: Sun Oct 25, 2009 5:08 pm  

-VIKINGMAN- wrote:

It's weird, i watched a fair amount of Super league last season but nothing touches what was on show tonight. It was 3 or 4 gears above anything this country has to offer.


Im still confident neither would match the Vikings!

if we put all the team on Greg Inglis, wait for him to offload, then get Paddy to come in from the wing to intercept the ball and score a full lengther

do this a good 10 times and should result in a victory

pretty easy when you think about it

: Sun Oct 25, 2009 5:20 pm  

We are miles behind both of these countries.

SL has done nothing for the international game, and the game in this country has gone backwards.

There just isn't enough talent. The heartlands are dying and no longer producing top class international players as they once were, and the expansion clubs' are not succeeding in doing so either. We can no longer bring in top level RU players and we are becoming more and more reliant on a handful of our top clubs to supply world class players. That is just not enough. Most of these England players wouldn't have got anywhere near a GB shirt 20 years ago.

: Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:18 pm  

Pepe wrote:

no longer producing top class international players as they once were,

When was that then? Pre 1970 surely? OR - we've just stood still while the Antipodeans have developed beyond the Universe by comparison.

: Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:42 pm  

littlerich wrote:

When was that then? Pre 1970 surely? OR - we've just stood still while the Antipodeans have developed beyond the Universe by comparison.

The Roos get the absolute best athletes Australia has to offer. It is close to being if not the biggest sport over there. Over here, even in rugby league strongholds, football takes the lions share of the talent, funding, exposure and school time. We wont compete on the field because we cannot compete off the field.

I don't know why we are so in denial about it. We will run the sport into the ground chasing Eldorado, a team better than Australia. It doesn't exist in this country in rugby league. It doesn't help that in spite of all their leg ups and immense advantages super league clubs now have they're still ignoring the purpose of licensing and filling their teams with aussies. They don't give a poop about the international game because they're short term thinkers.

: Sun Oct 25, 2009 7:25 pm  

Hell fire, spot on !!! Bloody spot on there.

: Sun Oct 25, 2009 7:56 pm  

Pepe wrote:

We are miles behind both of these countries.

SL has done nothing for the international game, and the game in this country has gone backwards.

There just isn't enough talent. The heartlands are dying and no longer producing top class international players as they once were, and the expansion clubs' are not succeeding in doing so either. We can no longer bring in top level RU players and we are becoming more and more reliant on a handful of our top clubs to supply world class players. That is just not enough. Most of these England players wouldn't have got anywhere near a GB shirt 20 years ago.

amen to that
the thing is a think we almost expect to much of ourselves in major competitions
take the world cup for example when expections where high England didnt perform and just managed to get past PNG
if it wasn't for the second half showing against France then a very embarassing loss could have been on the cards
don't get me wrong we may give both those sides a run for their money but i doubt we could ever be the best in the world

: Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:57 pm  

danavvo wrote:

amen to that
the thing is a think we almost expect to much of ourselves in major competitions
take the world cup for example when expections where high England didnt perform and just managed to get past PNG
if it wasn't for the second half showing against France then a very embarassing loss could have been on the cards
don't get me wrong we may give both those sides a run for their money but i doubt we could ever be the best in the world

SL has just dished out money to clubs who've just spent it all on Antipodeans since it started. It made them lazy, and they went for the easy option. I can't understand Wigan at all. It's full of RL talent, but they've stopped nurturing it the way they used to. At least Saints and Leeds have tried to use their own youngsters more often. But sadly even those clubs rely heavily on overseas imports.

The quota system doesn't seem to stop them and the Salary Cap is a joke. The RFL are trying to address it but it's too late. It will take decades before we can ever compete with Australia again, if we ever can.

Widnes won a World Club Championship with a team half full of locals. We can't even produce enough quality locals to win the lower league GF now. While we've been left to rot in the lower leagues, the interest in the game locally has been dying. I wouldn't mind betting that situation will be repeated in other RL heartland areas.

littlerich wrote:

When was that then? Pre 1970 surely? OR - we've just stood still while the Antipodeans have developed beyond the Universe by comparison.

You could be right there. Wasn't that the year we won the World Cup against the Australians with a team captained by a Widnesian (Frank Myler)?

In the 50's Great Britain actually won a test series with another Widnesian captain (Prescott), And the best player of that test was another Widnesian (karalius). Years ago everyone was interested in the game, everyone wanted to play it as kids. Our heroes were RL players. Now most Widnes kids have never been to a game and walk round in Premiership football tops and hero worship people like Rooney, Ronaldo and Gerrard. I can remember when people called Ronaldo usually had the words "The Great" before their name and were magicians.

I fully agree with a policy of expansion, but the RFL have been throwing out the baby with the bath water and are now paying the price. No hope, no interest and no more great players. Widnes will never again produce the kind of players to captain a test winning side. I bet it's even worse in other old heartland areas.

Let's hope that the expansion clubs can fill the gap, or the game will be in the sh*t.

: Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:07 pm  

Just to repeat a jaw dropping explanation - this beats every debate i've ever heard about our shortcomings. If it wasn't so long it would be on my sig.............

Chris Dalton wrote:

The Roos get the absolute best athletes Australia has to offer. It is close to being if not the biggest sport over there. Over here, even in rugby league strongholds, football takes the lions share of the talent, funding, exposure and school time. We wont compete on the field because we cannot compete off the field.

I don't know why we are so in denial about it. We will run the sport into the ground chasing Eldorado, a team better than Australia. It doesn't exist in this country in rugby league. It doesn't help that in spite of all their leg ups and immense advantages super league clubs now have they're still ignoring the purpose of licensing and filling their teams with aussies. They don't give a poop about the international game because they're short term thinkers.

.................bollox to it - it's so profound it's in my sig.

: Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:09 pm  

Pepe wrote:

Let's hope that the expansion clubs can fill the gap, or the game will be in the sh*t.

If Widnes aren't allowed to be involved, then I don't give a flying f*ck if it is. It deserves to be.

: Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:11 pm  

littlerich wrote:

Just to repeat a jaw dropping explanation - this beats every debate i've ever heard about our shortcomings. If it wasn't so long it would be on my sig.............

Agreed.

Well said, Chris.


It would fit into a sig easily, Rich. So get it in!