45 replies to this topic

[Celt]

really surprised there is no thread on this (unless I have missed it?) Australian media has Inglis (reluctantly) meeting the AFL brigade as he has no job in Rugby League.

This is criminal right? The NRL must realise their stance is borderline suicidal....

EDITED BY CKN: Post edited. Two points 1. Homophobic reference removed. 2. Wrong forum

[The Future is League]

really surprised there is no thread on this (unless I have missed it?) Australian media has Inglis (reluctantly) meeting the GAyFL brigade as he has no job in Rugby League.

This is criminal right? The NRL must realise their stance is borderline suicidal....

i wouldn't want to see him go.but he has burned his bridges slighty of late. unless Souths can come up with something it looks like Rugby League has lost him for a while, possibly for good. he should have gone to the Bronco's, but as they say thats history now.

[Celt]

i wouldn't want to see him go.but he has burned his bridges slighty of late. unless Souths can come up with something it looks like Rugby League has lost him for a while, possibly for good. he should have gone to the Bronco's, but as they say thats history now.

I would tend to agree with you, but we have to remember the guy is one of the best players in the world (arguably the best) and one of the few world class athletes whom other sports look up to in awe. To lose him, would be criminal.

As is typical for this forum, we have very little real interest however, but instead 3 pages of drivel about featherstone rovers - a village team in England. A lot of Rugby League fans have very odd priorities in my opinion. Rugby League does not have very many players of Greg Inglis' ability.

[obeone]

I would tend to agree with you, but we have to remember the guy is one of the best players in the world (arguably the best) and one of the few world class athletes whom other sports look up to in awe. To lose him, would be criminal.

As is typical for this forum, we have very little real interest however, but instead 3 pages of drivel about featherstone rovers - a village team in England. A lot of Rugby League fans have very odd priorities in my opinion. Rugby League does not have very many players of Greg Inglis' ability.

What a prat you are.Suggest you read about the history of RL

[scotthouston2008]

I tend to agree with him, would be horrible for RL to lose potentially the best player we have.
Greg Inglis interests most RL fan's more than Featherstone Rovers.

[Derwent]

As is typical for this forum, we have very little real interest however, but instead 3 pages of drivel about featherstone rovers - a village team in England.

Or perhaps people can't be bothered replying to someone who has to denegrate another sport by calling them a childish name such as GAyFL to make his point ?

[marklaspalmas]

As is typical for this forum, we have very little real interest however, but instead 3 pages of drivel about featherstone rovers - a village team in England. A lot of Rugby League fans have very odd priorities in my opinion. Rugby League does not have very many players of Greg Inglis' ability.

Was this some kind of ill conceived "joke" comment?

[Celt]

Was this some kind of ill conceived "joke" comment?

If we were to use a cross sport analogy, it would be like a cricket forum facing up to the fact that Sachin Tendulkar was being lost to baseball, but preferring to blether on about some village team in the Yorkshire League, who happened to be quite well known due to their history.

Or in rugby union, if Dan carter was off tthe NRL (in our dreams) yet their forumistas preferred to lament the demise of Blackheath RFC.

In short, in other (more widely recognised) sports, it simply wouldn't happen.

So no - it wasn't some kind of joke comment. Simply an observation that featherstione rovers falling out with the council, is deemed more 'newsworthy' on here than a potential global superstar heading off to take up 'cross-country-basketball', which happens to be a rival sport to RL in terms of media, sponsorship, and (in Sydney at least) fans.

And people wonder why RL is sneered at for being parochial, small-minded and inward looking....

[Celt]

What a prat you are.Suggest you read about the history of RL

why? was featherstone ever not a village in England?

Yes - they won the cup when RugbyLeague was played by people who worked all week. they will never win it again, and can find a place in the hierarchy of RugbyLeague where they will be able to play for evermore. Nobody is disputing their existence - merely that the sport is about to lose one of it's best players in the entire world, while people like yourself sit there and mumble on about the ongoing debate between a part time yorkshire team (who hardly anyone actually follows) and their local council.

Perhaps it's a Yorkshire thing..... that would go some way towards explaining your ignorant rudeness at least.

[Middleman]

I tend to agree with him, would be horrible for RL to lose potentially the best player we have.
Greg Inglis interests most RL fan's more than Featherstone Rovers.

That is a odd analogy , I've never thought I'd have to choose between an iconic RL club or a greedy NRL Player ' brilliant as he is ' the only reason he will leave the sport is for more cash .

