45 replies to this topic

[MrFussy]

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.

What you say is true, my concern is losing Hunt, Folau and potentially Inglis in such a short space of time. These were already amongst our game's best players at very young ages, and while we may cover the loss of them with other bright young emerging talent, they will potentially follow the trend and also move to these richer sports and ours risks effectively becoming a feeder sport which you leave for more money once you're established enough. I may be completely wrong there but that thought is one which sickens me, though perhaps whilst other sports have much more money available then it's inevitable.

A few months ago it looked like League would be striking back with Parramatta heavily linked with Quade Cooper but as ever that failed to materialise and now we risk losing yet another one of our own biggest name players.

I fully back the salary cap and agree it would be stupid to throw money at greedy prima donnas and risk the sport's financial security but at the same time the NRL needs to be very careful, especially now it's facing the threat of the AFL as well as RU.

[Celt]

Middleman - the sport survives, yes, but without the guys you mention, it is regressing badly.

We cannot lose Williams, Hunt, Folau and now Inglis, and hope to retain the same marketability, product, profile etc. The game is slowly becoming a sport for second class player/athletes, as the creme head to AFL, rugby union, or boxing. Nobody is choosing RL any more - union in Oz has only 4 (soon to be 5) teams, yet they are absolutely stacked with leaguies. Nobody is coming the other way. The sport needs to guard its assets better, in order to draw sponsors, crowds, tv revenue etc and thereby grow the game.

I repeat, the League would be mental to allow Inglis to leave.

[bendyas]

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?

Money money money. He can't think Souths under Lang will win the comp. Maybe there's truth in the rumour that Bennett will replace him.

Can't blame him, but as a loss to the game, meh.

Get rid. Isn't he a convicted wife beater anyway?

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Money money money. He can't think Souths under Lang will win the comp. Maybe there's truth in the rumour that Bennett will replace him.

Can't blame him, but as a loss to the game, meh.

Get rid. Isn't he a convicted wife beater anyway?

No conviction and Lang is only there at Souths til the end of the next season. Lang has actually won a Grand Final with Penrith as Coach. Henjak has won nothing and Brisbane failed to reach the playoffs for the first time I believe. Also Souths have a massive Aborigine Programme-something that may have helped Inglis want to go to Souths as well as Crowes influence.

[East Coast Tiger]

A great athlete, yes. And a great RL player when he can be bothered. But not a great bloke. His shenanigans have put him offisde with most fans and I reckon if you took a vote now there might even be more who would rather he just left.

As for the more serious issue of salary caps and keeping star players, the next TV deal should see an increase in the cap that would push the salaries of the top players up to the same sort of heights as AFL players. If they want to then pay ridiculous money for players like Folau or Inglis - like $1m a year - that's not something we can't match, now or ever. And neither should we. It's probably going to hurt the AFL more than us when their best players are being paid half what these NRL turncoats are. Imagine if we signed one of their players for $1m a year, our players would be spewing. And as has been pointed out before, we will replace any player that leaves and many will come crawling back anyway, ala Gasnier, Tuqiri etc.

[Roy Boy]

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.

Don't be so daft! It is common knowledge that Rervers are signing him as they now are too big a club for Willy, who is only a Tongan when all's said and done! That's freed up the cash for Greg - who has been seen crossing East Park lake on foot ( and the water wasn't frozen!!! )

[Middleman]

Middleman - the sport survives, yes, but without the guys you mention, it is regressing badly.

We cannot lose Williams, Hunt, Folau and now Inglis, and hope to retain the same marketability, product, profile etc. The game is slowly becoming a sport for second class player/athletes, as the creme head to AFL, rugby union, or boxing. Nobody is choosing RL any more - union in Oz has only 4 (soon to be 5) teams, yet they are absolutely stacked with leaguies. Nobody is coming the other way. The sport needs to guard its assets better, in order to draw sponsors, crowds, tv revenue etc and thereby grow the game.

