Love the way the Aussies always make it sound as if taking our best players is somehow doing us a favour.

We need to stand firm on this. Enough is enough.

Canberra are definitely looking at some English lads around the 16/17 age bracket. I know this for a fact. Not heard any young Wigan players names mentioned though. That will all change if you link up with them though I'm sure!

On the flip side though, you may be able to bring across some 19/20 year olds on loan deals from Canberra who aren't quite ready for NRL but would slot straight into Super League?

I personally don't have a problem with them taking our players I'd sooner that than a fellow super league team taking them,its not impossible you only have to look at catalans and the way they can attract star players due to the good weather and the good exchange rate over there

How’s the weather in Canberra Ricky?

As I put on another forum, it’s like inviting the wolf for dinner. Leneghan would be stupid to even consider it.

havent we been here before with the NZ Warriors 'relationship' a few back.
in hindsight it just looked a way for NZW to get Sam, but that was all that happened. We didnt get any decent players; they didnt get anyone else.

I think this will go the same way. Its no going to restrict Canberra recruitment to just Wigan, and its not going to stop other NRL teams from making offers either.

Looks like mts being made out of molehills to me

I cant see it making any practical

I personally agree with every word you say i don't understand people sometimes its if they are scared of what will happen in the future,does nobody remember when we used to cherry pick who we liked in the late 80's early 90's from everybody else as far as I'm concerned you reap what you sew

This sort of thing will stop us seeing and nurturing players like Andy Gregory within RL here in the UK. Not good, and what is in it for us ?

Andy was at Spotland last Sunday, Rochdale Hornets ground . He had been doing an 'after dinner' speech.

I don't really agree. We aren't telling the wolf anything he doesn't already know. Canberra don't need to be physically in the UK to poach our players, or anyone else's. Of course we can't welcome anyone taking our young talent, but I have often thought about the pool of young Aussie talent just bubbling under the NRL, who might well find a couple of seasons in first-grade in SL would set up their careers. It's always nice to see an Aussie come over who's well under 30. Like Bevan French.

We’ve been down this path before with the NZ Warriors and apart from them taking Bell, Betts & later Tomkins I didn’t see much coming the other way!

Waiting for those special fans to say it's good for the British game when our youngsters go to the Shangri-la of RL.
I've said it for years, It doesn't, It might make the odd international game a little bit tighter but let's face it We don't see British whitewashes like we should be doing if our players are gaining all this RL experience and knowledge from the land of the arrogant ones, The only British players we see coming back are failures, I doubt we will ever see Sam Burgess or Bateman back here in their prime, Maybe one last season on big money before returning to the land of milk and honey, Poop on Canberra and poop on the NRL

I honestly think you must be on another planet.

We all understand why it happens. Why that means we should be okay with it, I can't imagine.

I see. So Canberra are doing this to pay us back for some imaginary offence we committed 30 years ago.

That makes it okay then.

I really don't see a problem.
Do you not think that the Aussies already identify players from over here?
Do you not think that they watch all the Superleague games?
Do you not think that they subscribe to and watch not just Wigan t.v. but all the other clubs up and coming academy players.

I KNOW they do.

I know that there are a few academy players from different clubs, including Wigan who are on "the radar" of Aussie clubs.

From an England perspective, the more players we have playing in the NRL the better.

From a Wigan perspective, we need to keep our best talents. By all means send someone like Partington for 2 years in a swap for a Hamlin (minus the drugs) and I don't think we lose much but not losing our best players like we have been.