Quote: nick hkr "Why when Leeds in 1998 had 5 overseas players playing in their grand final team against Wigan who also had 5 playing are they 13 years later still employing overseas players?? Surely 13yrs ago they should have hand picked about 50 10yr olds and brought them through to be Leeds superstars?'"
Why? Why is it Leeds responsibility to employ an purely english side? no-one else has! Why do they have to cover for the failing clubs like Hull KR?
Besides no-one has argues we should have 0 overseas players. Some are fantastic players who add to our league, are at the peak of their careers and it is a good thing they come over, Ali Lauitiiti, Trent Barrett, Jamie Lyon, People have simply said it is is a failure for a club in the heartlands of our game, to need to be scratching around, finding loopholes to fill their squad with overseas players to cover for their lack of youth development and poor scouting in this country.
Quote: nick hkr "Leeds are doing nothing and have done nothing to reduce their overseas numbers for well over a decade, yet although Rovers have increased the numbers this year we have also increased our home grown numbers and have invested heavily into our structures. So the RFL want to bring all clubs in line with Leeds but do not want to effect anything the Rhinos do then? '"
our overseas numbers are too high, we have too many. But that doesnt excuse having even more. Nearly all clubs need to bring down their overseas totals. Only one is finding loopholes because they have 9, want 10, and maybe 11. That is why they are criticised.
Quote: nick hkr "You can speculate that Rovers will keep finding loopholes to get away with having more than anyone else but once players like Vella, Galea and Fisher leave we will be down to a figure more in line with everyone else.
'"
no you wont, even in a couple of years when these people leave, and even if you go against everything you have done so far, you will still have more or the same amount of overseas players when Galea Fisher and Vella leave than all clubs except 2 other heartland sides are now. Thats if you dont bring in an 11th as is rumoured. But yes, in a few years you maybe where everyone else is now.
Quote: nick hkr "Yes we paid Michael Smith a good salary but by that time we were rebuilding our youth structures, it was long before this that we suffered and were forgotten like all the other clubs out side of the Super League.'"
You were forgotten by your own fans, dont blame anyone else. It was 8 thousand people who attend now who let you sink so far. Dont blame the RFL. It isnt their fault.
And maybe if you hadnt pauid Michael Smith such a good salary 5 years ago, your youth systems would have been rebuilt and you wouldnt need to rely on so many overseas players now.
