posted Aug 3, 2007

i think the point that northern is trying to make johnboy is the fact that you (as union) should be teaching the kids that are coming through in that game basic rugby skills, instead of poaching ready made players. this may seem like a good idea, but the player drain will eventually run dry and the game of union will suffer as a consequence.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 3, 2007

Still, I wish Union would stop poaching League players

trust me i felt much the same way about lge in the 80's when they took nigh on all of the welsh team of that era
jiffy,gibbs,bateman ,deveruxk, morirarty etc.

However I totally agree with your points regarding the skill sets involved in both games, the easiest position to cross over must be the wing , and thats why guys like robinson and tuquri did so well.

The only forward I can think of who transferred form lge to union and was any sort of success was that thorne guy who got an ab cap in the last world cup.

Even play makers like paul , harris struggeled big time.

England have enough clubs and acadamies to be prodoucing enough test match quality players to have a class national side.

However the "poaching " line is a bit rich seeing as lge did to us for nrly 100 years or so

I'd like to see the british sides strong in both codes of the game especially if we could shut up the arrogant kiwis and aussies
ps as someone who played both codes to a very poor standard , i proably shouldn't criticise players from either codes

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 3, 2007

brad thorn, jbob, he was an aussie playing for the all blacks

i think the history of welsh players in league is very interesting and had alot to do with standard of pay they recieved from the welsh side had something to do with coming "up north" but i take your point.

i agree, i think british sport needs to be thriving in all areas esp rubgy, like you say to shut the auzzies and kiwis up.

i would say, with regard to players such as ashton...if the rugby union invested the money from his salary (which is reported to be around 450,000 over 3years) into grass roots basics skills, then they could have 10 or 20 players coming through, rather than taking a gamble on a kid, they will have to uproot from his home to play a game he may not enjoy. just my thoughts anyway.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 3, 2007

England do have enough clubs and acadamies to be producing players, but its suffering from the same problem as proper football , that is:
Importing players from overseas en masse. It may have a short term effect of enabling us to see some class players, but in the long term it will be detrimental to both the club and national level of the game.

Im even more astounded by how often it seems to happen in wales, where i thought the whole idea of regional sides was to produce a conveyor belt of welsh talent.

(Ohh, and im not a league or union man: im a proper football fan that likes watching both codes of egg chasing,(ive been to the stoop to see both versions of quins in the last year)... even if i dont understand whats going on in union for 75% of the time )

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 3, 2007

Good man Johnboy, good man.

The welsh issue was largely at the time when Union was becoming pro, like when Jiffy went into Leage, Union was still amdram stuff, then came back when Union caught up.

I wish the RFU would (as you say wigan rd) put their money into the grass roots, especially seeing as they just cut funding to lower league clubs completely which is a right pi££ take. If there isnt enough money coming in from the national side, clubs probably aren't gonig to let their academy palyers come on through, so the likes of Hipkiss and Cipriani, may never be transfered to England.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 3, 2007

Im even more astounded by how often it seems to happen in wales, where i thought the whole idea of regional sides was to produce a conveyor belt of welsh talent

the regions are allowed a maximum of 7 non welsh players in their squads meaning at least 75% of their squad is welsh.

I would personally like to see it reduced to 4 or 5, so that we have more spaces for the welsh lads and ensuring teams only go for top quality overseas players to fill these roles, i have no probs with a regan king playing for a region as he improves the welsh lads and helps our teams compete in europe etc.

but we have had some utter dross from overseas a total waste of time.

I know its a sterotype but when the game was amateur the majority of the welsh lads were working class or had low paid jobs thats why so many went north , we lost a lot more test players than any other 6n side

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 3, 2007

maybe a stereotype, but true all the same...as is the case with some of the young lads going over now...interesting to see that the SA has banned overseas players playing for their countries, as the aussie and ABs have...if this works then it goes one of two ways as i see it.

you get a lot of has beens in the league or you let the young lads come through...the parallel with both codes is very interesting.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 3, 2007

Or you end up with the situation we seeing with the current ABs. two to 3 years overseas between World cups, and back to the S14 in time for the next one.
remeber, we are still in a position where Kiwis and Aussies are still entitled to EU passports, so they cant be stopped from playing, its against EU law. i find it difficult to believe, if a welsh region wanted 15 Kiwis with EU passports, that the welsh RU could stop them. It would lose in court if it tried.(free movement of labour for EU passport holders.)

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 5, 2007

the regions have signe dupto a charter which includes this limit so id guess the wru could sue them for breach of contract?
also the regions get something like £2.5m in central funding so that would stop and the odds are they couldnt afford to run.

However as you said if some billionarre backer came in and wanted to buy the 15 players with eu passports under employment law the wru wouldnt have a leg to stand on.

ps well played england, wales were a disgrace

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Sep 14, 2007

bring your babies on.....the first team is waiting...u wont get a bonus point this time

add comment | complain about this comment