A message from NZ.

[Dave T]

I don't know how these numbers would look now:

Super League vs NRL: Which Has More Overseas Players? - The Stats Zone

But this from 5 years ago shows that %-wise there are as many British born players in SL as there are Aussie born players in the NRL. The NRL obviously has more teams and therefore more Aussie players though.

So we should ask ourselves what is the objective behind demanding we have British players in SL? The key reason surely is to drive a successful Test team. The Aussies show that a 70% rate can drive a top quality Test team.

In fact they show that having around 20% of Kiwi players is enough to drive a successful Kiwi Test team. For me that supports the point that focusing on quality is the most important point. Accepting that these things are linked.

[Harry Stottle]

Just now, Dave T said:

You sometimes need to think before you speak/post Harry. 

My club have had one of the lowest % of overseas players for a long time in SL. 

You also may find this difficult, but not everybody forms their view on what suits their own club.

I am not whatsoever thinking about my own club, I am suggesting ways to improve our sport to get more kids involved, to bring more talent through, I have  witnessed and still see the numbers going down in our amatuer game and it is in a drastic need of a reverse, my suggestion of decreasing the abillity to sign overseas players and so be reliant on the easy option is to put the effort into the production of homegrown talent.

Can you not see the present system is not working and we need to give it a good dose of looking at?

[Harry Stottle]

12 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I don't know how these numbers would look now:

Super League vs NRL: Which Has More Overseas Players? - The Stats Zone

But this from 5 years ago shows that %-wise there are as many British born players in SL as there are Aussie born players in the NRL. The NRL obviously has more teams and therefore more Aussie players though.

So we should ask ourselves what is the objective behind demanding we have British players in SL? The key reason surely is to drive a successful Test team. The Aussies show that a 70% rate can drive a top quality Test team.

In fact they show that having around 20% of Kiwi players is enough to drive a successful Kiwi Test team. For me that supports the point that focusing on quality is the most important point. Accepting that these things are linked.

Stack the numbers that way and yes that can work, "Accepting that these things are linked", but the big point to ask is how the respective countries GB and Aus promote, develop and nurture the kids to and in the game, the more kids there are the better the numbers of good players will come through.

[Dave T]

11 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I am not whatsoever thinking about my own club, I am suggesting ways to improve our sport to get more kids involved, to bring more talent through, I have  witnessed and still see the numbers going down in our amatuer game and it is in a drastic need of a reverse, my suggestion of decreasing the abillity to sign overseas players and so be reliant on the easy option is to put the effort into the production of homegrown talent.

Can you not see the present system is not working and we need to give it a good dose of looking at?

I never said you were, it was you accusing me of doing so. 

As the numbers show, we develop c70% of our own players, that seems like a pretty good hit rate to me. 

When you say the system isn't working, how do you mean? 

[Dave T]

4 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Stack the numbers that way and yes that can work, "Accepting that these things are linked", but the big point to ask is how the respective countries GB and Aus promote, develop and nurture the kids to and in the game, the more kids there are the better the numbers of good players will come through.

They are two different points though. Nobody is arguing that we shouldn't do more at grassroots level, but for me that increase in numbers and widening the net would lead to a higher standard in those 70% of players - which is more important than having 90% but of the same standard. 

[dkw]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Yes, I think having 30% overseas players in a team at any one time is fine.

I dont see the first team players as being the major problem, its more that clubs are filling squad places with overseas players also which makes no sense to me at all.

[Damien]

4 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Stack the numbers that way and yes that can work, "Accepting that these things are linked", but the big point to ask is how the respective countries GB and Aus promote, develop and nurture the kids to and in the game, the more kids there are the better the numbers of good players will come through.

Harry, aren't you one of the people that think that it shouldn't be compulsory for all Super League teams to have academies because their aren't enough kids to go round? That seems a somewhat contradictory view to wanting the number of imports slashed and instead filling them with home grown players.

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

Harry, aren't you one of the people that think that it shouldn't be compulsory for all Super League teams to have academies because their aren't enough kids to go round? That seems a somewhat contradictory view to wanting the number of imports slashed and instead filling them with home grown players.

No that ain't me, I have been very vocal  of clubs being refused academies, I couldn't see why if Wigan, Warrington and Saints are allowed why one more would make any difference. 

But please read back Damien, I am advocating for more help by pro clubs being given to the amatuer game to increase the participation numbers. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

A message from Germany:

My friend Ben in Essen got back to me. I asked him if he knew where Leigh was. 

Ben: Was ist ein Leigh? 

Me: Es ist eine Stadt ohne Bahnhof aber ein rugby team. 

Ben: Wie reisen Sie nach Leigh? 

Me: Ich kenne nicht. 

Ben: Es muss eine Kleinstadt ohne Bahnhof sein. Niemand wird gehen wollen. Ist das Mannschaft gut? 

