Ok, I gave you the chance to bow out respectfully but you've called me out so I guess I have to make a fool of you now...
Ridiculous Point 1 - Going to Souths is the end of your career
While this may have been true 10 years ago, it is not the case now. Dave Taylor was playing reserve grade for the Broncos when he signed with Souths. Played for Australia a few weeks back. Isaac Luke was a nobody, now plays regularly for NZ. Inglis had a bad year last year but was carrying several injuries from his days at the Storm. He is back to being one of the best players in the league. He is about to pledge his allegiance to Souths long term when everyone assumed he'd be back at the storm, first chance. On the flip side, we made the likes of Champion and Sandow look good. Since they've left they've been ordinary.
Ridiculous point 2 - Souths are trying to buy a comp.
Here is our team this week:
1. Greg Inglis 2. Andrew Everingham 3. Matt King 4. Dylan Farrell 5. Nathan Merritt 6. John Sutton 7. Adam Reynolds
8. Scott Geddes 9. Issac Luke 10. David Tyrrell 11. Eddy Pettybourne 12. David Taylor 13. Michael Crocker.
Interchange: 14. Jason Clark 15. Ben Lowe 16. Josh Starling 17. Chris McQueen
Reserves: 18. Shaune Corrigan
13 of the 18 players named made their first grade debut at Souths. Compare this to a team like the Dogs...
The only valid point you made is that we've not won anything in 40 odd years. Fair enough, but most things in life are cyclical and we were the most succesful team in the comp for 60 odd years so we were probably due.
Anything else you wish to be wrong about, please feel free to post.
I could stop at the bold bit and make my case, but as I said before, you are one of the rabbits fans I actually have some respect for, so I'll answer accordingly:
Point 1.
If I had to make a list of all the players that went to souths for their careers to die, I would be here all day, you know that as well as I do!
The only players souths has developped into something more than average since returning to the comp, are Issac Luke and Nathan Merritt.
Taylor was already Origin bound when he was at the Broncos, where he played 21 games in 2009, including 3 finals games, as opposed to 18 for souths in 2010. Not bad for a reserve grade player...
Furthermore, only this season has he gone back to the levels of 2009.
Greg Inglis played his worst season at souths in 2011 and is only starting to look the goods this year.
So, your point is based on 2 players you developped who are better than average, and 2 players who finally look like they are playing to their potential since moving to souths?
The signs under McGuire are good, but given souths history, I wouldn't hold my breath.
Point 2:
Since PHAC and Rusty have taken over, you have been buying or attempting to buy anything that moves on the player market. Are you even going to try to deny that?
Of the current squad, half of the starting players (not counting injuries) were bought, some of them less than ethically...
Roy Asotasi, Sam Burgess, Luke Burgess, Michael Crocker, David Taylor, Matt King, Greg Inglis were all bought. They are your player core alongside Issac Luke and Nathan Merritt. How is that not chequebook RL?
No, it's not comparable to the Dogs, but it's close! :sarcasm:
40 years cycles... Really? This is a new millenium, and you are no longer playing the likes of Annandale and Glebe. Besides 40 years without winning anything, since 1989 you have not had a positive season, finished in the bottom four 14 times out of 22, including 4 spoons. You only reached the finals once, and the opponent swept the floor with you!
There isn't a single NRL club with a record even remotely resembling that, which means that every other club's supporters can be arrogant when compared to souths supporters.
Your club is NOT the pride of the league. It is nowhere near the pride of the league, and it has a hell of a long way to go to come close to a top club in the NRL.
Once most of your club's supporters and management realise that, and start acting accordingly, you'll be on the way to loose the tag of the laugh of the league!
To use Fourex analogy... Game, Set and Match!
P.S. I'm not going to sit here eagerly awaiting your reply, so don't do that for me either...
