Re: Roby signed new deal to 2014 : Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:17 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

So what you are really saying is you want to convert Superleague into a feeder league for the NRL by providing most of our best players

No I'm not saying that, I think you have missed my point. It's a long term plan. If roby went for 3 or 4 years, comes back at 28/29. if the Tomkins
go and come back at 26/28. They still have plenty to offer. there will be no need to fill the leagues with Aussies. At first it might be 3 steps back to go 5 to 10 steps forward. It might take 5 to 10 years down the line to reep the rewards. It's a long term fix to an SL problem which is we can't produce high volumes of quality players. We send our best players and coaches to get educated then when they return matured as players and coaches the need to send our talent to Oz will fall. With a view to learning the true skill of developing raw talent in to genuine world class players. Something SL clubs are failing to do on mass, a Tomkins here a roby there, a McGuire who could be everything marshall is but just isn't quite at that level. Peacock who almost got missed as a player.

having all our best players go right away wouldn't be a great move I agree but having more of our top players getting nrl exsposure over a period of time can be the start to bridging an ever increasing gap.

Re: Roby signed new deal to 2014 : Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:55 pm  

sgtwilko wrote:

Like it hasn't made a jot of difference to the kiwis who despite having a smaller talent pool than the uk have much better players and beat the Aussies in the biggest games?

This statement is wrong. The fact that we have a larger total population that New Zealand makes no difference whatsoever. Rugby (Union/League) is the main and most dominant sport in New Zealand. The vast majority of their kids will play one of the codes as that is their national sport. However, we have to compete with the likes of Football, Cricket and Union. In New Zealand, union as stronger as it is over here but not to the same extent. We have a vastly smaller talent pool than New Zealand when taking into account what percentage of youngsters actually play the game. Looking at total populations is completely misleading.

Re: Roby signed new deal to 2014 : Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:16 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote:

This statement is wrong. The fact that we have a larger total population that New Zealand makes no difference whatsoever. Rugby (Union/League) is the main and most dominant sport in New Zealand. The vast majority of their kids will play one of the codes as that is their national sport. However, we have to compete with the likes of Football, Cricket and Union. In New Zealand, union as stronger as it is over here but not to the same extent. We have a vastly smaller talent pool than New Zealand when taking into account what percentage of youngsters actually play the game. Looking at total populations is completely misleading.

That is a logical fallacy mate. We have more kids playing the game in lancs, yorks, Cumbria and London than the kiwis do. We have more juniors and junior clubs than the kiwis do. Just by sheer volume. Take the cas area there are at least 3 divisions at every age group from 6 years up, It's the same in Leeds and i would think the same in saints, Wigan, widnes, Warrington, bradhuddersfax, hull, Cumbria then there's other places like Oldham, wakefield, fev, dewsbury and Leigh and the like who will be involved in the other leagues. Don't forget London too.

Union is a much bigger pull full stop in NZ. At least in our heartland we have it to ourselves. Don't forget cricket is massive in NZ too. And don't kid yourself "soccer" is massive down under and in NZ too as it is world wide

Re: Roby signed new deal to 2014 : Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:49 pm  

Haven't read the earlier posts so this isn't a comment on anyone in particular, but I have to laugh when people want to see opposition clubs' best players move overseas, for the 'benefit of the British game.' Just a coincidence that it also happens to weaken their rivals...

I'm delighted Robes has renewed his contract, he's a world-class player and its a massive boost to the club and the town that he's decided to stay. Why should I feel disappointed that such a fine player isn't leaving my club?

Re: Roby signed new deal to 2014 : Tue Nov 30, 2010 1:18 am  

sgtwilko wrote:

That is a logical fallacy mate. We have more kids playing the game in lancs, yorks, Cumbria and London than the kiwis do. We have more juniors and junior clubs than the kiwis do. Just by sheer volume. Take the cas area there are at least 3 divisions at every age group from 6 years up, It's the same in Leeds and i would think the same in saints, Wigan, widnes, Warrington, bradhuddersfax, hull, Cumbria then there's other places like Oldham, wakefield, fev, dewsbury and Leigh and the like who will be involved in the other leagues. Don't forget London too.

Union is a much bigger pull full stop in NZ. At least in our heartland we have it to ourselves. Don't forget cricket is massive in NZ too. And don't kid yourself "soccer" is massive down under and in NZ too as it is world wide

I've been to New Zealand and seen their set up. You are somewhat misguided.

Re: Roby signed new deal to 2014 : Tue Nov 30, 2010 4:53 am  

Well done Super Mac and his Team

Re: Roby signed new deal to 2014 : Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:39 am  

Good news. I just hope this is the news that helps James 'Rooney' Graham to see that the club does have some ambition and wants to be successful.

The signing of Inglis that will be announced shortly should help too.

Re: Roby signed new deal to 2014 : Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:51 am  

BackrowSaint wrote:

I've been to New Zealand and seen their set up. You are somewhat misguided.

Hmm really, the figures I read go totally against that. I have just emailed barla and nzrl for their official figures of juniors playing the game. As soon as hear or if I hear back from them I post the info.

Re: Roby signed new deal to 2014 : Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:23 am  

It's the quality of players, the quality of coaching and more importantly the intensity of the games, even at Junior level.
The Junior Kiwis have just beaten the Aussies, let's see how we go on in the next two weeks v the Aussie U18's.

At the risk of appearing to be moaning (again) about our academy systems, they are not preparing our better young players for the first team, and those are the kids (and coaches) IMO that would benefit more from a year or two's scholarship out in Australia.

However to do that we would need the RFL, ALL the clubs, and the Aussie ARL to buy into it and help to fund it.

I wouldn't bet my house on it happening though.

Re: Roby signed new deal to 2014 : Tue Nov 30, 2010 12:45 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

It's the quality of players, the quality of coaching and more importantly the intensity of the games, even at Junior level.
The Junior Kiwis have just beaten the Aussies, let's see how we go on in the next two weeks v the Aussie U18's.

At the risk of appearing to be moaning (again) about our academy systems, they are not preparing our better young players for the first team, and those are the kids (and coaches) IMO that would benefit more from a year or two's scholarship out in Australia.

However to do that we would need the RFL, ALL the clubs, and the Aussie ARL to buy into it and help to fund it.

I wouldn't bet my house on it happening though.

Indeed, why would the Aussies care about training our youngsters up for no benefit to them? That's why it's a none starter of an idea.

Sending players over to play in the NRL is a short term fix to improving the England squad (and I mean short term as in 5 years or so). The long term solution is improving our coaching, especially youth coaching. That is were the majority of failure is. Good youth coaches produce players with better skills who turn into better players. Doing that means we don't have to send our players over to the NRL for 4 years to learn how to play the game at 24, and also means we don't weaken our own game by losing all the better players to a rival competition.