[url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/4531388.Russell_Crowe_plots_blockbuster_deal_for_Burgess/This[/url all seems pretty unequivocal. Also appears to confirm my suspicion that Burgess does in deed have a "release early if NRL come in" clause in his contract.

crowe - i can get you roles in hollywood movies, meet celebrities like tom cruise and play in a brand new 83,000 stadium in a place where RL is the major sport

Burgess - nah, i prefer playing in SL at odsal and having a nice curry afterwards.

he was strongly linked to manly previously.

pleased to be of help.

Well the forests of Germania aren't what they once were.

At least Burgess and Crowe could swap anecdotes about working with psycotic Roman emperors i.e. Nero and Commodus.

The Aussies would veto it as they would fear two Brits playing together in the sport's elite competition would be too much of a threat to antipodean dominance at international level. Just wait and see, they will bring a quota system in after a while to stop Brits benefitting from playing in the NRL.

Imagine the likes of Myler, McGuire, Roby, Tomkins, Westerman, Fergusen, Ellis, Burgess, Graham, Fox etc all trying to prove themselves in the NRL at the same time. Suddenly English Rugby league would have a credible chance and the Aussies would put a stop to it quick sharp - mark my words. They call us whingers but the minute that things are slightly going against them (e.g. Ganson reffing in the WC) they are throwing the toys out of the pram "its SOO unfair etc etc". One day the tide will turn and they'll find out that karmas a b1tch

The highlighted part is where it goes wrong.
Trying to prove yourself and doing it are very different things.
Ellis is going ok but not the star some on here have made out, he has been solid.
3 players in over a decade is not really enough.

Which 3 are you counting? Morley, Ellis and Carney? If so, your forgetting Harvey Howard (how could you!?).

You are right.
Harvey was solid but did not really hit the Radar to be honest.

the more english players we can get up to our level the better for international RL.

pleased to be of help.

Although I assume the Aussies aren't really motiavated to help the international game, it would be interesting to see what would happen if the NRL clubs were allowed 1 northern hemisphere player each that didn't count toward the salery cap.