The general trend with UK lads going to the NRL is that our backs really struggle, and our forwards on the whole thrive.

Few harsh comments in here, he's going there to improve as a player and whatever his attitude has been in the past, he's still a young lad. He could well mature and work through that, and I hope he does as he has bags of raw potential. Best of luck to him.

lmao thats stretching it a bit.....

Well Josh Hodgson seems to be making a good fist of it. Does that mean I have the right to criticise Wigan's NRL duds?

Anyone can criticize anyone. I don't agree with this idea that because your team has had less players go to the NRL you can't comment - however, you have to be able to back up why they were duds, surely?

Why is that stretching it? He's a Wakefield academy product, plus he was far more successful over there than any Wigan players have been in recent years.

Just for balance, despite his own views on how he went, Hardaker was a dud last year. It would be really interesting to see how the 2015 or 2017 version of Hardaker would go in the NRL, but last year he went over after half a season of not bothering for Leeds and was unsurprisingly poor at the Panthers - especially physically.

IMO there are no SL outside backs who are "NRL ready". There are a few who I'm sure could make it if they stuck at it - Burgess is one, Manfredi looks big enough, Ryan Hall (a few years ago), Watkins McGillvray etc. They all need to learn to defend and attacking plays, but the physical side is something that seems to be ignored.

I think forwards generally adapt better, partly because their role is simpler, but also because the best forwards clearly enjoy the tough stuff. Going to a physically harder competition is challenge they relish - unlike most outside backs....