I'm not impressed.

Ben Crooks apparently wasn't even good enough for Hull so how on earth does he think he's going to cope in the NRL?

Josh Hodgson is supposedly marginally better but he's going to spend most of his time carrying water or playing NSW cup footy.

I shudder to think what other no names are going to turn up down under next.

If the NRL is trying to improve international footy by signing these type of people then why not sign some French players to improve their national side instead?

The quality simply isn't there in the NRL anymore and they are desperate for our not quite good enough a to bring some glamour to the comp

Don't feed it.

"Why are second rate poms going to the NRL?"

Cos 2nd rate NRL players and below allied to crocks, pension seekers and holidaying types are taking their places?

Or even more bizarre they could be going for better coaching .

They must have a reason

It must be embarrassing for superstar Aussie and Kiwi players when what could be called a "second rate" forward in Mike Cooper (lets be honest he wasn't anything special here) goes over there and does very well for St.George. Our average forwards must be far better than their forwards if he can do what he's doing.

It's a sad indictment of a league that's believed it's own hype for years and has relied on South sea islanders and Kiwis to bolster its failing youth production. Now even those areas can't fill the void...

It is what happened to the quality of Aussies coming to England. First there was Kenny, Sterling, Maninga then in the end it was Sean Rudder, Luke Dorn and Matty Johns.

Hodgson is an average player from a poor team his isn't even the best hooker from Hull. Crooks is a good player but struggles with injuries.

As someone stated earlier Mike Cooper was the first none superstar to go and he has been pretty solid for SGI.

Indeed. Am I alone in seeing the irony in a transient barman in London enquiring as to the need for 2nd rate poms in Australia?

Indeed. Am I alone in seeing the irony in a transient barman in London enquiring as to the need for 2nd rate poms in Australia?

It's the beer

Cooper isn't the first average pro to go to the NRL, but he's the first to make a decent fist of it. Thorman, Tansey and Edmonson would have been in the same category, and all sank without trace in the NRL.

Because while they may be second rate over here, they are plainly not second rate compared to what the teams signing them currently have. Otherwise they wouldn't, er, sign them.

HTH