Cross is exactly the sort of player Leeds are lacking and will prove to be a very astute signing IMO.

As for injury prone, he only missed a couple of games in 2010.

Is it just a question of money and coaching? Not if there aren't sufficient numbers of youngsters of the required athletic ability that are interested in taking up the game. In that instance no amount of money or quality coaching would produce the desired effect.

Absolute bobbins.

The Australians are miles ahead of us in terms of producing outstanding young players because if you want to be a professional sportsman in their country it's one of the most high profile and well paid sports to get involved in.

As long as that remains the case and talented young multi-sport athletes in the UK can make a better living out of a myriad of other sports than they can out of RL there will always be an overspill from the NRL into SL and into the lower leagues too (how many non-UK players did Sheffield have this season, for example?)

To make the statement that it's all about how much you invest in your youth systems and the quality of your coaching is naive in the extreme and ignores a whole load of other factors which restrict UK RL's access to the best athletes.

I'm sure he's terrified.

Banjoed? They stood toe to toe, Peacock missed most of his punches (clumsy technique), but Perry didn't exactly hurt him. In the Perry-Cross fight, Perry had a couple of full shots at Cross and didn't even make him move. Perry's got a good aim, but no result.

Add to that Perry vs. Clint Newton (and Mason) and Perry vs. Luke O'Donnell, and it could be Mark Carroll all over again.

You sound like an eager 10 year old. 'our players can batter your players' grow up ffs. If you judge player ability by how good they are at fighting, or think that players will be scared of others just because they've had a tussle in the past, then you need to grow up. They're professional rugby players, who's main objective is to win games, not have fights with the opposition.

If Peacock will be scared when he faces Perry then Mason will be absolutely bricking it when he faces Peacock!!

I've very rarely seen any seasoned prop who has made it to the top flight be scared of anyone, some people really need to grow up!

I love it if you look at the clip of Peacock and Perry fighting on youtube and read the comments. Half of them insist that Perry battered Peacock and the other half argue that Peacock "owns" Perry. In reality, two props throw a few, everyone else runs in to break it up and its over in a couple of seconds.

Its very rare anyone gets a clean punch in a la mason on fielden, and even then it doesn't necessarily mean they're harder. Steve Price (arguabley the best prop in the world at the time) got knocked out playing SOO, but if you watch the fight, he's got the guy on the ropes until a lucky punch sneaked through.

Quote: Barnacle Bill "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.'" There is still no need to add to the overseas players you cant get rid of is there? Not being able to get rid of some of them is no excuse for signing more and extending contracts. The reason Hull KR havent reached the 5 overseas player target is nothing to do with Legal requirements, its just another red herring, Its to do with their short-termist outlook. Quote: Barnacle Bill "No I'm not.'" you clearly are, which is why you go on to say...... Quote: Barnacle Bill "You're the one constantly berating other clubs for exactly the kind of signing that Leeds have just made.'" Because i havent when it has been in isolation, only when part of a pattern. You have the very definition of a straw man argument here Quote: Barnacle Bill "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 Not to mention the England Captain Adrian Morley who was produced by Leeds Academy, Danny Ward, Ryan Bailey, Nick Scruton, and Gareth Carvell and Ewan Dowes from outside RL, and Jay Pitts from the fringes of the other squads, But other than those 10, they probably havent In related news, Leeds sign another young lower league player www.therhinos.co.uk/news/15088.php

Quote: Barnacle Bill "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.'" There is still no need to add to the overseas players you cant get rid of is there? Not being able to get rid of some of them is no excuse for signing more and extending contracts. The reason Hull KR havent reached the 5 overseas player target is nothing to do with Legal requirements, its just another red herring, Its to do with their short-termist outlook. Quote: Barnacle Bill "No I'm not.'" you clearly are, which is why you go on to say...... Quote: Barnacle Bill "You're the one constantly berating other clubs for exactly the kind of signing that Leeds have just made.'" Because i havent when it has been in isolation, only when part of a pattern. You have the very definition of a straw man argument here Quote: Barnacle Bill "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 Not to mention the England Captain Adrian Morley who was produced by Leeds Academy, Danny Ward, Ryan Bailey, Nick Scruton, and Gareth Carvell and Ewan Dowes from outside RL, and Jay Pitts from the fringes of the other squads, But other than those 10, they probably havent In related news, Leeds sign another young lower league player www.therhinos.co.uk/news/15088.php

Its not your 'fault' now, but its one of the reasons

Nope

Nope, your attempts to say i have said something different to what i actually said are as silly as they are obvious.

Nope, I have never said Lovegrove is good enough, simply that you cant legislate for coaches being crap and recruitment being poor.

Well done. I want you to bear this in mind a bit further down.



But it is still far better than it was five years ago, do you deny this? Rovers have delivered, other clubs with far more time in SL have not.



I think the accounts say thay have spent as much as they could. Yes they could have spent more, but should they have? Well if you were footing the bill I guess you would be a bit more circumspect than you are saying Rovers should have been.



No, none of them have had to make the across the board improvements Rovers have in such a short space of time. All bar Widnes have spent many years more in SL than have Rovers and delivered far less in almost every aspect of the club apart from, perhaps, youth development.



Given your intimate knowledge of which players Rovers make offers to, as opposed to those that agree terms, I can only assume you must be a director of the club. How else would you know which players are made offers and which aren't?

And, I though we'd already established, it's not the quality that counts.

Do you spend much time in Whitby by any chance? Good kippers there.