Did he say that? Or have you just made that up as a vendetta? Pretty sure it was another poster.

Overseas players 2016 = 7
Overseas players 2004 = 7

IIRC we have 14 homegrown players in our squad this year

We played 10 homegrown players in the 2004 Grand Final.
If our full squad was fit our first 17 would include at least 8 homegrown players.

I don't see what the big deal is.

I have no issues with McDermott - I just think all good things come to an end. Whilst we have won a heap of trophies I think the club on a playing side should be in a better position than it is. In that respect he reminds me of Noble and his legacy at Bradford.

Having a team half full of overseas players is not what the recent success of this great club was built on. It simply isn't sustainable. McDermott appears to have little interest in the structures below the first team and that cannot be good for the long term.

Jonesy's still have that sig i see

Call me Mystic Meg if you like but i think I'm just hitting the time frame i set myself

But it comes back to the old lack of opportunities doesn't it? how can a mass of young kids have had a decent gateway to the first team when it is already chock full of internationals in their prime? that has been the major issue since 2003/4

And i know you will come back with the fact that we have signed a few average overseas players in recent times that have blocked the pathway through but you also have to take into account the club is still ambitious, it wants to compete for silverware right now still, it's a balancing act.McDermott wouldn't last two minutes if he was filling the team with half the academy, look at the melt down right now after a few wayward results early in a season after winning the lot!

ward and sutcliffe would have probably been involved without their injurues, though maybe at the expense of keinhorst, walters. off the top of my head also smith and burgess and probably others won silverware with us.. The ethos hasnt changed, circumstances have though. Top quality talent isnt available in the way it was, also its harder for a youngster to come in and hold a place when the incumbent player has been key in your recent successful seasons

I think the melt down is as much about the manner of the defeats as it is about the results. Perhaps if the youth development program had been better he would not need to sign the likes of Garbutt, Delanney, Falloon and Galloway? We have signed these players because we don't have the quality coming through and I agree the club needs to remain competitive.

Yes, it's not that i don't agree with you regards talent breaking through because i think we all want to see that happen, that has been glaringly obvious in the hooking role where a few chances have arose in recent years and not been taken by lads not quite good enough so we have been forced to look overseas.

We have done ok with the three quarters imo, Watkins, BJB, Walker, Calderwood, Smith, Handley (getting better) all top level SL players at one time or another over the last decade and our three quarter line has been international quality for the last few years so little opportunities around. It was nearly impossible for a half to break through with McGuire and Sinfield around for a decade so that position speaks for itself, and like i said above hooking role has been an area we have struggled with really since Diskin/Buderus. As far as forwards go we haven't done too badly over the years imo the top lads like Ablett, JJB, Singleton,Ward have broken through and stayed in the team and other have had to move on to get game time.

Hopefully the next couple of Batches of 16-19's are of good quality because i do think the opportunities will increase next few years.

there's no vendetta what so ever between me n sal,he makes lots of very good points in debates but is prone to the odd knee jerk when things don't go well.

go ahead and ask him if he said it
although if he hadn't have said it then i reckon that he would have taken me to task over it

I think the talent is there we just don't seem to be able to develop it - Baldwinson is a another who was a superb junior but will be lost due to the club's inability to make the most of his talents it is such a shame. Hopefully Cameron Smith will fulfil his potential

I did say it - i was wrong it happens, no ever gets everything right - I thought last season would a year too far and look what happened