I guess this means then the Crown Jewels such as Williams and Percival must be e then?

That's you opinion and I respect it... I just think it's a little tinted by a nostalgic haze...

In my nostalgic opinion there haven't been quality props since players like jimmy Thompson, Trevor Skerrett and Jim Mills ... and Kevin Ward has never been surpassed!

Which says more about the period, in which I first started watching the game...

That said I'm really enjoying Superleague this year as my team is doing well... funny that isn't it?

If you think it's tinted by nostalgia fine...ehafs your argument against. Which SL props are in that class?

As for it being about how my team is doing, you couldn't be.more wrong. My team is joint 2nd in the league. They are doing fine. It's not a great team. 2 years ago we won the treble, I don't think the 201t treble winning side were a patch on the 04 side the 05 side or the 08 side.

yep that points difference the giants have is like and extra point...

widnes and leigh to come at home too, certainly in the giants hands at the moment a top 8 finish which was the aim for 2017 after finishing bottom last year.

Not poop just not as good as the top players 10-15 years ago.

Is Percival better than Jamie Lyon?
Is George Williams better than Adrian Lam?

I dont think that the Giants have anything to worry about, they seemed to have turned the corner.
It's going to be a tough ask for KR (or any of the Championship clubs) to compete with the current bottom 4 in SL and the prospect of a French derby plus, some of the other games, the middle 8's again promises to be more enthralling than the top 8, where Cas look nailed on for the LLS.

Certainly wont be easy but it never will, the inclusion of 2 french sides will make it a lot more interesting as a side that has to go to France twice vs a side that gets them both in the uk will be a big factor.

The middle 8's is always more likely to be the better entertainment due to the points total being scrubbed, from a KR POV I hope one team runs away with it and wins all 7 and that will give us a better opportunity to get up and avoid the MPG (can't see it though)

We had some great centres...King,Lyon,Gleeson,Hape,Senior,McKenna,Gidley,Connelly etc..

We had some great halves.. Long, Briers, Sinfield, Lam, Deacon, Paul brothers, Barrett, Johns, Stacey Jones, Harris, Martyn..i could go on in all positions thats just off the top of my head.

I agree its good that the competition seems to have leveled up, but it has certainly been the big clubs dropping down in standards than a general rise for the usual lower down clubs.the star quality is thin on the ground in comparison to a few years ago and before, it's blatant and you are in denial if you think otherwise imo.

Thing is this has reared it's head because the big clubs aren't doing so well. When (or if) they get back to where they 'belong', I'm sure we won't hear a peep about player quality.

TBH there is an element of truth in it. I've seen a lot of SL games on Sky that aren't much better than what i've seen in the championship this year.

Maybe there is, but like I said whose going to be bothered about it when Wigan or Saints are back at the top.

Are we pretending that people haven't highlighted a quality issue for the last 3/4years?

Agreed.I very rarely watch SL unless it is Leeds these days. Maybe watch Cas but there is a lot of poop on show.

And the big club jealousy is nonsense. Agree with Smokey, my club sit second and may well win the double this year after the treble 18 months ago, still held this opinion for a few years.

Of course we won't. The 'big clubs' aren't doing so cracking, which must mean the whole comp is at their standard - as soon as that tide changes we'll see 'Super League back at it's best'. That's how it works after being in those lofty towers for so long.

Firstly, I agree that it's typical to overlook the actual quality of your side as long as it's winning. I'm as guilty as anyone of this.

Secondly, I do agree that our current crop of players is inferior to those of a decade ago. Some exceptions but as an average I believe it to be true.

What I would say though is that those bygone players would find playing the current game, with its better-organised defences, wrestling, holding down and synchronised tackles a much bigger ask than in their day. And I don't for a minute believe that all of them would excel.

Short memories for sure. When we won the double most fans noted that it was because the competition was so poor. Our run to the final in th CC in 2013 our average score was something like 48-4. And we were dreadful for most of last year but finished 2nd and won SL.