Off the top of my head , no Greg Inglis or No Featherstone Rovers ...., without Fev , No Don Fox, or Stevie Nash , No Paul Newlove , no Graham Steadman, Karl Pratt ,Richard Whiting, Jamie Rooney . even if Rovers fate is to stay a championship side I will do without a Greg Inglis. as I'm sure Rovers will continue to discover talent even if they do end up playing elsewhere.

Edited by Middleman, 20 December 2010 - 06:18 PM.

[Celt]

That is a odd analogy , I've never thought I'd have to choose between an iconic RL club or a greedy NRL Player ' brilliant as he is ' the only reason he will leave the sport is for more cash .

Off the top of my head , no Greg Inglis or No Featherstone Rovers ...., without Fev , No Don Fox, or Stevie Nash , No Paul Newlove , no Graham Steadman, Karl Pratt ,Richard Whiting, Jamie Rooney . even if Rovers fate is to stay a championship side I will do without a Greg Inglis. as I'm sure Rovers will continue to discover talent even if they do end up playing elsewhere.

The way the game has gone now though, (rightly or wrongly) players are almost exclusively developed through the professional academy setips. No longer does somebody have '1 good season' for the likes of featherstone and end up getting the break to go to Wigan, or play against the Aussies etc. A natural product of profesisonalism is that players are developed in the pro environment. In short, featherstone will less and less become a 'nursery' for the stars of the future. it is rare now, and will become rarer in future.

Not saying i agree with it, but that is the way it is.

Anyway - nobody is saying featherstone rovers will disappear. if there is enough support for them, they will stand on their own two feet, at whatever level of the game is appropriate.

[MrFussy]

I'm not going to comment on the Featherstone argument but that shouldn't draw attention away from the worrying issue being raised here.

I know the NRL has lost several star names in the past and they've not necessarily been missed too badly as others have emerged to replace them but if after losing Hunt and Folau (as well as others) the NRL thinks it can see Inglis walk away in such a short space of time then it's clear there are serious issues at hand. Other young talent will undoubtedly come through and help fill the void but what's to say the same thing won't happen with them, especially now the gateway to the AFL has opened.

It would be absolutely gutting to see Inglis (for me easily the best three quarter in our sport) be pushed into walking away. The sport should be proud to have a player like him, especially when he's made it clear that he wants to stay.

[thirteenthman]

really surprised there is no thread on this (unless I have missed it?) Australian media has Inglis (reluctantly) meeting the GAyFL brigade as he has no job in Rugby League.

This is criminal right? The NRL must realise their stance is borderline suicidal....

It's worth remembering that Greg Inglis had agreed to join Brisbane Broncos for 2011 and was supposed to turn up for training in Brisbane but informed them that he wouldn't be coming. Instead he signed a big contract with South Sydney that, according to the figures revealed by Russell Crowe on US TV, would not have been allowed under the salary cap. Thus we now have stories of Souths letting players go to accomodate him or Mr Inglis possibly going to AFL. Well if he wants to go to Aussie Rules in search of an even bigger contract let him go. The NRL have a salary cap in place which they are quite right to uphold.

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Because this Forum is very Anti Australian mate. We have sponsors now attacking the games leaders http://www.theage.co...1219-191x6.html and we face losing the games most marketable personality. But the small mindedness on here just do not see the potential damage if Inglis does go to AFL. The game loses credibility, money and sponsors. Why would a TV deal offer more money to a sport that cant keep hold of its stars? The way Greg Inglis has been treated has been appalling and is owed money from the Storm. He has not been paid for around 3 months! If thats how the game treats its stars its no wonder the players are getting disillusioned by it all. Its alright saying theres plenty of talent out there. But the question should be why is the game not properly looking after its assets-the Players in this case.

[thirteenthman]

The way Greg Inglis has been treated has been appalling and is owed money from the Storm. He has not been paid for around 3 months! If thats how the game treats its stars its no wonder the players are getting disillusioned by it all. Its alright saying theres plenty of talent out there. But the question should be why is the game not properly looking after its assets-the Players in this case.

But he had a contract offer on the table from Brisbane which he agreed to but then walked away from. Excuse me if I don't have too much sympathy for him.

[Rob]

Because this Forum is very Anti Australian mate. We have sponsors now attacking the games leaders http://www.theage.co...1219-191x6.html and we face losing the games most marketable personality. But the small mindedness on here just do not see the potential damage if Inglis does go to AFL. The game loses credibility, money and sponsors. Why would a TV deal offer more money to a sport that cant keep hold of its stars? The way Greg Inglis has been treated has been appalling and is owed money from the Storm. He has not been paid for around 3 months! If thats how the game treats its stars its no wonder the players are getting disillusioned by it all. Its alright saying theres plenty of talent out there. But the question should be why is the game not properly looking after its assets-the Players in this case.

