smelling was never one of my strong pints,

I said this at the game recently. He's definately not a centre though.

stuart reardon.

Brett Mullins.
Nathan Blacklock.
Mathew Johns.

Nathan Blacklock - 121 tries in 142 games in the NRL for St George Illawarra; 33 tries in 42 in Super League for Hull plus a Challenge Cup winners medal....not sure where the let down was?

John Gallagher was a superb player in union who looked perfect for league but didn't make it. League fans like to use that one example to imply that league is too hard for union players to play. He was one odd example when most of the guys who came over from international union around that time ended up dominating in league.

Craig Innes came from the All Blacks to play for Leeds and was far more successful, when he went to Manly he was the best defensive centre in the Aussie game in the mid 1990s.

Matthew Ridge, who toured with the All Blacks but never played a Test because Gallagher kept him out of the team, came to league and was one of the top players in Australia.

Ricky Stuart was in the same situation with the Wallabies, he toured but couldn't get a Test because Nick Farr-Jones was first choice, he went to league and became one of the greatest players in history.

Michael O'Connor switched from the Wallabies to league and became a State of Origin legend.

Va'iga Tuigimala came from the All Blacks to great success at Wigan; Scott Gibbs, Jonathan Davies and Allan Bateman came from Welsh RU to be three of the best centres in British RL.

Martin Offiah came from lower division RU to be the best winger of his generation.

You wonder why none of those players got found out in league?

That's your opinion PY. In my view he is perfunctory at best, I happen to like him but he's certainly not had the impact we were all expecting and surely we must question the value for money.

Got no axe to grind with the other players you quote, nor am I anti-union I just enjoyed seeing the hubris of Mr Gallagher being shown up for exactly that.

From Warrington Matt King and Andrew Johns were let downs but King is coming good now but it's not quite worth the money yet.

Surely the biggest let down must be Fielden at Wigan.

Not sure why you went through all that, which was nothing to do with the thread really.

Gallagher was a massive name who just didn't make it and is a very good call for this thread.

Whilst there is plenty of rivalry with Union I think most fans have fond memories of Union imports, I certainly do with the likes of Davies, Bateman, Ellis and Phillips in the early 90's.

Matt King 2008 was terrible.

Matt King 2009 Part 1 was perfunctory.

Matt King 2009 Part 2 is excellent and precisely what we thought we were getting (unless you thought we were getitng a Gidley type centre)

To be honest, I wasn't sure what we were getting as I don't follow the NRL. Anyhow I do agree that he is playing well at the moment but, as you concede, this is after a long period of underperformance made more noticeable due to the build up to his arrival and the speculations on the high contract value. Therefore, taken in the round, I believe he has not been value for money and has some way to go to make up for the slow start. I really hope he does.

I don't think King will ever get much credit for what he does, for the the simple fact his alleged salary will always be a millstone around his neck.

You may be right. But, of course, when you negotiate and agree an alleged high value contract, you accept the high expectations that rightly accompany it.

The crux of the issue.

Quote: getdownmonkeyman "The crux of the issue.'" I think it is fair to assume he is in the top 3 wage earners at the club though? The Liverpool Echo have it as £1.3M over four years. www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/ru ... -19433590/

Quote: getdownmonkeyman "The crux of the issue.'" I think it is fair to assume he is in the top 3 wage earners at the club though? The Liverpool Echo have it as £1.3M over four years. www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/ru ... -19433590/