The drop in standards was predictable. Its been ongoing as we're continually downgrading the quality of overseas players and are losing many of our best to the NRL due to cap differences, and no longer have RU to draw on for talent - and we'll continue to lose a few players that way as well.

The only way to improve is to focus all efforts on youth development. Its a long, slow process but its also sustainable - being a parasite on another league (NRL) or even sport (RU) hid how dreadful our development efforts have been almost since the sport started if we're being honest.

One of the things I do miss since the inception of superleahue and the advent of summer RL.. is the opportunity for top players to guest with clubs at the other side of the world... as a trinity fan I loved seeing players like Geoff Gerard, Wally Lewis, Steve Ella, Ray Price... even Dave Topliss took his opportunity to guest with Penrith and Balmain to become s better player.

And that poor development was pre the X box revolution, something that has severely damaged the numbers of juniors entering many if not all sports.
I dont know how to bring about the change but, somehow, more kids have to want to be involved at school level, which hopefully leads on to them wanting to carry on at their local club.
Many amateur sports are struggling for numbers and without this, the quality at the top will diminish.

Let's be honest. We know what the answer is. It's just unpalatable to some

I actually agree the standard of SL has gone down but I think it's more entertaining now the league is closer.

Let's also be fair about this, who's to blame that the big clubs can no longer attract better quality imports or bring through the next gem ??? If Wigan/Saints/Leeds/Wire/Bradford have declined in quality who is to blame ??? If when you lose a player you replace them with similar quality then the standard should at minimum stay the same !!! Fans of Wigan and Leeds need to look at there own house to ask why they aren't bringing through players of the sufficient high standard or recruiting a top Aussie after all we have 2 marquee options available now which is more than we had ten years ago. Stevie Ward and Jimmy Keinhorst are never going to be Sinfield or Senior.

I dont think that you can blame the clubs.
It's more to do with the "draw" of RL in this country, compared to Union or NRL, both of which have substantially more money to throw at any player, if they wish to entice them into their game, we just haven't been able to keep pace with either of these.
Union has massive appeal on the international stage, which has seen interest shutter down to club level.
The numbers watching the Club sides continues to increase, whereas RL spectator numbers, particularly in SL, are in steady decline.

I agree that SL is far more interesting when any team can beat each other, apart from Cas


Whether this encourages more fans to watch the game, I dont know but, it would appear not and we are going backwards, in relation to many other sports.

Point taken however I would say that the quality at my club hasn't declined, certainly at your club the quality hasn't declined. The quality of Salford hasn't declined so imo I think we are doing our part. I'd argue at Hull it's about the same as ten years ago. Leigh are a higher quality than ten years ago. For years on here fans of the bigger clubs sneered that the smaller ones that they need to get there house in order. Well now it's time the owners of Leeds/Wigan/Warrington/Saints flashed some cash to attract a proper marquee or 2 that they moaned about for so long and improved themselves and bring up the quality of there clubs.

Yes, but as i pointed out earlier, We (Leeds) won the treble two years ago with an inferior squad to any we had in the 00's imo. And this year sit joint second at the moment and well placed with easily the worst squad wev'e had since we won our first SL title in 2004 so where is the incentive for the club to chase all these star big names anyway if what we have is good enough to compete for the prizes?

You can probably partially blame the RFL for in real terms keeping the Salary Cap static and not fit for purpose to compete against the NRL and RU.
We,ve got less participitation at the grass roots level, only a handful of clubs are running reserve teams and the u/23s has been replaced with dual reg.
.
The quality players in the NRL has dropped off a bit and the players are carrying on a few more years before retiring, these means the pool of players coming over to Superleague are less World and International class.
.
If clubs manage to have a decent pair of half backs then that club has an advantage at the moment and that's what you are seeing in the top 4 this season. Wigan, Warrington, Saints have struggled in this department and are struggling with there attack structures.