Quote: vastman "That's my point, had he gone to the NRL he probably would have been just about physically up to being an average NRL centre - he and Gleeson are the only two I can think of who could have done this. I think they would both have attained average.
However I believe these two to be so much better than the rest in SL that even as they are had they been in a line up of similar quality the the Aussies they would have performed pretty well at international level.
I think it s very hard, unfair and unwise to judge any British back of recent times to harshly. Virtually every game Senior has played in was lost in the forwards and the halves in the first 10 minutes so what chance any centre who needs to feed off possesion and tiring defences. I'd love to know how good some Aussie centres would look in that position - not great I suspect. It's easy to look good playing for Australia IMO.'"
I am not sure if you watch the NRL but it is a far intenser and closer competition that SL. Rarely is one team dominant. Players like Inglis, Gasnier, Cooper, Jennings, Lyon, Hodges, Tonga etc etc etc regularly play behind beaten packs and still make thinks happen, same for players like Matai the Kiwi centre. Lack of dominance is not an excuse for not showing up well in my opinion. Good players make things happen regardless of the situation.
George Carmont was a less than average centre in the NRL, and he has arguably been the form centre in SL for his time here.
Players like Andrew Johns, Trent Barrett Brett Kimmorley played most of there careers behind beaten packs and still made things happen.
British outside backs and halves in recent years have been beyond average at best apart from a few fleeting moments. The mentality in the UK always seemed to be to take a potentially excellent tall strong pacey rangey centre as a kid and throw him into the pack. Thankfully this is changing.
For me the only outside back that has really showed any type of threat to the Aussies is Leon Pryce as he is or was by far our most athletic player, always personally felt he was much better utilised as an outside back at that level rather than a half.
Speaking of players used as outside backs Internationally for GB/England another player I never really got is Richard Horne.
