Sign British players : Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:19 pm  

am I the only one worried by our tendency to sign foreigners now? I'm not saying that Webb, Buderus, Toopi etc aren't/weren't very good players for us, but whenever we have a problem with needing to fill a position, the default response seems to be 'we'll sign X from the NRL'.

TBH I'd really like a succesful leeds team full of british players, and I'm sure i can't be alone in this. People are saying we don't have the players, and need replacements for senior, Toopi etc. But can we not do what succesful companies do, and go into a bit of internal recruitment?

Seeing gibbo playing recently, he seems to be coming on in leaps and bounds, and I'd be happy to see him handed the number 3 shirt for next year. Similarly, Watkins is improving rapidly, and seems to be a centre in the Senior mould. Also, though he's out on loan, Jodie Broughton seems to be doing quite well at Hull (i thought he was one of, if not their best player when we played them). So why not give these young lads a chance to show what they can do in the blue & Amber, rather than becoming another wigan and plugging every hole with a foreigner.

Or, if we do have to recruit from outside, at least try and find a british replacement, as it's not like there's a dearth of decent British centres. Ryan Atkins, Kirk Yeaman, Paul Sykes, Michael Shenton-there are plenty of options within our own player pool without bringing in Moni Graba'atiti from overseas.

Re: Sign British players : Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:20 pm  

Tyke's/Rhinos No. 1 Fan wrote:

am I the only one worried by our tendency to sign foreigners now?

Yeah, the likes of Amor, Pitts and Ambler have no place in our game

Re: Sign British players : Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:45 pm  

Tyke's/Rhinos No. 1 Fan wrote:

Ryan Atkins, Kirk Yeaman, Paul Sykes, Michael Shenton-there are plenty of options within our own player pool without bringing in Moni Graba'atiti from overseas.

Do the words 'under contract' mean anything to your world view?

Re: Sign British players : Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:48 pm  

Tyke's/Rhinos No. 1 Fan wrote:

am I the only one worried by our tendency to sign foreigners now?

yes.

if you had said super league on the hold, then it would be a different answer. but leeds one of the best at signing & give english talent ago, rather then filling the team with chap aussie players

Re: Sign British players : Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:50 pm  

Tyke's/Rhinos No. 1 Fan wrote:

am I the only one worried by our tendency to sign foreigners now? I'm not saying that Webb, Buderus, Toopi etc aren't/weren't very good players for us, but whenever we have a problem with needing to fill a position, the default response seems to be 'we'll sign X from the NRL'.

TBH I'd really like a succesful leeds team full of british players, and I'm sure i can't be alone in this. People are saying we don't have the players, and need replacements for senior, Toopi etc. But can we not do what succesful companies do, and go into a bit of internal recruitment?

Seeing gibbo playing recently, he seems to be coming on in leaps and bounds, and I'd be happy to see him handed the number 3 shirt for next year. Similarly, Watkins is improving rapidly, and seems to be a centre in the Senior mould. Also, though he's out on loan, Jodie Broughton seems to be doing quite well at Hull (i thought he was one of, if not their best player when we played them). So why not give these young lads a chance to show what they can do in the blue & Amber, rather than becoming another wigan and plugging every hole with a foreigner.

Or, if we do have to recruit from outside, at least try and find a british replacement, as it's not like there's a dearth of decent British centres. Ryan Atkins, Kirk Yeaman, Paul Sykes, Michael Shenton-there are plenty of options within our own player pool without bringing in Moni Graba'atiti from overseas.

With all due respect, not one of those centres listed are fit to lace Seniors boots - not even in his old age, whereas the NRL has plenty of top class centres.

I'm happy with our mix, a majority of homegrown quality players making up the mainstay of the team..McGuire, Burrow, Sinfield etc complemented by class overseas players; Webb, Ali, Buderus.

: Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:50 pm  

In fact, everything that you have stated Tyke's/Rhinos No. 1 Fan, is pretty much, and I mean no offence, but complete b*llocks!!

Leeds are the one club in this country that actually produces its own players! It produces so many players, that we don't have enough of the salary cap to accomodate them all, and some of them end up at other SL clubs!! In fact, even tonight, there were seven of them on show in the Hull derby (Tansey, Calderwood, Raynor, Murell, Fox, Fozzard, Walker)

I can only assume that you wrote your post in 1989 before the internet was invented, and it has somehow crept onto your PC whilst you were away on holiday or something!!

: Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:59 pm  

RescuedBlue wrote:

In fact, everything that you have stated Tyke's/Rhinos No. 1 Fan, is pretty much, and I mean no offence, but complete b*llocks!!

Leeds are the one club in this country that actually produces its own players! It produces so many players, that we don't have enough of the salary cap to accomodate them all, and some of them end up at other SL clubs!! In fact, even tonight, there were seven of them on show in the Hull derby (Tansey, Calderwood, Raynor, Murell, Fox, Fozzard, Walker)

I can only assume that you wrote your post in 1989 before the internet was invented, and it has somehow crept onto your PC whilst you were away on holiday or something!!

Although who wouldn't have wanted to see ET and Cliff Lyons in the blue and amber?

: Sat Jul 25, 2009 9:03 pm  

LEEDSLEADS. wrote:

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Although who wouldn't have wanted to see ET and Cliff Lyons in the blue and amber?

Too true, although I'm surprised they didn't turn out to be an 80's version of Mullins and Walker with our luck!

: Sat Jul 25, 2009 9:32 pm  

I can remember Hetherington saying back in the days of Iestyn et al that he wanted a team that had lots of home grown players with a few top quality foreigners thrown in.

I think he achieved his ambition! The foreigners that we have are among the best in their positions, and will help in the development of the kids. For example, I am sure that BJB is learning lots from Webby, and McShane from Buderus.


I believe!!!!!!

: Sun Jul 26, 2009 12:01 am  

I'm not saying don't bring them in period, I'm just worried about our willingness to sign foreigners. Convos tend to go something like this

'Senior's retiring'
'we'll sign an aussie'
'we have Gibson/Watkins/Broughton/Ratu'
'they're poop/too young'
'no they aren't'

and then it just degenerates. I personally am none to bothered about signing a replacement for Senior, as i think we have 4 players competing for 2 centre spots next season, and they all look very competent. But there seems to be an idea we need foreigners, and this isn't the case.

Webby will be 30 next year, and i imagine we'll get 1/2 more seasons out of him. Problem? No, BJB steps up and away we go. My point is that we should only be signing foreigners when they are a class above what we have, and only in limited numbers.