Quote jdrocket="jdrocket"Having read all this thread (I did have to pop a valium and a couple prozac) I can say you are all barmy.
I really don't know how to put this so I will try a little experiment. List the players between academy and say 23 in the team. We'll use Saints and exclude Kyle:
Wheeler
Foster
Dixon
Armstrong
Ashe
Makinson
ermm.. and Gaskell[
Off the top of my head. How many do you think will be snapped up by union (ever)?
Foster can kick from the tee but that's about it. They are made to play league and no union club is gonna poach any of those. And even if they desperatly needed someone they will take maybe one and you have the cover for that.
Also, as people have said, the number of failures in union is massive compared to success. The chances are that Tomkins and EAstmond will make it union and Tomkins will maybe get into the england team (Kyle is too small and not a good enough kicker) but if the RFU go on a mad scramble, they will come up short... again. We will get them back eventually and, as people have said, they will be maximum 25 whenthey return; still a chance of good players.
What I am saying is that Union may take a player a year (1 so far this year) but this does not spell the end of rugby league.'"
Who said anything about the "End of RL"? However, it wouldn't take a lot of departures to seriously damage the sport. Aside from the loss of talent League's already shaky position within the media would be jeopardized. Unfortunately perception is often reality and the perception that League is losing its best talent to Union would make sponsors think very seriously about investing in the sport. Unlike the RFU which is awash with money League cannot afford to be losing investors given the current economic malaise.
Which of the above players are likely to move? I've no idea. But you can bet that Union will be sniffing around ANY youngster who looks like he's got the ability to make a name for himself. Obviously the emphasis will be on backs as they are more likely to make the transition. I don't agree that many will likely fail in the sport. If you look at the big names who have joined the exodus the success rate is far higher than people think. Yes, Hape, Vainikolo, Henry Paul and Farrell didn't become Union superstars. But to say they failed is complete nonsense. All of them made the England team at some point and their demise was as much to do with the paucity of talent surrounding them as their own performances.
Union has learned quickly. They made the mistake of recruiting players past their prime and have now switched their attention to younger players. And they will point to the success of Chris Ashton as proof that their plan is working. In any case, Union can easily afford a few failures. Money is no issue.
