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Totally agree Dave

I don't care if the rep game is before/after or mid season. A player should never be denied the opportunity of playing for their country, nor should a player have the right to pick and choose when they play rep footy.

The player must have a choice. Representative rugby is an honour, no doubt, but a player is not contracted to the national side. However I feel that if Tommy (and Webb) have said they wish to play, it's really down to how their individual contracts were negotiated with the respective clubs.
I also think that it is farcical to expect a player to fly half way round the world, play a high imact game, stay safe, and them come back to play for their club side, who after all are the employer and pay their wages.

Well, the ruling is that both must be made available for the test. I think Leeds missing Webb v Quins will hurt tham a lot more than us missing Tommy v Haven. I just hope Tommy arrives back safe and well and isn't too jet-lagged for the Wire game. No problem with making players available in principle, as far as I'm concerned, but for one-off mid-season tests I'd expect national coaches to use soem common sense.

From Sporing Life:

The Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) on Friday ruled that Leeds full-back Brent Webb and Wigan scrum-half Thomas Leuluai must be allowed to play for the Kiwis against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in a week's time.

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/273404204?-4338

Well that seems to be sorted

Just hope he doesn't pick up any injury and is fit enough to face Warrington :exc:

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/273416156?-4338

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/273416679?-4338

I hope Coyle and Barrett have a cracking game together and Lulu is forced into the 21's

i dont....

Bugsyoz wrote:I don't care if the rep game is before/after or mid season. A player should never be denied the opportunity of playing for their country, nor should a player have the right to pick and choose when they play rep footy.

Do you care TL will have to play 3 games in 11 days, one a test match and fly 24,000 miles to do this?

With salary caps in place clubs do not have spare players of equal standard waiting around for a game so players like TL will be expected to play.

It is mind blowingly stupid to arrange mid-season rep games and then expect players to fly around the world for the sake of one game.

In the modern game there simply should be no rep games mid season or if there are the International coaches should not make these sort of demands.

As to the players if TL & Co want to play for a UK club and earn the high wages on offer over here compared to in the NRL, they should not complain about not being able to play rep football mid-season. Hopefully Wigan will learn form this and put clauses in overseas players contracts that preclude travelling like this.

If that means they don't sign in the first place, that is fine by me.

Dave

josie andrews wrote:http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/273404204?-4338

Well that seems to be sorted

Just hope he doesn't pick up any injury and is fit enough to face Warrington :exc:

And if he does...as much as I follow WW, that's the way it goes. Representing your country is No1.