Just to state... I think Marsden is just an old troll who has little more than mischief as his goal.. hence my response... I do not think he is malicious , just annoying! I apologise if anyone else took offence at my response... unfortunately he saw through it!


however...On the theme of imported players... I grew up watching trinity from the early 1970s... when it was commonplace for all top rugby league teams to regularly scour the 'amateur' sport of rugby union for players...

Indeed some of my favourite Trinity players of all time never played the game until their 20s (and perhaps... had the RU been openly professional... may never had played the game at all)

I am of the opinion that we are still (the game as a whole) are just as good (if not better) than we ever were at producing young talent, however that talent is now supported by Australian RL imports rather than imports from Rugby Union...

I clearly remember young hopefuls in the trinity ranks being pushed out by Mike Lampkowski, Keith Smith, Brian Juliff, Steve Diamond et al

I remember the trophy winning Salford side of the 70s being chock full of ex RU internationals... with just a smattering of [iOLD HEAD[/i RL talent.

I also remember the overseas ban in the late 70s which resulted in us falling so far behind the Australian game that we have never recovered...

So... Do old habits die hard?

Is it that we value the short term success (viability) of our teams greater than the overall good of the game in the UK?

Are we just a minority sport trying our damnest to survive in an ever declining marketplace?

Are any of us really altruistic enough to care a jot about the sport, or other clubs, when it clashes with the needs of our own club?

Things is, whilst no fan of filling SL with non England eligible players:

1. It only affects the national team which only reflects in a couple of games a year
2. Ultimately most people care more about their clubs than their national team
3. Often players you would class as no name roster fillers turn out to be great servants to the club and a fan favourite.

Don't know what the answer is beyond clubs and fans being altruistic enough to give up a large chunk of the Sky money to allow the RFL to fund jnr development and marketing of the game properly and thereby having more English talent to choose from.

So after all that are you apologising to Marsden for directly calling them a racist or xenaphobe or are you apologising to everyone who saw it for what it was because how i see it its not me or others who took exception to the post who needs the apology.

Indeed, and were it not for Wigan, Huddersfield may just have found themselves going down the road Wakefield are doing so now.

Really

We have signed 3 players directly from Wigan. (others may have started there but been through several clubs).

Last season wakey had 3 players signed directly from Leigh (Moore / Bibey / Henderson) and 3 directly from Huddersfield (George, Drew , Snitch). I assume if it was not for Leigh and Huddersfield your club would resort to fielding only overseas players? HTH

I am suprised you can remember your science teacher tigerman eleven, dont you ever stop to think what you might have achieved if you had taken more notice at school. How is the brick hunting going for the new ground btw, have you found one yet?

What I find quite ironic is that the OP's club has by my reckoning 8 players themselves who are classed as quota, non-fed or exempt

Brett Hodgson
Lolesi
Whaturia
Drew
Fa'algo (sp)
Faiumu
Finnegan (think he is still there)
Korkidas (who is a Hudds player afterall)

Consequently if we take away Korkidas and Stosic from the Wakey list, we have 9 and the Giants have 8 !!!