63 replies to this topic

[ParisSurtout]

Gareth Ellis scored two fantastic tries for Wests Tigers against Penrith Panthers. It was the icing on the cake of an outstanding performance by the Englishman, who was awarded the Channel 9 Man of the Match award. The Channel 9 commentators, especially Peter Sterling, were ecstatic. Millions of Australians have by now seen or read about the English rugby league star Gareth Ellis.

Ellis already had an excellent reputation last year, winning the West Tigers players' player award in 2009. But now he is even exceeding that powerful reputation.

This all accompanies the huge reputation that Sam Burgess has built in Australia for his magnificent performances in the South Sydney Rabbitohs team. Burgess is one of the key players in the Souths team.

These two Englishmen rank with Australia's Sam Thaiday as among the top five backrowers in the entire world.

Without a doubt both Ellis and Burgess have benefited from playing in the NRL. They are both better players today than they were at the beginning of this season. James Graham has suggested that he is interested in following them. I would hope that more English players like Graham can follow Ellis and Burgess down under. Once that happens I foresee the English pack establishing clear dominance over the Aussie pack in the 4 Nations and World Cup. From that position of forward strength Sam Tomkins and Kyle Eastmond can weave their magic. However Gareth Widdop may swap or alternate the number 6 and number 1 jersey with Sam Tomkins.

All that will be still left to do is to find a decent set of three quarters who can finish off the good work of the English forward and half back stars.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 16 August 2010 - 08:18 AM.

[Hannibal]

Wrong forum.

[PC]

Well I never, English players as good as Aussies, who'd thought it possible.

[ParisSurtout]

Well I never, English players as good as Aussies, who'd thought it possible.

A lot of people on here don't think so.

[Li0nhead]

I am sick of those past it players all going down under to top up their pensions taking the place of good young Ozzy players who don't get chance to develop..... ;

[Cardiff Cymru]

Aussie players are better than Brits from birth pure and simple - at least that's what Shaun McRae and half of the internet keep saying.

[Wendall]

All that will be still left to do is to find a decent set of three quarters who can finish off the good work of the English forward and half back stars.

Thats the problem, we need some players who are the match of Inglis, Hodges, Slater and co.

[ckn]

Wrong forum.

Not this time. Valid subject relevant to UK and European rugby league.

[Hannibal]

Not this time. Valid subject relevant to UK and European rugby league.

Ellis has good game in Australia?

What has that got to do with Super League?

If the original poster has his way, every player in the UK would be moving to Australia. We could then do away with all the forums, apart from the Aussie one.

[MrPosh]

These two Englishmen rank with Australia's Sam Thaiday as among the top five backrowers in the entire world.

No chance. Thaiday is nowhere near the class of those two.

[Hannibal]

No chance. Thaiday is nowhere near the class of those two.

He's Australian, and therefore a superman.

Get with the programme.

[ParisSurtout]

Ellis has good game in Australia?

What has that got to do with Super League?

If the original poster has his way, every player in the UK would be moving to Australia. We could then do away with all the forums, apart from the Aussie one.

Try rereading the original post. I explained it all there.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 16 August 2010 - 06:20 PM.

[Hannibal]

Try rereading the original post. I explained it all there.

Thinly disguised attempt to talk about Aussie RL.

Wrong forum.

[ParisSurtout]

Thinly disguised attempt to talk about Aussie RL.

Wrong forum.

The moderator has adjudicated the relevance of this topic to the forum. But you refuse to accept the referee's decision.

There is a legitimate issue of how and why English players have been able to step up a level in performance when they have made the move to Australia. You don't want even to think about it this matter, let alone discuss it.

Instead you offer a predictable negativity. You have nothing constructive to contribute to this thread, or in fact to any thread that I have seen on this forum.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 16 August 2010 - 10:11 PM.

[MrPosh]

The moderator has adjudicated the relevance of this topic to the forum. But you refuse to accept the referee's decision.

There is a legitimate issue of how and why English players have been able to step up a level in performance when they have made the move to Australia. You don't want even to think about it this matter, let alone discuss it.

Instead you offer a predictable negativity. You have nothing constructive to contribute to this thread, or in fact to any thread that I have seen on this forum.

Have they? I think that the only difference is that the Aussies have heard of them. I haven't seen anything in Burgess' game that he wasn't doing at Braford and Ellis has been amongst the world's best second rowers for years.

Burgess and Ellis were two of the world's best players before they went to Aus and they still are. Just like Graham, Peacock, Roby and others are - and Eastmond, Tomkins and many others will be (or indeed, already are).

[ParisSurtout]

Have they? I think that the only difference is that the Aussies have heard of them. I haven't seen anything in Burgess' game that he wasn't doing at Braford and Ellis has been amongst the world's best second rowers for years.

Burgess and Ellis were two of the world's best players before they went to Aus and they still are. Just like Graham, Peacock, Roby and others are - and Eastmond, Tomkins and many others will be (or indeed, already are).

I disagree. Ellis was a good player at Leeds before he went to Australia. But he was not a great player. He has become a great player at West Tigers. Whether it was Tim Sheens' coaching or the need to prove himself, or both, I don't know. But no one would have rated him so highly before he went to Australia.

Burgess is a slightly different case. He had been outstanding on occasion when playing in Britain. His Four Nations final performance was superb. But he was inconsistent in the level of his performances. Now he is at South Sydney there is greater consistency in his outstanding performances. Now he plays a great role at Souths that has made him a key figure in the squad. He ranks with Isaac Luke, Dave Taylor and Nathan Merritt as one of the team's stars. (go here: http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/ Sam is the first cab off the rank in the list of club stars.) Also Sam Burgess is now a media celebrity in Australia. This is a sign of how much he has developed in less than one year in the NRL.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 16 August 2010 - 10:39 PM.

[Johnoco]

wrong forum

[ParisSurtout]

wrong forum

You and Hannibal should form a comedy troupe: The Homeless Reactors: Opinionators Without Premises.

Edited by ParisSurtout, 17 August 2010 - 03:17 AM.

[Hannibal]

I disagree. Ellis was a good player at Leeds before he went to Australia. But he was not a great player. He has become a great player at West Tigers. Whether it was Tim Sheens' coaching or the need to prove himself, or both, I don't know. But no one would have rated him so highly before he went to Australia.

Burgess is a slightly different case. He had been outstanding on occasion when playing in Britain. His Four Nations final performance was superb. But he was inconsistent in the level of his performances. Now he is at South Sydney there is greater consistency in his outstanding performances. Now he plays a great role at Souths that has made him a key figure in the squad. He ranks with Isaac Luke, Dave Taylor and Nathan Merritt as one of the team's stars. (go here: http://www.rabbitohs.com.au/ Sam is the first cab off the rank in the list of club stars.) Also Sam Burgess is now a media celebrity in Australia. This is a sign of how much he has developed in less than one year in the NRL.

######.

[Ex-Kirkholt]

Ellis and Burgess were fine players in Super League. They now play in a competition in which, I feel, the opposition are consistently stronger than in SL. They have carried on progressing as players and have improved. This is great news for the England RL side.