Trimalchio wrote:What a load of nonsense. Just because one club (i.e. your club, Wigan) don't have as quality a team as they did years ago, somehow the WHOLE competition is inferior? Yeah right.
No one really believes Eddie when he says Wellens is the best in the world, and maybe the international team isn't as good as it used to be. But then again how many Ashes series did GB win when it was stacked full of Wigan players in the 80s and early 90s? Yes there were one off wins, just as there have been throughout SL. The difference is that the competition has levelled out (it still has far to go mind) so that no one team is certain to win the leage from the start of the season, and the quality players are more evenly distributed around the competition. OK, so Leeds have one the GF two years running, but both times they were arguably underdogs to do so, and other teams including Wigan could well have prevailed instead.
Why is it that out of 14 clubs in the competition only Wigan fans are bemoaning the lack of quality of SL compared to 10 years ago... It certainly is a fairer system than when one wealthy club was able to have the pick of the available players (from league and union). Unfortunately Wigan appear to be stuck in this mindset that success can be bought, and until that changes the club will continue to fail to win trophies.
Please go Back And Read again!
The elite players produced by this competition are no nearer (And IMHO further away) from their Southern Hemisphere Counterparts than they were 15 years ago!
SL and it's supposed increased competitiveness would prepare our players better and produce better results in the ultimate test, International Rugby!
Has it done that???? I won't insult you be giving you the answer as deep down you know the answer really.
It comes down to this
Success of the SL Competition and the success of the International team have almost NO bearing on each other!
This has been proved in the Premier League and in SL IMHO.
The Premier league is the "Best" League int he world supposedly but are the National team any better than they were in 1990???
Are they Hell !
Are the players in the current international team any better than their predeccessors at both sports??
Are they Hell !
Would the GB team of 90/92 beat the team of today??
Course they would! and if you fool yourself otherwise and talk about fitness then basically all your saying is that whatever team Saints/Leeds/Wigan have in 20 years they will be better than the current teams because their Fitter. They may be be, but they won't be Better!
Steadman
Hampson
Lydon
Offiah
Davies
Schofield
Newlove
Connolly
Deveraux
Powell
Hulme
Edwards
Gregory
V
Wellens
Sykes
Gardner
Senior
Gleeson
Calderwood
Smith
Burrow
Pryce
McGuire
Yeah, I know who I'm Backing!
