Quote: kinleycat "Can't speak for anyone else, but the only way our national game can ever catch up to the Aussies and who knows surpass them, is to get as many youngsters coming through into SL. Therefore these kind of signings have to stop.
The very best of our kids learning from "top" nrl and SL players, an end to overseas mediocrity.
I accept that not everyone cares about the national team, but surely everyone cares about young British talent getting the best tuition and the best opportunities, at our clubs.'"
But which of our youngsters is losing out - IF we sign such a player? The only way they will lose out if we become uncompetitive, crowds dwindle, the stadium crashes and we end up out of SL.
I also think that need to be realistic here. We have had plenty of players who are English, who have turned their backs on us to go elsewhere. We also now have an English prop - who is now out on loan, having been deemed not good enough. I'm sorry, but whilst I remain supportive of the principal of improving our national squad (which I believe we are doing - nationally and at club level), we must not make the mistake of putting this too far ahead of the quality issue - i.e. you cannot develop good players if they play in a weak side or a weak competition.
When we, as a club and as a game, can produce 'Charlie's' in sufficient quality and quantity that they end up in our National Leagues, then the rules can be tightened up once more - and this may not be too far in the future - but right now even the likes of Frank Winterstein are better than the players we can replace with him with IMO (of course).
