agree there are plenty who do well over here in SL The importace is how has he played in SL

The pertinent issue here (and also in other cases of ex NRL players) is; would this signing prevent a young British player from getting an opportunity to improve? In my view the answer is an overwhelming Yes.

Chase is an average halfback from Aus / NZ and failed to get a regular gig there so came here to try his luck. He has a good kicking game, but very limited passing game, and therefore is IMHO taking up a space which would be better used giving a British kid a chance.

He's not quite the definition of a Kolpak Stiff, but he's not that far off.

When SL in general is picking up players like this, is it really surprising that we are regularly humped on the International stage?

Chase looked pretty useful and effective against England couple of weeks ago....... And as for the argument about giving a British kid a chance do you think that chance will be increased with the incumbent Burrow there as opposed to the hypothetical replacement, Chase ?

The difference is Burrow is British. Chase looked exactly what he is, a decent Maori half, no more no less. I wouldn't be saying sign him up on that performance.

Fans seem to fall into two categories, those who are willing to take a stand against the dross overseas imports that clog up SL and reduce the player pool for GB/England, and those who only want to see their individual club succeed regardless of the impact that has on the International game.

Without a competitive International game, Rugby League will always struggle to survive rather than thrive.

But there aren't any British 7s of adequate quality to improve our team (Eastmond excepted perhaps, but he's nowhere near available to us). Would you prefer, if we were to need a half-back to go straight into our team, we got Brough or Myler? Because Chase is much better player and a much much better fit for what Leeds lack than either of them (and than Burrow, for that matter).

I don't want Leeds stuffed to the gills with Anzacs either, but the recruitment mistake in that regard could be seen to be going for someone like Cross to address our issues in the front row rather than the available LMS or the gettable Lynch. If we need a half-back who can break defences and has an excellent short-kicking game to give us what we need near the line then it's entirely understandable that Hetherington is targetting Chase,regardless of his nationality.

I would prefer to see British talent, but who would we replace burrow with if at all. Don't think we have one in the youth system ready to go at the moment, especially with mags missing!

You hit the nail on the head in your starting sentence. There aren't any British 7's of adequate quality to improve the team, because while ever we mass import 7's (or any other position for that matter) we don't give the British players chance to improve.

Look at the top 8 clubs scrum halves for next season Wigan (Finch), Saints (Eastmond), Warrington (Monaghan), Leeds (Burrow), Huddersfield (Brough), Hull (Long), Hull KR (Dobson) and Crusaders (Hanbury or Sammut). So of the 4 that are British, one is 34, one you are happy to replace with an overseas player (to make it 5 in the 8 next year), one should have gone on tour (Brough) and the other is injured so regularly it would be laughable if he wasn't our best hope at 7 for the next few years.

We have got to stop bringing in overseas players who block the progress of young British kids. Look at the dross we have on offer in the backs and mentally do the same comparison as I have above to further prove the point.

I agree entirely that LMS or Lynch would be much better for Leeds than Cross, but only if they were replaced at their previous clubs by British players who could then improve in a competitive environment, otherwise we should have promoted Ambler IMHO.

Whilst we persist with importing average antipodeans, we will struggle for years after in the International arena, it's a self fulfilling prophecy.

Oh and if we were talking about on field performance Brough over Chase by plenty as a recently returned poster on here would say. Brough has a better kicking game, better passing game, and neither is a great defender so there you have it. Both come with more baggage than BA could deal with at Heathrow though...

Monahan starting number 7????

Yes, he was the starting 7 in the cup final and then played at 7 for the season run in, when Myler was available and Clarke was back fit again. Seems a fair comment to me, when Myler couldn't shift him?

Spot on Batts Myler never got a real look in inthe last couple of months of the season.
FWIW I think we'd be mad to ditch Burrow and i think we should see what kind of game we play under Brian Mc before writing one of our best players off.
Now i know last season wasn't Robs best but he spent plenty of time out injured and other than 3/4 who really did perform to their potential/talent?
Now i'm not gonna get into slanging matches but this is the same Burrow that has done the business at the top for this club for a number of years and just because he did'nt perform to his best in a season when we never really got going and he suffered from injuries i don't think that amounts to ditching him.

Fair enough I just thought I remembered him playing more 9 than 7 last year?don't have any stats was just what I thought I remembered. If I am wrong fair enough.

I agree with most of that I don't think we should get rid, however I would not class him as one of our best players, I ain't saying he is rubbish and I want rid before people start but he would not be at the top of my list of players I would want to keep

Monaghan had shirt number 9, and did in fact start the season at hooker, but then moved to play scrum half later in the year when Myler got a knock. Myler then recovered and couldn't budge Monaghan from the position, so I took the huge leap of faith that TS would start with the form player from last year in that position.

I accept that Myler is a potential 7 for a top 8 club, but IMHO he has a long way to go live up to the hype he attracts. Scores a few tries and is a good support player (a little like Burrow earlier in his career) but lacks organisational skills and a good all round kicking game.

Each to their own but i think he's one of our best and 1 full season when he's had injuries and not hit his top form when hardly any other member of the squad has is not enough for calls for him to be ditched imo.

Quote: Ferdy "Fair enough I just thought I remembered him playing more 9 than 7 last year?don't have any stats was just what I thought I remembered. If I am wrong fair enough.'" Just as a guide there are always these; www.slstats.org/p1692/Michael+Monaghan.html (What you do with this partial information is entirely your decision but I'd be sorely tempted to waft them under someone's nose if I were you. )

Quote: Ferdy "Fair enough I just thought I remembered him playing more 9 than 7 last year?don't have any stats was just what I thought I remembered. If I am wrong fair enough.'" Just as a guide there are always these; www.slstats.org/p1692/Michael+Monaghan.html (What you do with this partial information is entirely your decision but I'd be sorely tempted to waft them under someone's nose if I were you. )