Moon looks the business but doesn't count, because he was already over here; Delaney has developed into a fine second rower but as a recruited centre was less praiseworthy. Cross...uggh ....and now Achurch who looks no more capable than numerous recent young English juniors at the club who have come and gone !!??!! (...and is Vickery really a better winger than Chisholm etc? )

Are we seeing the paper thin "justification" for our glorious CEO's numerous talent spotting and recruitment trips down under ??

Achurch and Vickery need time. Vickery has never played first grade before, and Achurch is also pretty inexperienced, he looks to have ability to me but, looks nowhere near fit enough.

I don't know if Vickery is better than Chisolm, but whilst not setting the world alight last night, he was a million times better than Keinhorst.

....but who else, home grown wise (apart from Kirke of course) is afforded the exact same equal opportunities at first grade level each week to prove their regular selection worthiness??

Isnt Vickery English born, Exeter if I remember correctly so therefore doesn't take up a quota spot?? And didn't he pay for his own travel to England to take up the trial??

Erm......Vickery = 2 starts in 2013 = Keinhorst 2 starts in 2013

Achurch = 4 appearances
Luke Burgess = 81
Luke Ambler = 10
Jay Pitts = 27
Kyle Amor = 3
(with the potential for many more)
Brad Singleton = 2
Stevie Ward = 23
Chris Clarkson = 79

Bit early to going off on this one, if Achurch doesn't end up proving himself then he'll be out of team just like Cross (10 appearances) and Griffin (32), they might have been given a chance but they weren't kept around long when they didn't grab it.

Achurch and Vickery may turn out to be ok Super League players.

But, and sorry to sound like Jeff, you could see last night why they wouldn't get within a mile of the Melbourne side and why they weren't picked up a first-grade players even for poorer clubs in the NRL. Consequently they were just filling shirts for Leeds when tested at the top level.

McDermott talked after the game of Melbourne's "incredible resources", and that's the difference. The days of signing a Buderus or Lauititi, or even a Delaney or Moon, from the NRL may be over, unless they've literally been caught getting sucked off by their family pet.

The only way to improve UK sides in comparison to the Australians is to make the most of our own player-pool, which means a reduction in number of teams.

True.....how much credibility would a league of just six teams have though?

You should always feel free to criticise ....however it would be more prudent to not draw inferences as facts. I haven't "dismissed" Achurch...just questioned why he is given preferential treatment.

I confess I haven't picked up the fact that Vickery is English, but it must still be an irritation to those that have played in the club reserve teams in the hope of getting selected for a chance at first team rugby only to see another nail in the coffin from another [iapparently[/i average overseas usurper.

Achurch has potential, wasn't he named in rookie NRL team of the year last season. He just looks like he isn't fit at all to me

I'd hardly say Achurch has had preferential treatment, he probably wouldn't have played last night had Bailey not been injured, the same also for the Hull & Cas games when Leuluai was out. Vickery likewise getting a chance through BJB's absence. That you're trying to hint at preferred treatment because they've come over from Australia is quite funny considering we won a GF 4 months ago with only 1 Australian and 1 Kiwi in the team.

It might be handy also to remember that at the end of McClennan's reign we had Smith/Donald & Delaney at right wing/centre, straight away McDermott had BJB and Watkins playing there. Also the fact that Stevie Ward has already played in a CC Final, Grand Final and WCC Final less than 12 months after debut. So no I don't see any preferential treatment based on age or nationality, he's simply picking who he thinks is best to play. Sometimes they're young, sometimes they're old, sometimes they're English, sometimes they're Australian.

I'm sure if he picked the 32 year old Moore over 24 year old Achurch you'd have had him accused of preferential treatment to older players again but instead it's preferential treatment to Aussies now. Basically if he doesn't pick 18/19 years old Englishmen it must be something fishy going on in your mind.

Achurch was named in the nrl rookie team of the year and a few nrl clubs wanted him, including Manly, and iirc Melbourne. But, he chose Leeds because they were willing to offer him a 4 year deal. He's no mug, but some Aussies take longer to settle than others. Matt King and Delaney being 2 more recent examples.