Not a criticism of you signing him , just a general opinion , yes I'd understand how other players ( in a different position ) would benefit from playing with an Andrew Johns or a Darren Lockyer , but in a position like prop or back row/centre , you gain more playing against rather than with

Buderus ,



You might learn how to mess about at the PTB , that's about all

Buderus has been arguably the premier 9 in the game for a decade, has won NRLs, captained at NSW at state of Origin (a record number of times no less), Captained Newcastle, is a Dally M winner and all round legend, he probably has a little knowledge to pass on.

When/where did I say that?

If you did, I'm sure Mrs Sad will find it and have it on here in the blink of an eye

No better than half a dozen others in SL , unless of course you and others consider constantly messing about at the PTB as good play

Maybe he is just past it , one of those ' pension topping up Aussies ' we keep hearing about , he offers nothing different or better than many other players from this country

Like who?

Smokey you're getting boring now.

not long until i reach your level then is it?

fingers crossed.

Higham , Diskin , Hudson , Roby , and recent hooker converts Robinson , Moore and leuluia

really? Buderus' pass selection, pass speed, decision making, and defence is far superior Diskin. Higham really isnt on the same level, he has good speed around the ruck but thats it, Lueuai is the same. Robinson is still a half,

Roby, maybe, im a big fan of Hudson but he hasnt in his career been consistant enough

This reveals the hypocricy of your argument. You haven't seen that kind of form at Leeds have you? Or at least you can't honestly say you have. He's done it all before but not at Leeds, because what you've done is sign a player who undeniably has his best years behind him, as most clubs do. At least signing a "fringe" NRL player might unearth a real gem with their best years in front of them. A bit like Dobson.

Or maybe Green.

Is this the same Mike Ratu who's been injured most of the season? And who would you bring him in for Welham? Cockayne? Injured or not it's not a foreign player that's been keeping Ratu out of the side.

No they haven't spent the season being picked ahead of him, in the last few games they have not the entire season and since that policy was reversed for the game v Wigan maybe McClennan got it wrong? Plus that would be assessing Donald's quality on his last season alone which has been fairly poor by his standards and with a very good season by Hall. How you get to Lee Smith being a better winger than Donald I have no idea. He's a useful utility player in that you can stick him anywhere in the 3/4's and he'll do a good job for you but he is not a great player in any position. These games you say he had outstanding performances at full back, firstly are irrelevant in whether he is a better winger than Donald and secondly they weren't this season.



Yes you did, you certainly implied a big drop in the overseas quota.




Right, thats 7 players you think are average Aussies, which English players not currently in SL are good enough to replace them EVERY WEEK. And then when you've done that find another 26 to replace the rest.


Of course it means a drop in standards, short term. Playing Clarkson was a drop in standards from who he replaced at the time. Now it has to be done to blood young players, but thats why you do it slowly and steadily and not simply get rid.

I'm not getting into a cut & paste war with you because simply I'd lose the will to live.

what you have written here is completely nonsense. Or are you really suggesting that SL clubs should focus on signing players who arent first team players at NRL clubs because they are better than the players chosen ahead of them in the NRL?

Buderus has been good for Leeds, He is a very good player, he was instrumental in Leeds winning the CC semi at Saints, has been outstanding quite a few times.

THAT is the definition of a new low for you..
You should spend less time watching Leigh and more time watching these players actually play.
Roby's the only one that gets anywhere near.

You're the one claiming Buderus's [upast[/u playing performances in some way justify his signing whereas signing other players with their best years ahead of them is not justified, I think you are the only supporter of any club who would complain if they has signed Dobson two years ago given his consistently good and frequently excellent performances for Rovers over these last two years.

Overall this season Buderus has been no better than any other player at Leeds English, Aussie or Kiwi.

Lovegrove was Rovers players player of the season this year, this suggests that real players have a different opinion of his worth to your good self.



Which player would you drop for Ratu? One of those well known mediocre Aussies Cockayne or Welham?

Fine you think Donald is a top quality player. I dont, i think he is a middling NRL player and the game in this country wouldnt lose anything by playing Lee Smith and Ryan Hall ahead of him. It would be my personal choice, and would have been for the past three years to play Lee Smith and Ryan Hall ahead of Donald because i beleive they are better players.


i have said consistantly that a team like Hull KR could drop 2 or 3 of their 10 overseas players and find a british player to replace them and the league would suffer no drop, or a negligable drop in quality. Wigan could do so also.



