I am amazed at how many ex RL names are plying their trade in RU. This is rubbing off on RU because, have people noticed how much RU are using RL plays in open play nowadays. They only have the stupid lineouts, scrappy rucks and drab mauls left of their original game.
All the International teams have ex RL men in their coaching set up. And ex players are sprinkled all over the teams. It is no wonder their styles are changing.

I reckon we have no need to worry about defections to RU. As we always have new talent coming through to replace the leavers. I say if they want to go LET EM GO.

Dunno, i dont watch Union nor never will, but i do believe that any player who wants to go to Union should be marched down the M1/M6 immediately !!

Sorry can't answer 100% league 0% yawnion

shaun edwards at wasps... a loss to rugby league. think mike ford is there too.

ashton doing great for england at the moment too.

quite alot of ex rugby league going into yawnion

massive loss losing kyle eastmond next season to bath too.. we need to keep these kind of players in rugby league but the salary cap wont allow it, bath also mentioned the tompkin brothers we cant compete with ru, they can spend 4million and we can spend 1.65m

It's a huge concern. We aren't in the same league (no pun) as Union either in terms of media coverage, financial clout or worldwide support. Losing the cream of our crop to that lot will just make our product less of a draw than it already is beyond the heartlands in the north and over in oz. I am sorry to see Eastmond go, but in financial and media exposure terms he is definitely making the correct decision. I'm not sure how he'll get on, but he has the raw talent that's for sure and I wish him well.

Ashton is the sweetheart of English RU at the moment, and rightly so. He has been in scorching form and head and shoulders above the rest. Still at least Denis Betts has seen the light and returned to league

If Sam and Joel go to Union then what chance does our national side have of competing with the Aussies and NZ lads? Two players don't make a team, but if Union keep snatching our brightest young talents it will send the national team backwards and forced to select players who are not international standard. Maybe the salary cap needs looking at, but then again we don't have the financial backing to keep our clubs paying top money and staying solvent. Union is literally laughing all the way to the bank.

how can we increase the salaray cap? is it going to be reviewed anytime soon

some teams in super league dont even spend upto the salary cap now so it could cause the level playing field to widen.

i think we are ruled by sky and how much they are wanting to pay the rfl for the coverage.
if sky pay more then maybe the clubs salary cap can be lifted higher

Sky pay far more for the RU coverage than the RL coverage despite the RL getting much higher figures.

TV advertisers don't want to be in the HT adverts etc like they do in union. The starting credits on Sky are sponsored by Iron Bru whereas Guinness are there for union. I'm afraid the CEO and marketing executives for these companies look down their noses at us as fans. They think we're oiks who don't buy their products. The public school brigade still dominate these positions in all sectors of employment and this helps to perpetuate the situation. The class system is still alive and well.

Equally unions cap is far higher than our is and they don't stick to it anyway. Raising our cap wont help our game at all.

We need to become more competitive Internationally to raise the games profile and the only real long terms solution is to invest in the youth systems so we can have a good production line of talent that helps compensate for short term losses of talented players chasing the money in union.

We must invest in our kids and teach them well.

A key to this will be how successful league can become in the capital. I know it is a tiresome subject and insulting to the loyal majority of die hards in the north but if the game can take hold down south things will change. To be fair Quins have started the season brilliantly and more and more kids are taking the sport up down there and there are also some very good coaches plying their trade down there. Things have moved on dramatically since my days in the youth ranks at the Broncos and Skolars and this can only be a positive thing. I would not begrudge Quins winning the SL at some point in the future as I am certain it will be a benefit for all concerned within RL in the UK.

Also, the international game is nowhere near the standard of Union. Apart from Australia, England and New Zealand who else is there? Union is all about the global game and a World Cup in Union is always far more even than the RL equivalent. It's a real tradgedy because I am in no doubt as to which code is superior, but it's just the state of play right now.

that is the key point improve the national team and everything else flows from that

not improving the national game by letting eastmond go are we.

But he can't be forced to stay. If he wants to go he can go, it's his choice and the only option we have is to try and produce as many of these talented kids as we can through all available youth systems to ensure the impact of losing one is minimised.

Saints can't pay him money they don't have ATEOTD.

think id go for £200,000 a year or whatever it was. wonder what saints offered ...

Apparently they matched Bath's offer, but he clearly felt his future lay beyond the lovely town of St Helens. He'll need to produce for Saints though, otherwise he would do as well to go now. His form so far has been shocking by all accounts.

cant believe saints offered him the same money

he will start on the wing for bath... then go to full back.

you can tell he was going to bath the way he has been playing

Sod him if he wants to go to yawnion. He'll get bored on the wing twiddling his thumbs. Can't fault him for going for the money he'll earn but Saints should play him in the reserves for some games this season and blood another young lad in readiness for next season. He was a good player but far from the finished article and thought he was bigger than the club by all accounts.