Quote: BrisbaneRhino "No, Tim Smith's issue was that he was found out as a halfback who never took on the line at all - meaning that defences never had to worry about tackling him because he either passed or kicked the ball every time he got it. I remember Peter Sterling - originally a huge fan of his because of his kicking game - ripping into him in his second year because of that exact issue.
Scott Prince at the Broncos is far better as a ball-handler on his day than anyone in SL. Peter Wallace is a poor runner but a very good organiser and kicker - he'd be at least as good as Dobson in SL. Sandow on attack can be awesome, as can Albert Kelly - both not so good in defence. McCrone (a super prospect) and Campese (brilliant but terrible run with injuries) at Canberra are a better 6/7 than anything in SL.
Soward is not 'average at best' - at his best he has the best kicking game in the NRL and is a good passer of the ball, and has just been signed by Penrith for 4 years to rebuild their team around. He's been playing without a genuine 7 for several years. I didn't see Phil Gould rushing to sign a British halfback to do the same.
I'm not arguing all NRL halfbacks are great, but to suggest for a second that the best British halfbacks are comparable to the best NRL players, or that the Aussies currently in SL are as good as those in the NRL is laughable. Because we have one piece of incontravertable evidence available - not a single British halfback in the NRL, nor those Aussies currently playing in SL being targeted by clubs you claim to have poor halfbacks. Its not 'off-field' issues - if it was Todd Carney would be playing for the Cats instead of being courted by a number of clubs.'"
I don't think anyone is suggesting the the half backs in SL are comparable to the best in the NRL but likes of Burrow/McGuire, Briers/Brough are every bit as good as the likes of Sandow, Kelly et al. The fact that there are no british half back in the NRL doesn't mean they are not good enough it could be the likes of Burrow/McGuire/Briers/Brough etc simply don't want to go to the NRL?
How can you say Prince has a passing game he seldom passes - the outside backs at the Titans never got the leather from him - and even rarer does he give a real quality one. He should be in union or rules he loves punting the high ball, the less said about his defence the better.
Penrith have gone so far backwards under Gould that him signing Soward is hardly a ringing endorsement.
