Maybe cj and nickcat) could list the people fooled by their little interchanges...

Long list.

The saddest thing is that if SBW wanted to come back to the NRL, you'd have clubs wetting themselves with excitement about signing him. Personally, I hope he never comes back. He should always be remembered from walking out on his teammates (who he used to cr*p on about caring about) mid-season and leaving them in a complete mess.

He can't come back to the NRL unless the Bulldogs say so. Or are paid a s h y t e load of money.

He tried to and when the above was pointed out to him, he suddenly discovered his "lifelong dream of playing for the All Blecks"...

SBW really struggling in union.

What a surprise...

Funny to see all the tries scored in the England v Australia union are by ex-rugby league players: Ashton and Beale.

No great athletes in rugby league mind you.

Strong argument that one.

I'd welcome SBW back. The game would be stronger with him. The Kiwis could be the most formidable team of this era.

I just hope the all blacks don;t win anything. Having him watch the Kiwis taking home trophies whilst he twiddles his thumbs with a losing all black team would be very sweet!

Fook him,let him stay in the 5hite game,why should RL offer him the oppurtunity to come back to the better game.
He decided to take the union money and run now let him stay there,can't deny the lad is a talent but he made his bed,let him lie in it.

To paraphrase the Porto fans:
You hate him so much because you loved him so much.

Not the case at all.
He decided to 5h1t on RL,so why should we welcome him back with open arms.
He has now decided to say it's my dream to play for the AB's,when in all truth it's BS and we all know it.

obvious really - the game needs as many top players as it can get - love him or hate SBW would walk into any side NRL and into the Kiwi side.

I get what you are saying mate but why should we welcome him back when there is the possibility of him abandoning his team/teammates again.
I understand he has all the talent in the world but he has decided to waste it in an inferior game,let him stay in union while we get on with playing proper rugby and developing more talent than they could ever dream off.

SBW had a good game on Saturday and showed his skills had not been diminished. He clearly showed he would be an asset to RL sides across ESL and NRL. He may have walked out on a contract and acted selfishly, but he still has a lot to offer.
Decisions off the field and bearing grudges can not detract from that.

I think to say that because he's done it before he could do it again is a bit harsh. Any player, anywhere could, hypothetically, abandon their team.
I think the NZRU are producing some pretty good players on their own and will continue to produce players of a high quality. The fact that they are playing a poorer game(IMO) is neither here nor there

There is no hate here...

Just patience. He'll be back, so to speak....

Yeah the Kiwis clearly don't have enough chokers in their rugby league side at the moment. An All Black would certainly rectify that.





SBW - international rugby league trophies - NIL

Benji Marshall - international rugby league trophies - 2008 RLWC, 2010 4N

Wonder why SBW wanted to come back before Toddy said "Nah thanks..."?

they are all raving about his back pass, like it has never been seen before on a sports field!

Just never on a rah rah pitch.

About 115 years of it on ours.

Wierd why RL has consistently poached RU players with no skill for 100 years - bizarre what have they possibly seen in the likes of Offiah, Foster, Davies, Jones that makes RL clubs want to pay huge money to convert these guys into RL players?

I think you are a little off the mark there - RU produces plenty of very talented players they have poached very few RL players in comparison to the numbers they produce themselves. Over the years the flow of players the other way has been significant.

SA the world champions in that sport have zero RL players in their team, Australia have 1/2, NZ have 1 and France have none - so out of 60 starting players in the top four sides in the world 2/3 are ex RL players - RU doesn't have an issue with producing sufficient quality players.

It's nowt to do with ex RL players now playing union.
My point was our game teaches skills that they don't possess,like the $BW pass against Scotland the other day.
Apparently the union media where wetting themselves,raving about it when we have been more or less doing these skills for years.

To be honest, I remember Tony Ward doing it for Ireland in the 70's and have seen "flick" passes out the "back door' many other times in Union. The Welsh team of the 70's were the greatest Union side I have seen 'live' and they again were masters at the improvised play.
It's prety much a dead point anyway, as Union is changing its rules to make it more appealing and you will see more "run ball" in future....I posted earlier this year that my barber, a senior RU ref in the Wellington region had stopped going to Union as it was becoming more like league with lineouts. The drop in attending fans here in NZ would point to him not being alone.

2 different sports....with different skill sets. SBW is one of a few who can make the transition.....he is a very good all round athlete and will do well in both codes.
As for SBW at the weekend.......he was OK......but he was given more space and time in 1 game than he will see in the entire tri-nations and RUWC in 2011. I suspect that the Springbox will target him with a monster of a centre........the French will play around him and the Aussies will chip it over him....a sign that whilst he is learning Union, other nations take him as a threat already.

The RL media used to wet their pants about SBW?

Plenty of players equalled as skilled in RU as there are in RL - Brian O'Driscoll is as skilled as any RL centres in NRL as was Luke McAlister from the All Blacks

Yes they did. Didn't think you'd need to ask.

Saying that a rugby player is more skillful simply because he plays league rather than union is nonsense.