Their backs, whilst not world class, are still much better than the english rugby league backs

maybe, though im not sure England RU are particularly strong in their centres, who are a bit rubbish

In all fairness, the players he listed as examples at the end were not half bad. Mostly backs as well. Is this a perennial problem that we produce a lack of quality in this area?

on what basis?

Firstly they've never played RL, secondly their limitations mean they have to play a more basic style than the better international sides. How you can believe they are much better is beyond me. If they lack finesse and creativity in their own code they're unlikely to offer those things to a team in a different code. They don't have anything we don't have, and their problems are the same we have, the only real difference is that they can more easily change their style of play to limit the damage when they play better sides.

Of the Union players on show over the weekend, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy and David Wallace from Ireland, Armitage and Sackey from England, Mauro Bergamasco from Italy, lee byrne and tom shanklin from wales....and Shane Williams who was injured...MIGHT make the grade.
Of all of those named above, the Italian is the one I would most like to see make the switch.

didn't you see him against england??

on the basis he was a better winger than the best british wingers by a country mile

What are you talking about? You only have to look at the way they play to see they are much better than plodders like Senior, Wellens, Gardner, Smith, Yeaman etc. The only english back who is decent is Gleeson. Armitage and Sackey are 2 players who would rip it up in rugby league.

He wasn't though, was he? Not 13 months ago. He was doing well to make it into Bradford's team and, when he could manage to get on the pitch, he was slow, sluggish and generally fairly poor.