Rugby Australia to target top NRL talent - Lomax case settled

[T-Boon]

There is no "amateur" sport in history that does not have elements of professionalism that seep in.

Croquet

 

[Wb1234]

It was very much amateur in many parts of the world and some breaks of amateurism does not mean the game was not such.

Again if it was so sufficient, the Welsh players wouldn't have moved north in their droves.

That's the point.

Gould

 

[taipan]

Honestly can some of you lot follow a discussion or are you just regurgitating the greatest hits?

I did not bring up Vichy to "educate" you. I brought it up because the likes of your repeat it like a robot, because it fits into the Victimhood "good v evil" narrative. You don't bring up the efforts to expand the game in Apartheid South Africa by Bill Fallowfield and others, because that would be awkward. At a time when other sports were beginning to ban SA, Rugby League went in there to try to convert Rugby Union. It doesn't fit your narrative that you tried for a "Rugby League Springboks" in 1962 for example, when FIFA had banned them the previous year from playing football.

Wrong on pillaging of players. You just don't get it. Northern Rugby League clubs went in and weakened clubs and the game in Wales. They put the square root of f all into the grassroots but took all that "IP" (to use the PVL quote). They were lazy and short termist - they went to Wales because Wales was down the road the motorway. They did not care for the game there, just taking the resources.

I am not here to defend every single thing RU did because much of it is indefensible, I am simply laughing at some of you and your mental gymnastics.

Because you cried about grassroots in Wales which is one aspect, yet the code survived and thrived, the complete opposite to French RL by comparison.You were the one who advised me to read a book about it.
What happened in France makes what happened in Wales child's play.Zero comparison.Playing the victim,that's the usual copout by some ru hobnobs.
If you choose to ignore sporting history. Rugby union people steer away from what happened in France ,including the RU guy in Sydney who wears a red banana and brags about ru in France. He steers clear of the subject when its brought up..
I'm aware of failures in South Africa (you think there are no barriers there for rl?), the USA, Wales (with only 1 pro club).It's hardly awkward for me.I am one of the first to criticise the leaders in the ESL,and the NRL over disastrous decisions.

Because rugby league was a multicultural set up ,colour of skin was unimportant.Giving players the opportunity to play a sport that ignored colour.
Next you will be defending apartheid in SA.

And you think ru cares for rugby league, when league started off in the early 1900s in Oz, players from ru who went over to the new code were treated like lepers. Influential business people threatened them with losing their jobs.People walked to the opposite sides of the road.
Oh I get it about pillaging players, the number of junior rl players who ended up Wallabies: Lewis, Campese,the Ellas,Fairfax,Horan,Little to name a few off the cuff.And NZ players with junior rl background who ended up ABS.

You see bro I look at both sides of the sporting coin.The hypocrisy of RU calling their code amateur when anyone with half a brain & research knows that was bollocks. I also acknowledge the attempted international expansion disasters by rugby league.
They looked down on rl players who earned money then ,but as soon as Rupert Murdoch started Super League ,Packer etc starting throwing money in union's direction"we gotta be part of the action".
And it was after the 2003 RWC in Oz, that the union head office stated their code would be number 2 in the AFL states and No 1 in NSW & Qld.
I don't laugh at your comments I just shake my head.

 

[Dark Corner]

I very much "get it".

You see I don't just stop at a myopic (if brain soothing) Star Wars view of the world like so many of you appear to have.

Up until 1995 there were hundreds of Welsh players "going North". The "boot money" did not stop that. Then that stopped, basically entirely.

Rugby league was "counter fitting" the code. It was pillaging grassroots. You are really going to claim this had no impact on the development of players?

Outside of the Tony Collins view of the world (he's a good historian but very much has a perspective), I'd encourage you to read more widely on this. Les Williams, the historian of Llanelli rugby for example described how the loss of players when they were reaching their peak heavily impacted the development of players. And btw, the attempts to ever get a rugby league side up and running there were laughable to say the lease. Why would short termists in Wigan or elsewhere care? They kept coming back for the players though.

That the NRL have taken this approach is completely understandable. The same way it was for the RFL in the 1970s. The same way it was for rugby union. Don't act as though you morally pure though.

I wonder how much was given for boot money ?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

The only reason they have any of these big stadiums is because they never paid the taxman.

What's the difference between a RL player and a RU player from 1895 to 1995?

The RL player paid taxes on the money he earnt.

 

[Wb1234]

The only reason they have any of these big stadiums is because they never paid the taxman.

What's the difference between a RL player and a RU player from 1895 to 1995?

The RL player paid taxes on the money he earnt.

They can’t even pay their taxes today

Clubs have gone bust owing the tax man tens of millions of pounds

They still owe around 50 million in Covid loans

 

[Wb1234]

Heir to the throne: Walsh takes Cleary’s crown as king of grand finals

Until now, Nathan Cleary’s 17-minute spell in the 2023 decider has been regarded as the best in NRL history. Now, the four-time premiership winner has declared Bronco’s jaw-dropping display the new GOAT.

www.smh.com.au

It’s funny how desperate Union people are for Cleary to play their awful sport

They literally think taking one of the best current league players will make their sport more attractive

You don’t buy a Ferrari to drive it on country roads full of potholes

 

[Captain Apollo]

Heir to the throne: Walsh takes Cleary’s crown as king of grand finals

Until now, Nathan Cleary’s 17-minute spell in the 2023 decider has been regarded as the best in NRL history. Now, the four-time premiership winner has declared Bronco’s jaw-dropping display the new GOAT.

www.smh.com.au

It’s funny how desperate Union people are for Cleary to play their awful sport

They literally think taking one of the best current league players will make their sport more attractive

You don’t buy a Ferrari to drive it on country roads full of potholes

Potholes? RU is an unsealed road dude

 

[Gobsmacked]

 

[shadowformz]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/10/27/kangaroo-on-the-hop-yet-another-code-switch-on-the-cards-for-nawaqanitawase/

 

[Valheru]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/10/27/kangaroo-on-the-hop-yet-another-code-switch-on-the-cards-for-nawaqanitawase/

I think it's pretty obvious that the chooks have a hand shake agreement with Mark to return in 2028 or 2029

 

[Wb1234]

Heir to the throne: Walsh takes Cleary’s crown as king of grand finals

Until now, Nathan Cleary’s 17-minute spell in the 2023 decider has been regarded as the best in NRL history. Now, the four-time premiership winner has declared Bronco’s jaw-dropping display the new GOAT.

www.smh.com.au

It’s funny how desperate Union people are for Cleary to play their awful sport

They literally think taking one of the best current league players will make their sport more attractive

You don’t buy a Ferrari to drive it on country roads full of potholes

Him and Walsh would walk union

Reece running against their defences would be embarrassing

 

[Chins]

Him and Walsh would walk union

Reece running against their defences would be embarrassing

He'd barely get to run

 

[BuffaloRules]

Any Springboks heading the other way ? Perth Bears might needs to get over there and find a couple

 

[jolly boys outing]

Any Springboks heading the other way ? Perth Bears might needs to get over there and find a couple

That and the big numbers of 1st&2nd generation South African schoolboys in Western Australia.

 

[Wb1234]

 

[Jetka100]

I think it's pretty obvious that the chooks have a hand shake agreement with Mark to return in 2028 or 2029

He would certainly come back well rested

 

[taipan]

He would certainly come back well rested

It would be like a gap year, where you visit countries ,go to Beer Halls , sunbake on the Riviera, wait in restaurants comeback to hard work. Not a scratch or bruise on you.

 

[League Unlimited News]

 

[Foreign Legion]

He'll be back.