogues Gallery wrote:

What makes you think that the current crop of Superleague youngsters are going to be any better than the ones we have failed to produce for 13 years?

Leeds and Saints have produced a number of good young players the other 12 english team just have to pull their finger out.

: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:19 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

I'm sure of it.

My street cred would be shot to pieces.

Well, whats left of it anyway...

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:40 am  

Producing young players who look good doesnt mean they gonna turn out to be any good, karl pryce looked brill in academy and scored loads, but he aint turned out that good.

Why is it always leeds and saints who get mentioned about their junior developement, bulls have developed more than saints, more bulls academy reared players played for england in aus than saints.

Sykes, pryce, peacock, langley compared to roby, graham and wellens..unless you insist on counting gardner(barrow) and wilkin(hull kr) as most posters do.
Plus burgess would have played if not injured, poss deacs as backup if not injured, fielden if form hadnt dropped.

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:48 am  

Dave is right with the variables.

Jamie since he has left has accomplished a few things that will go towards his inflated wage bill (as if it wasn't big enough already).

So since leaving us and leaving his MOS Trophy, Challenge Cup and Super League medals in the bin, he has:

Won the NRL Premiership and was a finalist the year before.
Played SOO (He did it in 2007 before posters claim he hasn't).
Played for Australia.

Add to the fact that he's played SO as TMTL mentioned.

As much as I would actually like the chubby funster coming back to us, I question what it would cost us and what will we be sacrificing? In current form, I'm more than happy for Gidley to stay.