: Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:22 am
If true another real kick in the teeth for our game, and a real indication of something needed to be done about the cap.
For those claiming they take the players who are past it, may I point out Owen Farrell, Andy's son who is now playing first team at Sarricens at the age of only just 17 and was the star talent on his age group in League and George Ford a halfback playing for England u18's at the age of 16 once on the books of Waterhead.
Add to that the likes of Ashton and Myler at Northampton, and the rumoured approaches for Sean Ainscough, Tomkins and Thornely then we as a sport have much to be worried about.
There is not enough British talent in the comp as it is losing talent like that listed above is something we cannot afford to do.
The standard of the game i feel in the Uk has slipped year on year for the last 5 years removing our talent at grassroutes level does nothing to help this.
The longer the cap is enforced in the current way the longer our game will suffer.
The cap works in Australia as they have the talent and star juniors to back it up, a loss to union sees the birth of another star they can cope with it, here we cannot.
Any loss to Union is bad for our game, but the loss of a player like Lee Smith and anyother young talent that they seem to be able to pick off at will and our game is in major major trouble.