http://forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=400449 You really could not make it up how insullar some folk are.

http://forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=400449 You really could not make it up how insullar some folk are.

I know it's not really the point but I don't think Smith would be particularly missed. To say he was once rated as the top youngster in the world along with Inglis just isn't true, I know a few of the lads at Leeds who are suprised he's even made it to SL standard.

Smith as good as Inglis? Blimey, who wrote that? You're right, that's a nonsense.

However, it would be a great loss if this guy went, he's still an underatted player in my eyes. Thought he was not gonna make it when he first came on the scene, but think he's a top player now. We're not talking Inglis or Folau territory, but he's a good 'un all the same.

When the Australian Schoolboys toured the UK Inglis and Smith were opposing fullbacks all the hype at the time was around whichever player got the upper hand between that crucial duel would play a major part in who would win the series.

Inglis kicked on significantly, Smith did not, but now he has shown sign of developing again and maybe could reach his initial potential.

Good grief. I could barely read past the second page. If any RL folk want to know why their game will be firmly back in the amateur ranks in a few decades' time (except for the three or four clubs who have merged with Union), it's all enshrined in that thread there.

Some of those posts take my breath away. But it's no surprise. Half the RFL officials share those views, so why should a few idiots who can't see beyond the crumbling mausoleum that is Belle Vue feel any different?

OMG!!!! Those people really are stupid.....

jonh

I stood in a Pub in the Gold Coast a couple of hours after our Dismal Semi-Final defeat and listened to many different aruments on the subject.

Mine was this!

There were 12 of us at that bar & We could go outside and bewteen us have a "Competitive" game of Rugby!

It Wouldn't mean we were Any Good though Would it!

In my opinion we have lost sight of the one thing that we should be striving for and in our efforts to make the game "Competitive" we are not delivering "Excellence!".

Maybe I am being Nostalgic etc but I look back 10/15/20 years ago & I do not see us producing the "Quality" that we did back then that can compete.

Even 5 or 6 years ago there were a better crop of "Quality" players around compared to today IMHO.

I went to OZ last year for the WC and the squad was Dismal!

A dozen of those players wouldn't get a game in the NRL & we (Well Some, not me actually) call them "World Class"!
However
It's like Turkeys voting for Xmas! They arent going to do it!

Why should Wakey/Cas/Salford/Hudds etc worry about growing their businesses when the others are Hmastrung down to their Level????

As long as you have the 1.6m to spend like everyone else then why worry about Growing the game??

PS

I put something up the other day about wether the SL was actually more competitive than when Wigan dominated etc

I think we have manufactured a way for it to be more Competitive but to be honest with you I'm not so sure!
Over the last 5 years if it was 1st past the post I would suspect that Saints would have won it every time and the CC as well.
How would that be "More Competitive"!

All that "it's not my club, so I'm not bothered" rubbish drives me mad. On some issues fair enough, you only care about your club. Top players leaving the game is another.

The same people saying that will be complaining when England RL are getting flogged 40-0 by Australia in a few years time and the England RU backline has Ashton & Smith in it running in the tries.

When I read that thread I could have wept.

As long as it doesn't affect my club (XXXXXXXXX insert name) then I don't care, appears to be the majorities attitude.

Then they moan about the number of foreigners at Wigan, but never mention where all their players come from (they are not from Wakefield)

Like Jukesays so well stated, competitive yes, quality no.

I'm afraid the tail is wagging the dog.

I almost did.

Utterly pathetic attitude, its clubs just like Wakefiled and their joke of a franchise that are going to hold the game back and refuse to allow the game to stand a chance of progessing.