Go easy on me, first post.....

Put Simply there isnt enough investment in the game for it to compete with NRL, we can hold our own with domestic RU I have no doubt and lets not forget RU as a game is far less appealing nationaly as it on an International platform, in fact its awful!

With the NRL Salary Cap increase the days of marquee SOO/International signings have gone, if you look at the wages of some of the stars of the game in Australia it dwarfs the UK cap. 300k+ is not uncommon.

The answer for now has to be to survive and invest any money you have in your academy setup. We must develop from within. This opens up questions as to the viability of some clubs but no doubt if they have cash they will survive, inevitably when you find superstars the sports with more money will take them, or indeed other Superleague clubs who can pay over the odds for a player developed by a rival team, it happens now but no names mentioned as this post isnt meant to create an inter-club argument.

I have no doubt that Sam will go in 2 years and ply his trade in the NRL for double his salary, who wouldnt!? Thats why we need academy systems identifying the next Sam Tomkins and the like.

The game and quality of players isnt worse as a whole but the talent pool has become smaller. Gone are the days where you can go and make 4 marquee world class signings and place them with the best Britain has to offer.

As I stated at the top of the post, investment is key, how are national and international sponsors attracted? I am sponsor because I love the club, not for any financial benefit. I have ideas here but this is not the forum to discuss them.

I have though long and hard about how to improve the game and as a start I think a reduction in clubs would help, by at least 2, possibly 4. If the International game is to work, and it must, then by losing 2 teams it gives time for Internationals to be played without expecting players to front up 3 times in a week. Thats just wrong in my opinion. I think the whole licencing system needs auditing, how this mess with Bradford has come about is outrageous and this cannot be allowed again, it discredits the game as a whole.

As an aside, I thought Matty had a great game yesterday and made a difference when he came on, I am confident that he will be very succesful in his time at Wigan.

Rgds

AP

I've already said players are fitter and more professional now you utter, utter tool. Read the posts and respond reasonably to the points actually being made and not ones you invent in your imbecilic tiny little mind in future with your trademark unwarranted partisan abuse added in for extra knuckle-scraping points on the way. Little bit of advice for you there. My posts are both informative and entertaining. Gravy all the way.

"Hur, hur, hurrrrrr... Me fink Saints better than inbred fingies over hill, innit like? Hurrr... hurr... hurrrrr....."

See? I can do you-style posts easily if I want to too... I don't as I have a brain...

Or alternatively, do what you do - voice an opinion and assert that it's a fact.

Or should that be 'FACT!' (I'd imagine that shouting from the safety of a keyboard is more your style).

Game over.