This article states that some potential sponsors might be lost. Sponsors which have said they would sponsor him in any sport.

Quote:
-------------------------
''I'm disappointed,'' Bellear said. ''Greg wants a career in Aboriginal health. Whether he was at Newcastle, or Penrith, or even playing rugby union, we would have pursued him to be a part of Aboriginal health.
-------------------------

These 'sponsors' aren't sponsoring rugby league in any way. They are trying to employ a high profile sportsman to be their ambassador. None of this money was going into a club or for development, just Greg Inglis' pocket. Hardly a loss for 'the game'.

Greg Inglis isn't 'the game' as you say, he's one player, who's skills may be missed.

Or more likely another talented kid will take his place and he will fade from memory.

As for not being paid, he should try turning up for work.

[Lounge Room Lizard]

But he had a contract offer on the table from Brisbane which he agreed to but then walked away from. Excuse me if I don't have too much sympathy for him.

Well he did not sign a contract at the Broncos and the rumour is the Broncos players like Lockyer, Hodges etc are not happy with Henjak and said to Inglis that they do not feel Broncos will win anything under him. Inglis then got cold feet as wants to win the Premiership. Souths then got involved. In this day and age verbal agreements mean little. Inglis could have acted better but we all do not know the full story and why exactly the Broncos deal fell through. We also do not know why the Storm are not paying Inglis-he is still there player. Whatever the whole thing is bad news for Rugby League. There is massive disharmony in the game. We have no real leadership and the top players are not really well looked after compared to say Union, Soccer etc. Sponsors are not wanting to get involved with a sport that is in a mess and is forever argueing and not looking after its top players properly.

[Old Frightful]

Hopefully, Hull FC will sign him.

Then when it's realised that he hasn't the quality to break into our threequarter line, we'll loan him out to Featherstone.

Then everybody's happy.

[Middleman]

Because this Forum is very Anti Australian mate. We have sponsors now attacking the games leaders http://www.theage.co...1219-191x6.html and we face losing the games most marketable personality. But the small mindedness on here just do not see the potential damage if Inglis does go to AFL. The game loses credibility, money and sponsors. Why would a TV deal offer more money to a sport that cant keep hold of its stars? The way Greg Inglis has been treated has been appalling and is owed money from the Storm. He has not been paid for around 3 months! If thats how the game treats its stars its no wonder the players are getting disillusioned by it all. Its alright saying theres plenty of talent out there. But the question should be why is the game not properly looking after its assets-the Players in this case.

I cannot comment on whether this forum is or isn't pro Oz? it's certainly pro RL , isn't this reminiscent of the Packer/ News Corp / SL split 1995

that was going to be the death nell of Rugby League in Australia...

then the Amagamation of the original NSWRL / QRL Clubs were going to be the end of RL as a popular sport .

Big contracts were handed out on both sides in an effort to secure the top names on both hemisphere's

All that happened was , the sport almost bankrupted itself , and in the end new talent emerged to cover the loss of the suposed ' Big Names' anyway.

by 1998 the leagues were merged and a salary cap was introduced to ensure parity between clubs and to safeguard the sport from mortgaging itself .

English RL sides have suffered the loss of players/ coaches to RU , and I'm sure we'd love to have the Chris Ashton's , Shaun Edwards's back but there isn't the cash.

Greg will ultimately go because Melbourne did not have the cash , and the Aus RU / AFL have war chests of cash to offer these stars. But this has happened before ( Sailor . Gasnier . Rogers . Hunt . Folau ) and will happen again.

They will always be paid mercenaries in anothers sport and NRL will always discover new talent , if there's a war to be fought in Australia for the hearts & minds of sporting interest the cash will be better spent in the junior leagues winning over the best junior talent rather than wasting it on mercenaries.

[thirteenthman]

Well he did not sign a contract at the Broncos and the rumour is the Broncos players like Lockyer, Hodges etc are not happy with Henjak and said to Inglis that they do not feel Broncos will win anything under him. Inglis then got cold feet as wants to win the Premiership. Souths then got involved. In this day and age verbal agreements mean little. Inglis could have acted better but we all do not know the full story and why exactly the Broncos deal fell through.

But as you say a lot of it is rumour. And he was due to turn up for training at Brisbane, so it was only at the last minute he said he wasn't going. I somehow doubt he would walk away from a contract at Brisbane if he didn't have some idea that Souths were after him.

And if he wants to win a Premiership, why does he want to go to South Sydney?