nm, it was Ben Ross

RESULTS - 1986-2008 - Australian Schoolboys 14 wins, England 3 wins

2008 - Australian Schoolboys beat England Academy 68-6 and 17-10.
2006 - Australian Schoolboys beat England Academy 36-22 and 32-20.
2004 - England Academy beat Australian Schoolboys 33-24.
2002 - England Academy beat Australian Schoolboys 28-22 and 22-12.
2001 - Australian Schoolboys beat England Academy 18-12 and 44-22.
1999 - Australian Schoolboys beat England 24-4 and 16-12.
1995 - Australian Schoolboys beat England 62-2 and 42-2.
1991 - Australian Schoolboys beat England 44-12 and 28-0.
1986 - Australian Schoolboys beat England 34-2 and 26-14.

I think going back 24 years is stretching your point a fair bit.

Over the past 10 years we are looking at 6-3 with plenty of pretty close results, we are certainly more competitive at this level than at full team level.

Interesting how when Bulls signed any import over 30 (two in last 2 years) quite a lot of Leeds supporters delighted in having a go, on these forums and elsewhere. Even though the average age of our overseas contingent was less than theirs. Now they sign one though, that's OK.

In fact IMO is IS OK - looks like a good signing, and for the reasons the sensible of the Leeds fans state. Makes a whole lot of sense in their particular circumstances, and can't see why folk would knock it.

Just wish when we made similar points, more of them would have acknowledged the same.

I was just querying your opinion that we compete "equally" with the Aussies at youth level in terms of results.

Incidentally, those 3 England wins against the Australian Schoolboys in 2002 and 2004 are the only occasions we've ever beaten them.

I'd agree that we are more competitive against them at youth level in recent times than we are at full team level, albeit marginally so.

2001 onwards:

England Academy 3 wins, Australian Schoolboys 6 wins.
Played 9, Pts For 175, Pts Against 273, Average Score 19-30

GB/England 3 wins, Australia 14 wins.
Played 17, Pts For 225, Pts Against 490, Average Score 13-29

Are you taking the pi$$?

Let's tot up how many Academy players broke through at Wigan last season, then do the same for Leeds last season shall we.

.

If that were the case you wouldn't need to have argued the complete opposite only a week ago



No it's not, you brought the comparison between Cross and Lovegrove into the discussion. And now it seems that despite bagging Lovegrove for the last three years as not being good enough or no better than an English player, now (after Leeds signing a 32 year old Aussie journeyman) how good he is does not matter, the ONLY thing that matters is the number of players born outside England. So your now saying Lovegrove is good enough.

If ANY other club had made this siging you would have been apopleptic.



No, it's whether Leeds are guilty of making the kind of signing you would slate any other club for making. Guilty as charged.



If the mighty Leeds cannot find an English prop from the lower leagues or bring one of their own youngsters through instead of signing Cross, that is clear proof your farcical demands for other clubs to instantly generate SL quality players is just patently absurd.



Defending my club is a fortunate bi product of making you look an @rse.

i didnt, ill explain why below.



Because you compared Leeds to Hull KR



and again you are desperately trying to confuse two issues.

There needs to be fewer overseas players playing in our league. I have criticised Hull Kingston Australia for going into next season with 10 overseas players. You have defended this by arguing that they were 'needed' because there werent sufficient English players out there. I have proved this as nonsense by highlighting the quality of overseas players you have brought in, compared to the quality of british players out there.

Now you are attempting to equate the signing of Ben Cross and his reflection on the youth development and commitment to British players of Leeds, with signings of Lovegrove, Fisher, Green and Clinton and the signing of all of those with thats reflection on HKA and their youth development and commitment to british players which is clearly idiotic even for you.

To re-iterate, if Justin Morgan wants to go out and sign 5 park footballers from Australia and give 20 british lads a go, fine. I think it would be stupid and a poor decision but we cant legislate for coaches simply being crap. However if he is signing 10 overseas players then that needs to justified, and defending it by saying there isnt the comparable quality over here is nonsense when you are signing the likes of Lovegrove.


no i wouldnt, which is why i didnt criticise Saints for signing Perry or Hull for signing Fitzgibbon or O'meley

Except I wouldnt, and said exactly the same when you signed a similar player in Mason

forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?fIf the mighty Leeds cannot find an English prop from the lower leagues or bring one of their own youngsters through instead of signing Cross, that is clear proof your farcical demands for other clubs to instantly generate SL quality players is just patently absurd.
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Agreed. But what you cannot do, by law, is merely cancel existing contracts as if they didn't exist. The RFL recognise this and have set increasing requirements for home grown players which allow teams the time to develop young English players to a standard worthy of playing in the premier Rugby League competition. Whilst at the same time recognising the valuable contribution that longer serving overseas players have made to various clubs and British Rugby League by allowing their contracts to be exempted from the quota as long as they remain at the same club. This by definition is a temporary situation.



I haven't argued they were "needed" at all. Show me where I argued that. The fact is that Hull KR have a number of contracted players that the RFL class as exempt from the quota.



No I'm not. You're the one constantly berating other clubs for exactly the kind of signing that Leeds have just made.

Let me remind you of recent comments by yourself on this subject. I don't have to search too hard, you made them a few weeks ago...





Strange that one because you clearly seem to be suggesting that it is quality that counts in an Aussie signing, whereas now...



Or maybe it is the quality that counts?







I wish you'd make your mind up Smokey. Because if it really is about the number and not the quality then why the need for this comment?






Seems to be another reference to quality there mate , you do talk some utter bollox , Leeds like any club will do what is best for themselves , end of

This is the point I've raised this topic for....I can't keep repeating myself, I'm not aiming all the flak at Leeds. It's just they are the latest team to have done it.

If all SL teams put enough money and quality coaching into the youth system we wouldn't be buying any Aussies....that is the problem...teams clearly aren't!