Me: Nein, Sie sind Scheissen. 

Ben: Ein Bahnhof wurde das andern..!

------------

Any German speakers out there are now peeing themselves laughing!

[The Rocket]

On 22/09/2021 at 19:31, Dave T said:

My personal view is that in a squad of 25 to 30, having around 5 overseas players is a reasonable number. That means that 80-85% would be local, which I think feels OK and should be enough to feed our national team, which is the crucial thing. 

I am OK with the numbers, although some teams should be challenged to bring them down, but the focus on local development should be about improving the quality we bring through rather than getting more imho (although more should always be welcomed). 

I don't think the current situation stunts the growth of British players, there are plenty of opportunities, and in general the overseas players that play here do a good job, although there will always be duff signings no matter where they are from. 

I don't disagree with all your points on responsibility to develop, spot on, but I dont think that means the overseas players we currently sign are problematic. 

I have sometimes wondered if the large amount of kids playing in Oz has in some ways made junior development in this country complacent. 

It seems to me that it often consists of just picking up that stand-out 14 year old and taking him to Sydney or wherever on weekends and if they make it great if they don`t there are plenty more we he came from.

I see an awful lot of kids who I think with a bit of nurturing at the right age might make fine footballers, however they are often overlooked because it is easier just to pick up the stand-out kid.

Read something a while back about the Panthers invest heavily in their junior coaches and seeing the potential in all kids.

So I agree numbers are obviously important, up to a point, but recognising and developing the potential of the kids you have I think is just as important.

Found this article a couple of days ago, it`s an interesting insight into a club that will have 11 of its` juniors in this weekends GF.

Panthers' vast, painstaking NRL pathway | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT

 

 

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, The Rocket said:

I have sometimes wondered if the large amount of kids playing in Oz has in some ways made junior development in this country complacent. 

It seems to me that it often consists of just picking up that stand-out 14 year old and taking him to Sydney or wherever on weekends and if they make it great if they don`t there are plenty more we he came from.

I see an awful lot of kids who I think with a bit of nurturing at the right age might make fine footballers, however they are often overlooked because it is easier just to pick up the stand-out kid.

Read something a while back about the Panthers invest heavily in their junior coaches and seeing the potential in all kids.

So I agree numbers are obviously important, up to a point, but recognising and developing the potential of the kids you have I think is just as important.

Found this article a couple of days ago, it`s an interesting insight into a club that will have 11 of its` juniors in this weekends GF.

Panthers' vast, painstaking NRL pathway | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT

 

 

I find the quality of junior coaching appalling, usually consisting of pushy parents. I make no apologies for that generalisation, parents are a massive issue at junior level. 

On your overall point, I agree. We need to have a good number going into the top of the funnel, but the coaching and pathway in that funnel needs to be of a high standard. It really can't be one or the other, it has to be quality and quantity. 

[Harry Stottle]

On 22/09/2021 at 19:42, The Hallucinating Goose said:

A message from Germany:

My friend Ben in Essen got back to me. I asked him if he knew where Leigh was. 

Ben: Was ist ein Leigh? 

Me: Es ist eine Stadt ohne Bahnhof aber ein rugby team. 

Ben: Wie reisen Sie nach Leigh? 

Me: Ich kenne nicht. 

Ben: Es muss eine Kleinstadt ohne Bahnhof sein. Niemand wird gehen wollen. Ist das Mannschaft gut? 

Me: Nein, Sie sind Scheissen. 

Ben: Ein Bahnhof wurde das andern..!

------------

Any German speakers out there are now peeing themselves laughing!

Well that was a lot more legible than the useual guff you spout

[Harry Stottle]

6 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I find the quality of junior coaching appalling, usually consisting of pushy parents. I make no apologies for that generalisation, parents are a massive issue at junior level. 

On your overall point, I agree. We need to have a good number going into the top of the funnel, but the coaching and pathway in that funnel needs to be of a high standard. It really can't be one or the other, it has to be quality and quantity. 

You do realise that any coach at any level has to gain Rugby League Coaching Certification don't you Dave.

[Dave T]

3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

You do realise that any coach at any level has to gain Rugby League Coaching Certification don't you Dave.

Of course I do. Do you think pushy parents can't pass the qualification? 

I've done it myself and coached for years before deciding to leave the toxicity behind. 

[Mattrhino]

On 18/09/2021 at 08:33, Harry Stottle said:

We all know how the standard of our competition is viewed upon in Australia and to compound that I have just recieved a message from my grandson who lives in Auckland:-

"The feeling over here is that SL won't be around in 10 years time it is a complete sinking ship, they have stopped broadcasting it on Spark Sport this year (sports subscription channel) it's a joke over here"

Make that of what you will.

 

 

Cool story bro!

[Mattrhino]

Guess what guys nobody in the UK watches the Belgian First Division must mean its doomed to fold within the decade.