Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jun 23, 2022 5:11 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I suppose they’re the one with the least but you still had Peacock, Fielden, Pryce, Langley etc and they really formed the backbone of the side. Had it not been for the financial troubles they probably would’ve carried on competing for Grand Finals as well with guys like the Burgess lads, Whitehead, Bateman and so on.

You compare those names to lads brought through at Hull and Wire since 1998 and I’m struggling to think of too many of that sort of quality.

True.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jun 23, 2022 5:29 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I suppose they’re the one with the least but you still had Peacock, Fielden, Pryce, Langley etc and they really formed the backbone of the side. Had it not been for the financial troubles they probably would’ve carried on competing for Grand Finals as well with guys like the Burgess lads, Whitehead, Bateman and so on.

You compare those names to lads brought through at Hull and Wire since 1998 and I’m struggling to think of too many of that sort of quality.

Guys like Robbie Paul, Deacon, Anderson etc are as good as academy players too. They played very few 1st team games at other clubs and were in many ways "unfancied".

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jun 23, 2022 5:40 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Guys like Robbie Paul, Deacon, Anderson etc are as good as academy players too. They played very few 1st team games at other clubs and were in many ways "unfancied".

I had Deacon in the academy list and then I realised he’d been brought in as a youngster.

It was a different era during their glory days in fairness. Had those days carried on and you could spend freely and teams could compete for top NRL talent, as they did, then I guess a side like Wire would definitely have managed to grab a couple of Grand Finals because you could spend your way to it. They were close to doing just that but then the NRL boomed and the exchange rate collapsed and now you simply have to have that balance between academy products and external signings or you’re very little chance of sustained success.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:12 pm  

Isn't it more about league going to a summer game here, and hence players couldn't play here and Down Under at the same time?

Not that I'd go back, for a second, and I think those believe that would be good for the game are hopelessly misguided.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:28 pm  

moto748 wrote:

Isn't it more about league going to a summer game here, and hence players couldn't play here and Down Under at the same time?

Not that I'd go back, for a second, and I think those believe that would be good for the game are hopelessly misguided.

You mean the reason why the big players don’t come here anymore?

When we moved to summer and the season aligned, players did have to choose one or the other but we were still getting players to turn their backs on Origin and the odd one would come and give up their test place and lots of the best Kiwis were over here as well. Guys like Lammy, Renouf, Lyon, Paul, Vainakolo, Carroll, Vagana etc had to choose to play here or in the NRL. At the time Superleague was much closer to the NRL in terms of profile and quality (of the top teams anyway) and the exchange rate was nearly 3 Aussie Dollars to the pound. The NRL grew their league, we listened to Wakefield, Castleford, Salford etc and the exchange rate dropped drastically and now we only really get players who see this league as a way of building a profile or as a last resort.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jun 23, 2022 9:01 pm  

Oledski really needs lifting out of that poop team. God knows how longs left on his contract but if I was Wigan I’d be tapping him up now

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jun 23, 2022 9:34 pm  

WWste wrote:

Oledski really needs lifting out of that poop team. God knows how longs left on his contract but if I was Wigan I’d be tapping him up now

Probably his worse game of the season in a Leeds shirt tonight.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jun 23, 2022 9:40 pm  

Super League can't afford clubs like Leeds, Warrington and Hull to be performing as poorly as they are.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:16 pm  

Toby King to Huddersfield, how many left centres do they want ?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:45 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

You mean the reason why the big players don’t come here anymore?

When we moved to summer and the season aligned, players did have to choose one or the other but we were still getting players to turn their backs on Origin and the odd one would come and give up their test place and lots of the best Kiwis were over here as well. Guys like Lammy, Renouf, Lyon, Paul, Vainakolo, Carroll, Vagana etc had to choose to play here or in the NRL. At the time Superleague was much closer to the NRL in terms of profile and quality (of the top teams anyway) and the exchange rate was nearly 3 Aussie Dollars to the pound. The NRL grew their league, we listened to Wakefield, Castleford, Salford etc and the exchange rate dropped drastically and now we only really get players who see this league as a way of building a profile or as a last resort.

Of course that's a factor too. Most of the players you mention weren't eligible for Origin, though, surely? And Lyon threw his toys out of the pram, didn't he, and that's the only reason he came to SL? I agree we don't get the Kieis we used to. Is the NRL stronger now than it was back then? Certainly so financially, I'd say.