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Has anyone seen League Weekly? Very interesting quote:

"Wigan scrum half Thomas Leuluai and Doncaster three-quarter Zeb Luisi are now classed as 'home grown' players under the RFL's new pathway scheme and will therefore not count on the overseas quota in future years."

That's very good news and gives us a lot more flexibility with overseas contracts for the future!

This is NOT good news. It undermines the whole idea of getting more genuinely home grown players into teams.

One day the penny will drop that RL will never be a truly top class sport until it gets the International side of the game sorted out and it won't do that until GB are competitive and with players of TL's standard occupying key half back slots that won't happen.

If he wants to play for NZ he should be treated as a foreign player, end of. Same goes for Hansen who did qualify as home grown under the orignal meaning of the rules.

This is all down to Hood of Bradford putting club before county (Not the first time Bradford have done this) for one player who in a few years will be forgotten.

It's just so typical of the small minded people we have running the game.

Dave

i agree with DaveO, it is good for us but the bigger picture its not good for the english international game, there will be more and more of these happenng which will hamper the national stage if it continues.

if hes english hes english if he plays for another country hes foreign simple isnt it???

how is leuluai classed as home grown???? :conf:

DaveO wrote:This is NOT good news. It undermines the whole idea of getting more genuinely home grown players into teams.

One day the penny will drop that RL will never be a truly top class sport until it gets the International side of the game sorted out and it won't do that until GB are competitive and with players of TL's standard occupying key half back slots that won't happen.

If he wants to play for NZ he should be treated as a foreign player, end of. Same goes for Hansen who did qualify as home grown under the orignal meaning of the rules.

This is all down to Hood of Bradford putting club before county (Not the first time Bradford have done this) for one player who in a few years will be forgotten.

It's just so typical of the small minded people we have running the game.

Dave

Agreed.

More French in Cats team than English in Wigan's and more Brits in the Quins than Brits at Wigan:conf:

Doveoverdave wrote:

DaveO wrote:This is NOT good news. It undermines the whole idea of getting more genuinely home grown players into teams.

One day the penny will drop that RL will never be a truly top class sport until it gets the International side of the game sorted out and it won't do that until GB are competitive and with players of TL's standard occupying key half back slots that won't happen.

If he wants to play for NZ he should be treated as a foreign player, end of. Same goes for Hansen who did qualify as home grown under the orignal meaning of the rules.

This is all down to Hood of Bradford putting club before county (Not the first time Bradford have done this) for one player who in a few years will be forgotten.

It's just so typical of the small minded people we have running the game.

Dave

Agreed.

More French in Cats team than English in Wigan's and more Brits in the Quins than Brits at Wigan:conf:

Oh here we go again….does it really matter?

Which would you prefer, a Wigan team with 17 English players rooted at the bottom of the table, or a Wigan team with 17 players from anywhere in the world winning the CC, League Leaders Shield and the Grand Final, spanking St Helen’s 75 – 0 on each occasion?

Ok, maybe there are two extremes here, but if Wigan are doing well does it really matter where the players come from?

but what about the international stage, if clubs are not producing english players, or players who can and willing to play for england. of course i want wigan to win trophies but i want to win it with if not with wigan born lads then with british players because the more english players coming through and playing the better chance we will have of beating the aussies and other countries.

mike binder wrote:if hes english hes english if he plays for another country hes foreign simple isnt it???

Nope Ireland, Wales, Scotland all part of the uk with players who have played for WIGAN Mike And the aint forieners

Lil Feka's Dad wrote:

Doveoverdave wrote:

DaveO wrote:This is NOT good news. It undermines the whole idea of getting more genuinely home grown players into teams.

One day the penny will drop that RL will never be a truly top class sport until it gets the International side of the game sorted out and it won't do that until GB are competitive and with players of TL's standard occupying key half back slots that won't happen.

If he wants to play for NZ he should be treated as a foreign player, end of. Same goes for Hansen who did qualify as home grown under the orignal meaning of the rules.

This is all down to Hood of Bradford putting club before county (Not the first time Bradford have done this) for one player who in a few years will be forgotten.

It's just so typical of the small minded people we have running the game.

Dave

Agreed.

More French in Cats team than English in Wigan's and more Brits in the Quins than Brits at Wigan:conf:

Oh here we go again….does it really matter?

Which would you prefer, a Wigan team with 17 English players rooted at the bottom of the table, or a Wigan team with 17 players from anywhere in the world winning the CC, League Leaders Shield and the Grand Final, spanking St Helen’s 75 – 0 on each occasion?

Who said anything about 17 Wigan players? Not me. I love the fact we have had some great foreign players at Wigan but for quite a few years now we have had far too many overseas players in the league as a whole and most of them are not that good.

In fact TL is a good example (he is not the next Gregory or Edwards) and this rule change means more players of his standard can play here.

Ok, maybe there are two extremes here, but if Wigan are doing well does it really matter where the players come from?

Absolutely. Have you ever been to an International v Australia? Unbelievable when we are competitive.

But that is not the issue really. It's all about giving players like Hock a reason to stay in RL rather than later on "do a Farrell" and leave for RU.

With an International game even half as recognised as RU's Wigan would benefit by not having the likes of Farrell switch codes. If we are not competitive internationally Ashton won't be the last young player to leave the club.

Dave