When I first posted this article it was meant to highlight why it was so hard for R/L players to turn down offers to go to Union and it seems that people may not have understood what I was really trying to put accross.

It as suddenly turned into a disscussion about the merits of the make up a G/B team against a split of Wales Ireland and Scotland.

The question I was really asking was,how can a player turn down an offer from Union which will at least quadruple his wages and allow him to play in packed stadiums all round the world.

This point was emphasised a few weeks ago when it was said on here that a young player who signed a professional contract with Wigan said he had to find a part time job to make a living.

I think you may have forgot to highlight the point you mean when trying to put your point across in asking a question you didnt actually ask??

An RL convert to RU is not always destined to succeed and reach the heady heights of Ashton, Robinson etc. But if the RU wants to throw the money their way unfortunately at the moment RL just cant compete!

I think I understand your point Rhino,but when you say about not all converts make it does not mean that these lads should not try. You cant blame them,they can always come back to league having thebuilt up the basis of a nice pension pot.

Im lost now

"It's about winning on the day. It doesn't matter if it's ugly or pretty or big scores, low scores and that's why I think the French were magnificent."

Above quote from Matt Dawson just said on Radio 5 live and BBC text live.
This is the whole frustration, the products crap but the whole of the business worlds invested in it. Could you imagine coming out with a quote like that in the Dragon's Den. They'd kick you out straight away. Unfortunately RL's between a rock and a hard place. They've a much better product IMO and they can't get the foot in the door of the big business sponsors. Our leaders and planners have not got the requisite contacts unfortunately. I would love to interview Richard Branson and get his insight into the business side of our game and why he left.
It's one of two things for me, we're either crap at getting out and promoting ourselves or we are trying to and being discriminated against by the media or a bit of both.

That quote is true.

People who say the product is crap are just bitter. Wigan have been criticised for the last two years for playing boring rugby with spoiling tactics but I doubt it has bothered your fans when you won the league and CC....?

It didnt bother us because it wasnt true.

The concept of Wigan playing boring Rugby is a myth created by jealous fans and coaches.

Growing up i wanted to play for GB and beat the Aussies to win the Ashes, that was the ultimate every kid wanted and every player aspired to. In 1994 we played the series at Wembley, Old Trafford and Elland Road selling out OT and ER and coming close at Wembley(60,000 on?)

Now, in just 17 years the RFL have removed GB and there are no Ashes. The RFL have single handedly destroyed any hope we had of having a great international game. I even watched an old RL video the other week, and it started with Shaun Edwards talking about the game it gets no better than the 'blood and thunder of an Ashes test'

Cheers RFL for destroying it.

Bitter my . When I read articles that quote coaches stating that Jonny Wilkinson has made too many tackles when he has only made 14 in a game and should only be making 6 then I cannot accept that RU is a superior product.
I'll leave you to guess how many tackles the average player makes in Super League.

Our "dear leaders" at Red Hall are scared witless that a team will just run away with it every year like we did and as a result impose a ridiculously small salary cap to stifle the bigger teams. They shouldn't be surprised when their players want to jump ship to make the big bucks. Whether they succeed or not is moot as they know that they might as well try because if it doesn't come off they can always come back (eg Lee Smith, Karl Pryce, Chev Walker). Unfortunatly all this does is weaken the international game as as soon as any RL player shows a bit of promise they leave for union.

It does make you wonder whether the section of Leeds fans that booed Sam would be deliriously happy if he made the switch to union without thinking about the wider implications for RL?

The attendances at RL internationals will continue to dwindle as RL fans in this country have become more and more "club over country". And why shouldn't they? There's naff all pride in the national team. We all know what's going to happen at the 4N. We'll maybe win by 20-30 against Wales and get battered by Aus and NZ.

Yes it's obvious what's caused these threads on here, but the events of the past week or so have brought into focus wider issues affecting RL as a whole.

Put Barry Hearn in charge look what he's done to darts and snooker two sports that where struggling but aren't now ???

It doesn't help when the RFL send out a bucket load of marketing (to people who already know about it anyway) that has Thomas Leuluai as a f*cking centre.

What kind of centre !!!!

You cover some good points. If Widnes get things cracking again and are pulling in crowds, Saints and Salford have their attendences and profile boosted by new stadiums, then the north west is looking very healthy. If we could get Leigh sorted as well we'd look really good.
Quota systems and salary caps have forced clubs into investing in youth, so clubs are now creating their own, at least half decent youngsters, who'll at least play with pride for their clubs, which is what people really want to see.
If that was the case and an England game (like the Knights game last weekend at the LSV) was properly marketed by the RL, I'm sure we could start to get some decent crowds. Maybe even a [iEngland Supporters Club[/i could be started like your brigantes.
As lancastrians, we could take pride in supporting our country in way the yarkshire lot *spit* fail?

Expansion should start with the amature game, which is doing very well in certain areas like London, but the introduction of new clubs should only come when the demand and proven stabilty is there from the local area a la catalans. We have tried to force it too often. Fans from such areas can enjoy superleague on Sky by watching the northern clubs until such time their area can demand a SL francise.
We want a league of 14 healthy clubs, what ever their location.