I repeat, the League would be mental to allow Inglis to leave.

no single player is bigger than the sport , SBW , Folau , or even Inglis.

the competition itself is the strongeat asset , the salary cap breeches has done more to damage the credibility than the loss of it's suposed stars.

[dallymessenger]

inglis wont be leaving the nrl

he likes the sport, and is loyal to it

its an issue with souths trying to get him in the cap for $190,000 whilst the nrl wants him in at $300,000

the difference means souths will have to lose player (s) to keep him which is fair

my club lost 3 good forwards to fit in mark gasnier, souths have to play by the rules, like everyone else

[dallymessenger]

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.

inglis is over rated. doesnt perform week to week and is currently grossly overweight.

it will be interesting to see how he goes at souths which arent as strong a club as melbourne

melbourne makes players look better

look at matty king, from rep star at the storm to an average centre in SL.

[dallymessenger]

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 ?

good description of that sport imo.

[dallymessenger]

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....

actually i got your analogy

on the dan certer thing, watch this space

the new NRL TV deal will see the top players on well over 1 million pa, maybe 2 million so well be signing some good all blacks players, hopefully for the nz warriors

[dallymessenger]

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.

excellent post.

[dallymessenger]

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.

he wouldnt be a major loss. they all come back to the nrl missing it.

[The Future is League]

inglis wont be leaving the nrl

he likes the sport, and is loyal to it

its an issue with souths trying to get him in the cap for $190,000 whilst the nrl wants him in at $300,000

the difference means souths will have to lose player (s) to keep him which is fair

my club lost 3 good forwards to fit in mark gasnier, souths have to play by the rules, like everyone else

with his actions of late though Dally he has certainly boxed himself in a corner.

[dallymessenger]

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.

http://www.courierma...x-1225949136708

its raining and the planes arent flying

[dallymessenger]

with his actions of late though Dally he has certainly boxed himself in a corner.

hell be at souths this year

theyll let go crocker and or champion to fit inglis in

[marklaspalmas]

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....

That's just nonsense. Inglis is Inglis and probably worth a thread (There are dozens on here), but the analogy is ridiculous and your swipe at Rovers childish and unnecessary. Perhaps you feel the need as a Crusaders fan to "bite back" at heartlands fans, and for you a vital issue for the future of Featherstone is the perfect opportunity. Pathetic.

[thirteenthman]

http://www.courierma...x-1225949136708

its raining and the planes arent flying

Hard to know if he was joking or not.

The one name that always spells trouble is Anthony Mundine. Wasn't he involved in some way when Sonny Bill Williams left the Bulldogs?

[Tiny Tim]

http://www.courierma...x-1225949136708

its raining and the planes arent flying

Interesting to see two French RU clubs showing an interest too. Bidding wars between French RU and salary capped NRl clubs.

[G Las D]

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.

Greg Inglis is not the best player we have and he is not potentially the best player we have.

As a young player in 2005 he was an exciting prospect. In 2006 he really rattled some pots and showed what a magnificent athlete he was. Fantastic. He dramatically burst on to the state and international scene. 2006 onwards couldn't make it as 5/8. Good enough though to get into Storm's team of the decade.

By 2009 he'd put weight on and to me became a different kind of player, big, very big. Big enough to claim the Golden Boot.
All the same I lost some respect for the bloke. He was dropping hints about going to AFL. He had a problem with his girlfriend that led to a court appearance. Credit to him he still scored big points in big games. For me though the gloss was off him.

While still producing some good on-field performances he was inconsistent. Off the pitch he's been mired in controversy.

Such has been the level of this that while I'd be happy to see him continue in our game. I'd also be equally happy for him to go elsewhere and earn the big bucks, the desire for which seems greater than the desire to play the game.

The game can do without him. Aussie RL is rich enough in talent and developing talent to make up for losing him.


That's a nasty comment about Featherstone Rovers who have a long and rich history at the very top level of the British game, having also produced many fine international players for many years... Don Fox, Stevie Nash, Paul Newlove to name but a few.

Edited by G Las D, 21 December 2010 - 11:56 AM.