It boils down to emphasising different skills. Yawnion has always been a forward-dominated game, especially in England, and the game revolves almost exclusively around set pieces and kicks. When rah-rah's talk about League players being unskillful, they're actually referring to scrummaging and winning line-outs as a skill. Seriously. Passing and catching a ball doesn't come into it for them

Isn't likes of Burgess, Ellis and Graham going to NRL good for our game? Year after year when we get bummed by the Aussies its said we need more players of there standard, if you including the 3 above along with the ones with English mums etc we have around 6 NRL players in the England team which has to be a good thing?

I think the point is if the best players leave our competition then wherever they go be it the NRL or RU the domestic competition is weakened by it. I think that is correct.

We can't send all our players to the NRL so it will only be a minority who benefit and in the meantime players like Prescott here no longer have to face top players like Graham. I think it has always been false logic to wish for our players to go the the NRL because this will benefit our game. It won't. It might mean we do better in the odd international but it won't raise the standard here because the game is weaker not stronger. If they come back at all it will be at the end of their careers so they are no better to us then than any other NRL player looking for a couple of seasons before retirement.

This. With knobs on.

Post of the year,without a doubt.

If our players go anywhere I hope it's the NRL which is the lesser of two evils.

Didnt Wigan nearly become a Union team once upon a time?

Maybe they should have done they'd be a force to be reckoned with by now if all these players came through as Union players and we had the money in the cap to keep them. (Ha not really!)

Trouble is; all the Union teams are spending beyond their means according to the Sale Sharks owner. So, as much as I hate the salary cap, it keeps our game going because eventually their sport may implode but still tbh I'd rather have away with it.

The RFL are more interested in letting the rubbish teams try and keep up than letting the great teams produce great talent and keep it to make our beautiful game the greatest game. With the RFL in charge the sport will stagnate and I don't think it will exist, certainly not professionally within about 15 years.

Our international game would develop if we didn't lose players to union. Imagine Ashton playing for England now. Theres no doubt in my mind that if our sport had the money and a decent international game then he wouldnt have left and neither would most of the others except Andy Farrell (Extended his career by a few years and made him more money dont blame him for that). Union is ONLY an international game, I'll admit the internationals are good I enjoy them but their league competitions are abysmal.

According to that Kelly o donnell bird who works for local radio she asked Shaun Wane if Joel would be at Wigan next season and he said "He was at my house yesterday. I dont know of any team hes gonna go to"

Read into that what you will

If he leaves he is dead to me. He had the chance to be part of a dynasty but he chose the money. As much of a disgrace to Wigan as Chris Ashton. Dont come back if true Joel.

wow Over reaction of the century!!!


and as for kelly O'Donnell indeed

Thinking about it though I dont think Joel will be going if Sam isn't theres no way that Joel is going to miss out on the fact that him, sam and logan can be the first set of 3 brothers to play in the same team in SL (correct me if Im wrong but I cant think of any other) Id of thought hed stay at least a year or 2 so that can happen but who would blame him?

If someone came to me and said "you can do another job its a slight bit different but the basics are the same as you do now but we will pay you twice as much" I'd go running and so would anyone on here. Hell if I was a professional RL player and Wigan offered me a 25k contract and Wire/Saints a 50k I'd go. In the short career of a professional sportsman you must make the most of your career and earn all you can.

he's gone. simple

has it been stated as a fact that he has gone?

I'd trust shaun wane over anyone, if joel was round his house yesterday and he doens't know hes leaving, hes not leaving.

Until something is confirmed officially joel is a wigan player and the words out of the camp today suggest that these stories are nothing but rumours.

Its a strange rumour though because usually they are only from the agents trying to get more money but we have him tied into a long contract so it cant be that. Odd one indeed. Maybe hes said he will go when his contract is up or something I dont know. I dont want him to go but if he doesnt want to be in Wigans team then theres no point having him because a player who is forced to play for you wont perform.