Scott Donald-----Lee Smith
Kylie Lueluai-----Luke Ambler
Ben Fisher-----Paul McShane,
Rhys Lovegrove-----Liam Higgins
Blake Green------Greg Mcnally/kyle wood
Shad Royston------Danny Addy/Vinnie Finigan
Charlie Leeano-------Kyle Bibb
Mitchell Sargaent----Jacob Emmitt
Michael Korkidas------Ben Gledhill/kyle amor
Cameron Phelps-----Karl Pryce/Josh Charnley
Phil Bailey-----Tuson/Mossop/Farrell
Damien Blanch-----James Davey/Sak Hardaker
Jason Demetriou---Danny Allan
Maurie Fa'asavalu----Sean Maggennis
Willie Talau-----Ash Gibson/Ste Tyrer
Epalahame Lauaki------Anyone, Mike Burnett/Dane Manning,
James Evans----Joe Arundel/mike coady


there is half of them there for you off the top of my head who have shown they can, or deserve the opportunity to show they can do the job their equivelant overseas player does.


was it, im think you are doing a disservice to Clarkson there. He is in there on merit, not potential,

what else would you suggest a player is judged on other than his performances?


when they arent particularly good yes, it isnt justified.
i have no problem with you having Dobson, its having Dobson AND Fisher AND Green AND Lovergrove AND Galea AND Newton AND Webster AND Mason AND Vella AND Clinton


That just simply isnt true

it suggests the best player at a mid-table side isnt particularly good.

Jake Webster you bloody idiot

FWIW, Huddersfield had just 3 overseas players in the 17 on Saturday night

including 2 signed from the lower leagues,

well done huddersfield, They are a acting as a top quality template for 'smaller' clubs in how they should be run, many of them should take note

Spot on they have follwed the RFL blueprint for the future

Find somebody very rich

But it's not about replacing Donald with Smith or Hall is it? They're already playing. It's about replacing Scott Donald with either Kallum Watkins out of position on the wing or with Tom Bush. That is most definitely a drop in standards.


No what you said was

You're confusing yourself here aren't you?




Indeed, and half of them are already playing regularly in SL. They can't play in 2 positions at the same time now can they. The other half are virtually untried, for instance you've suggested Coady who's made 1 appearance in SL and 6 Championship appearances this season and you expect him to play every single week in SL and there be no drop in quality. Also Danny Allan to replace Jason Demetriou? You're just making yourself look silly now.


He is now yes, which is not what I said was it. I said there was a drop in standards at first which there was, unless you now think Clarkson is a better winger than Ryan Hall.

So are we playing 3 wingers or is this massive drop in quality down to the fact we would have Kallum Watkins or Tom Bush as cover? Are you really arguing that it is an unacceptable drop in quality to have Kallum Watkins as Leeds first choice back up rather than Scott Donald?


there will be a drop in quality, it just wont be that big.


indeed they are, its asking young british players who have been first reserve to step and replace fairly average overseas players and give them a chance as first choice, again not a huge drop in quality


no, but then James Evans has only played 8 games this year. Do I think Mike Coady could play 8 games of SL in a year and it not result in a massive drop in quality for the league, I certainly do, it would be nonsense to suggest otherwise.

Not all the overseas players i have listed are first choice players, they are reserves which is where the untried players will get that experience, they will then move forward to be first choice. But this wont happen if we instead bring in 24 year old Australian reserve graders.

Yeah, Demetriou has been fantastic at Loose hasnt he? thats probably why he isnt being released and cant get another gig in SL he is so good.
Leeds, Clarkson, and as such SL have certainly benefitted more from Clarkson getting a shot on the wing due to injuries. Certainly more than if Leeds had employed a second middle of the road thirty year old Australian winger as cover just in case Hall, Donald and Watkins were injured

And you miss the point that had Clarkson not been given the chance, had Leeds decided to go pick up a Charlie Leeano or a Blake Green insterad of trusting Clarkson he would never have got the opportunity to prove his worth and to earn his place on merit.