Do Leeds only have 17 players in their SL squad? I told you some time back Smokey, let it go, you're getting nowhere.

no, but we dont have 5 players over the age of 23 covering 2 centre positions and pretend we are 'giving young playres a shot' like Hull Kingston Australia

Is this your attempt to slink away? its usually a much funnier blow up, im disappointed

Only reminding your good self of one of your arguments for expansion

" We have reached the limit of the number of RL athletes the heartlands can produce "

Ah, you're saying Leeds have in their SL squad a youngster to cover every position on the pitch. I'm impressed with the Hull Kingston Australia how long has it taken to steal that from Gutterfax? Well done you.

ill repeat the question to you. Are Hull KR limited to employing players from only one part of the country?

and have you avoided posting the link so you dont embarress Bill as it confirms at i was speaking within the context of the game needing between 80 and 100 new English players to cover two brand new heartland teams and replace the players retiring and the quota falling? Something both you and Bill argued wouldnt really be a problem. He has soon changed his tune hasnt he?

Yes.

Being as it's a SL problem , I couldn't give a stuff either way , just reminding you of previous posts , you going senile an all

Not at all, i stand by what I said, just wanted to make sure we kept the context in mind

How come 30 something johnny foreigners like Buderous, Leuluai and Lauitiiti get a game then?

Oh hang on!!!!

Mike Ratu Leeds Rhinos 2004-2009 (5 years) 6 SL games.

Mike Ratu Hull KR 2010 (1 year) 5 SL games.

I see your point now Smokey, yes it's all very clear.

you missed out Ash Gibson 4 years, 32 SL games
Kallum Watkins 3 Years 21 SL games
+
Mike Ratu 6 SL Games

plus Gibson suffered a year out because of injury, Watkins played 5 of the first 6 games this year before suffering a season ending injury (as well as being 4 years younger than Ratu)

and 2 of the years you have included for Ratu he was only a scholarship player (what with him only being 16 in 2004) and another he spent on loan at Halifax.

Danny Buderus was a current Australian international when signed, He is a Dally M player of the year, NSW Captain (record breaking amount of times no less)
But in back up we have Paul McShane

Ali Lauittiiti an NZ international and the current Dally M second rower of the year when signed.
But in back up we have Chris Clarkson and Jay Pitts

Kylie Lueluai i have already addressed a couple of pages back
but in back up we have Luke Ambler, Burgess and Amor.

So what your saying now is...just because you're English does not guarantee you a start in SL, there are other factors which will determine if you are selected which explains why Gibson and Watkins played far more SL games while Ratu was at Leeds. At last we are in agreement Smokey.



We got there in the end eh?

Yes, they were better than him. That is all.



is your argument in defence of Hull Kingston Australia not giving games to young English players really that its ok because Leeds didnt give games to Mike Ratu because they were giving games to two other better young English players one of whom is four years younger than Ratu?

aww that is bad even for you

so your defence of Hull Kingston Australia not giving games to young English players REALLY IS that its ok because Leeds didnt give games to Mike Ratu because they were giving games to two other better young English players one of whom is four years younger than Ratu

So what your saying now is...just because you're English does not guarantee you a start in SL, there are other factors which will determine if you are selected which explains why Gibson and Watkins played far more SL games while Ratu was at Leeds. At last we are in agreement Smokey. We got there in the end eh?

when did i say being English guarantees you a start in SL? how many claims about what i have said is that you have made and not been able to back up in the last few pages? 3?4?





The only factor that determined why Gibson and Watkins played more games than Ratu when at Leeds was because Watkins and Gibson were/are better young English players than Ratu, that isnt the same at Hull KR

Whats your next defence? Its ok for Hull KR to sign a 24 year old NRL reserve grader at scrum half because Saints played Kyle Eastmond instead of Matty Smith?

Gosh you're twisting and turning like a twisty-turney thing Smokey

. Are you now saying that at Leeds if you are English you can [uonly[/u be kept out of the side by a better young English player?





It makes you wonder why Leeds need any foreign players with such high standards of youth development really.



Mike Ratu Leeds Rhinos 2004-2009 (5 years) 6 SL games.

Mike Ratu Hull KR 2010 (1 year) 5 SL games. Injured for much of the season too, well done Hull KR for giving young English players a go!

God you are really desperate to try and dance around it arent you.


Im saying that if you are a young English player at Leeds you will get games and experience and the only reason you wont is if there is a better young English player in your position.
because the overseas players are of an even higher standard. You know like world cup winners, Dally M Winners, NSW Captains. Dally M 2nd Rowers of the year etc etc. There is no problem with a few players who really are top quality.

Its packing your team with a lot of overseas players, some of whom arent particularly good instead of giving a opportunity to young English players like Hull Kingston Australia have which is the problem.

why are you ignoring the other, better young british players who played ahead of Ratu in Watkins and Gibson?

Your comparison isnt with Ratu and Leeds and Ratu at Hull KR, its between Ratu at Hull KR(your best centre prospect) and Gibson and Watkins at Leeds (our best centre prospects).

as i say your justification for Hull KR having 10 overseas players and not giving young English players an opportunity is that Leeds gave more experience to two other young British players aswell as Ratu (and strangely that Ratu didnt get many 1st grade games as a 16 year old) which is idiotic even for you.

Funny how it's only Leeds that sign top quality overseas players. Shame they're already past their best when you get them.





Yeah, three in the dream team last season. Dobson in again this season. You're making loads of sense here Smokey.





You're using Ratu's SL games at Rovers as some kind of slur on Rovers, I'm pointing out the hypocricy of your argument. You don't like that do you Smokey?





Even Leeds fans disagree with you. Regardless, it's not Rovers' responsibility to give young English players an opportunity for the sake of it. It's Rovers job to field the strongest Rovers team,as an advocate of excellence I thought you would support this view Smokey.





It's the job of the RFL to devise rules that support the development of a strong national side, which they have.

You know, it's funny. Rovers have been in SL for 4 years now and they're to blame for a poor national side. What have all the other SL sides been doing to develop young English talent for the last 15 years?

Loads. Thanks for asking


And we've been doing it with young LOCAL English talent as well......not getting 3 blokes picked for England who started their careers nearer to say, the Leeds area.

As BB said on the other thread, why does it matter where they come from? If they slipped through the net at another club we would be stupid not to take advantage.



Hey so re your crowds next season, are you going to try letting everyone in free again to see if that brings them up?

So, all SL clubs have been doing loads to bring on English players for the last 15 years? Makes me wonder why we keep losing.



Harlequins have had loads of English players for 15 years

, I wonder why you needed so many Aussies then? And since you had all these English players but played many Aussie/Kiwis you wouldn't be churlish enough to complain about the number of Aussie/Kiwi players Rovers use would you?

Nope. But when London Broncos started off and the community programme which we've been paying for started, a certain Mr L. McCarthy-Scarsbrook was 9yrs old......15 years later and he's off to Saints.

128 years of history and instead of sticking to the plan and getting a decent crop of kids you could play for your club, HKA are trying too hard to catch their better run, more recently successful and better supported neighbours.

I wonder which club defines "progress"

Having gone from around 1,500 fans to around 7,500 fans in five years , not bad

How have Quins done on that front since 2005 ?