The best prop in the world at the moment is George Burgess

One of our main problems over the last few years has been keeping continuity within our playing squad. I really don't see what good bringing over a few fringe NZW players will do us when the likelihood is they'll go straight back as soon as they are offered an NRL opportunity. I think a "link-up" between the 2 clubs could be beneficial to both parties but not if it's just a glorified dual-reg system where we get players just because they can't break in the NZW first team, whilst they also pick and choose our best players.

The U19's are not being tested. I have raised this many times over the past 10 years.

We should be sending one or two of our better young players over to the NRL on an RL scholarship too see just how good they are. I have a feeling this will be one of the benefits of this link.

Will they come back though if they impress? That's the fear I've got.

It's also a fear of mine, but that academy league can't carry on as it is. It's not doing it's job of preparing the players for the next step.

I've spent many years agreeing with you on the quality of the various Academy structures we've had, but from an overall League viewpoint, I'd much rather see the lesser clubs compete better (which would then, hopefully, have a knock-on effect in SL too). Sending our good prospects abroad will, I think, work well for us, but doesn't help SL as a whole.

The RFL started to address the problem with their "home-grown-player" quota rule, but it doesn't go nearly far enough, for me.