40 replies to this topic

[longboard]

Surely this is a comedy thread ?

You've got it Griff.

[Marauder]

does'nt mention batley at all....to me it means as a player he's performed out the blue/unexpected/shocked....


or like when someone crashes into a car they did'nt see coming..."it came from nowhere"

Can a player come from nowhere these day? Just asking because Parky thinks not

[Griff]

Can a player come from nowhere these day? Just asking because Parky thinks not

[southstand loiner]

Jesus Christ. This is a nothing statement that some people with a chip on their shoulders are trying to find offence in.

what did jesus christ come from batley as well

[longboard]

On a slightly more serious note, Alex Walmsley is yet another player produced by one of the amateur Heavy Woollen district sides - Dewsbury Celtic in his case.

[Saintslass]

He hasn't come from nowhere, he has been working hard at his trade, earned the plaudits in his comp and got himself a spot.

Except he has shot up the ranks. In professional terms, he has come from nowhere, out of the blue, taken everyone by surprise, but that is because he has gone from being an amateur player just 18 months or so ago to a player who held his own at Superleague level for 60 minutes either side of halftime in two matches. Professionally, that is indeed coming from nowhere.

[southstand loiner]

Except he has shot up the ranks. In professional terms, he has come from nowhere, out of the blue, taken everyone by surprise, but that is because he has gone from being an amateur player just 18 months or so ago to a player who held his own at Superleague level for 60 minutes either side of halftime in two matches. Professionally, that is indeed coming from nowhere.

or its coming off the subs bench

[carlos]

Its a figure of speech! Big deal.

[Saintslass]

or its coming off the subs bench

Well, so did half the squad, to be fair, since he's only played in friendlies so far.

[southstand loiner]

Well, so did half the squad, to be fair, since he's only played in friendlies so far.

dont worry if you go watch batley this season you will get to see him a fair bit i suspect.

[Walter Ego]

That's easy to say when you come from a sprawling metropolis like Hull.

[AndyCapp]

Most Aussies would say James Roby ???????????????
Who is he?

[trakl]

Most Aussies would say James Roby ???????????????
Who is he?

I think you're right, but as one who loves Australian rugby league I think that's sad. Why would a great rugby league nation not wish to take an interest in the world's only other professional rugby league competition? Football and rugby union fans in Australia understand how the international dimension of their sports is a huge incentive for attracting youngsters into the game in the first place... not to mention taking every opportunity to mock the pronounced insularity of a rival sport such as rugby league.

On the other hand, the sport's new CEO didn't seem to know of Cameron Smith, Melbourne, Queensland and Australia captain and Roby's hooking counterpart when the two teams line up against one another later this year...

[MrFussy]

dont worry if you go watch batley this season you will get to see him a fair bit i suspect.

Big things are expected of him and he's very much in our first team plans, it's a bit disappointing that he won't be playing today though.

[southstand loiner]

Big things are expected of him and he's very much in our first team plans, it's a bit disappointing that he won't be playing today though.

he will be a very good player but i recon a bit of time back at batey but with full time training at saints as well will aid him getting to that stage without been rushed .

[MrFussy]

he will be a very good player but i recon a bit of time back at batey but with full time training at saints as well will aid him getting to that stage without been rushed .

Sounds logical

[Blind side johnny]

On a slightly more serious note, Alex Walmsley is yet another player produced by one of the amateur Heavy Woollen district sides - Dewsbury Celtic in his case.

So he's from Dewsbury then?

That's more like it - at least they've won a Championship.

[keighley]

So he's from Dewsbury then?

That's more like it - at least they've won a Championship.

So have Batley. 1923 or 4 beat Wigan in the playoff final.

[AndyCapp]

I think you're right, but as one who loves Australian rugby league I think that's sad. Why would a great rugby league nation not wish to take an interest in the world's only other professional rugby league competition? Football and rugby union fans in Australia understand how the international dimension of their sports is a huge incentive for attracting youngsters into the game in the first place... not to mention taking every opportunity to mock the pronounced insularity of a rival sport such as rugby league.

On the other hand, the sport's new CEO didn't seem to know of Cameron Smith, Melbourne, Queensland and Australia captain and Roby's hooking counterpart when the two teams line up against one another later this year...

The CEO is not a Rugby League person, he has been hired for his financial nous.
I am sure if England or GB had been competitive in recent years more people would know who Roby is.

Its not up to Australians to embrace the English game its up to England to sell their product and lift its standards surely?

When Roby has played he has done little to impress other than the try he scored that did not show the grounding, it was an early consolation try that day.
The fact that the game in England has been viewed as second rate for several decades based mainly on Test results and the quality of players that have been paid big money to move there has left an image of English League that is negative.
You have to sell yourself or your product in any market and English League has not done that particularly well, certainly not to Aussie fans.

Edited by AndyCapp, 03 February 2013 - 12:07 PM.

[trakl]

The CEO is not a Rugby League person, he has been hired for his financial nous.
I am sure if England or GB had been competitive in recent years more people would know who Roby is.

Its not up to Australians to embrace the English game its up to England to sell their product and lift its standards surely?

When Roby has played he has done little to impress other than the try he scored that did not show the grounding, it was an early consolation try that day.
The fact that the game in England has been viewed as second rate for several decades based mainly on Test results and the quality of players that have been paid big money to move there has left an image of English League that is negative.
You have to sell yourself or your product in any market and English League has not done that particularly well, certainly not to Aussie fans.

You referred to "most Aussies..." and I agreed with you. Most Brits have not heard of him either, which should cheer you up even further...

The CEO is an Aussie of Welsh stock who appears not to have heard of Cameron Smith - that player with the exceedingly low profile of being the captain of NRL premiers, Melbourne, captain of Queensland and captain of Australia. Let's hope that the new CEO is an exception and that "most Aussies" have indeed heard of Cameron Smith - although I suspect that in Western Australia and South Australia relatively few Aussies have heard of him? Maybe even in his "home" state of Victoria?

England/GB rugby league still has a far superior record to that of New Zealand's - despite the many Kiwi players (rightly) celebrated in NRL circles. Why are English players automatically rated as bankrupt? Adrian Morley became the most feared and fearless hit-man in the NRL, Gareth Ellis struggled so much with the deficit in talent that he was the Tigers' player of the year for 3 years in succession, Sam Burgess (assuming he stays injury-free) is according to that renowned lover of English rugby league, Phil Gould destined for greatness, Ellery Hanley was so good that his opponents' Grand Final strategy appeared to consist solely of knocking him unconscious - all of these players (and others less celebrated) have flourished in Australian rugby league despite their national side remaining incapable of overcoming the might of Australia. Older fans than I will be able to tell you of those English players of an earlier vintage who have excelled in Australia.

It's fortunate that English rugby league never took the haughty attitude adopted by its Australian counterpart when the Ashes was beyond Australia's reach for decades at a time...