Excellent article Damo. Although I don't agree with all your points it made an interesting read.

To get away from Leeds IMHO! 2007 wasn't a stand out year and as I remember it I don't think many people expected us to get to the grand final, let alone win it.

I can't remember at what point in the season he announced he was off, but I remember the loss at home to wakey (I think it was) when the team got booed off the pitch. There were quite a few games that season when we lost matches everyone expected us to win and I think most people couldn't wait for him to go and get a new coach in. Then he went and won the grand final and everyone suddenly saw him as the best coach in super league!

From the GF winning team in 04 to 07 Smith rebuilt half the side - McKenna, Furner, Poching, Calderwood, Mathers, Walker, Bai, Ward and McDermott had all gone. Of the starting 1-5 in 04 only Senior remained. The 2007 side that Smith built then went on to win two more GFs under Bluey with only a couple of changes.

Absolute cr*p - yet again - that Leeds would have won the GF in 2004 under Daryl Powell. There was and still is absolutely no evidence to back that up apart from some bizarre desire to big up DP's achievements as coach.

Aye. He had his opportunity and didn't nail it. Those fools who suggest otherwise can't see that Tony Smith got that bloody monkey off our back.

Thanks for the compliments pal!

I can’t really make points that everyone agrees to anyhow. But the least I can do is offer an interesting read. Again I just want to say a big thanks to Southstander.com (aka Paul) for having faith in me and hopefully that faith has worked out like he hoped it would.

I think this is the first time I’ve managed to string together two Damo Bits that people have openly admitted is a good article. So I really appreciate it



Edit: Just remembered that the Christmas specials where well received. I've got such a bad memory

My main gripe with average australians coming over here is that i would imagine that most will be on inflated wages to get them here. and probably costs the club more.

Good article by the way

This "Aussie" thing doesn't stack up.

People always seem to quote Donald, Cross, Delaney (in recent times) and say [iJoe Bloggs[/i could do as good a job, so why sign an Aussie?!

Funny though that you rarely here people throwing Webb, Leuluai or Lauitiiti's names into the mix?

I employ over 100 people. Sometimes when you interview someone, you think they'd fit right into your organisation. You think they're exactly what you're looking for, sometimes you're right, sometimes they turn up for work and they're not what you thought.

Or sometimes you just see potential in their attitude, demeanour, and work ethic, and think even if they lack some of the skills, given time under your regime and your working environment, you can develop the talent side. And sometimes you can, sometimes you can't.

Or sometimes you're just short staffed, think "they'll do" and they turn out to be the best employee you've had in years.

Sometime your recruiting decisions work out, and sometimes they don't.

Have any of us ever had a relationship with Brett Delaney (example) that isn't as player/fan? Perhaps when GH spoke to him, he was professional, dedicated, hard working, honest, punctual, committed & driven. Perhaps GH knew he was an "average" centre, but thinks that Brett Delaney, the person, is the sort of person he needed in his organisation, and that he would put his faith in his coaching staff to make Brett Delaney, the player, work for what his organisation needs him for.

Maybe that will work out and he'll become a stand out second rower, maybe it won't and he'll go home as 'average' and a poor choice at the end of his contract.

Either way, I would suggest that the fact he's Australian has little, or nothing, to do with either outcome.

As Bloodbath would say... Closet Racism.

I personally think that professional rugby players deserve as much of a good wage as possible. However with the salary cap in place, this isn’t realistic thinking from me. Then again you’re also only assuming that average Australians are getting inflated wages – where’s the evidence to back this?

Now let’s just assume that Australians are coming here and get inflated wages. Lets assume that it’s happening right now. Who are this lot really stopping?

Most people say Young British talent. My idea of young British talent isn’t someone who gets put in the squad ahead of an average Australian merely because the British player has potential and is British. My idea of a British talent emerging is Richie Mather’s when he outplaced Gary Connolly at fullback in 2004. Gary may have not been Australian – but he was at the end of his career and putting in average performances bar that 2003 challenge cup defeat where he won man of the match. We have a few players at Leeds that are reaching the end of their careers and no young emerging talent plans to take their place anytime soon.

My conclusion is that the Sky Sports team have done their very best to make up a new definition for emerging young talent. Although I didn’t like the League freak on here (or any of his alias including his current one PHIPS), this is what he had to say about Young British talent –



It’s not that Young British Talent is been suppressed. It just that they isn’t any or it isn’t been properly developed in the junior grades.

Thanks for the compliments once again and I must go now!

Cheers RR for calling me racist! Well earned for Daring to say that I think that we pay over the odds for Aussie players. I did not mention any players as holding back British youngsters all I said was I think we probably pay over the odds for them!

I didn't call you a racist Ferdy! Sorry for the offence if you felt I did.

Was just saying, people in general seem to keep throwing this term "Average Aussie" around, when really, the fact they're Aussie has nothing (or should have nothing!) to do with it. Nobody calls Kirke "Average Pome".

Perhaps it's because it's alliterative.

Not offended, just pointing out I hadn't been having a pop at the Aussie players, just that I imagine they cost more!