Will Super League stars head South?

Hull coach Richard Agar admits top Super League players will increasingly be tempted to head for Australia's NRL.

A worsening exchange rate between the dollar and the pound and a big hike in the NRL salary cap has already virtually signalled the end of big-name signings from Down Under.

Top Australian stars Trent Barrett, Matt King, Steve Renouf, Greg Bird, Willie Mason and Danny Buderus have all joined Super League clubs in recent seasons, but the flow of top stars heading north looks to be drying up.

"Australian clubs simply can pay a lot more money," admitted Agar, whose acquisition for 2012 of Aaron Heremaia, Brett Seymour and Wade McKinnon has not exactly created the same level of interest generated by the club's capture of Mark O'Meley, Craig Fitzgibbon and Shaun Berrigan.

"The players I've got have a genuine desire to come over here. We feel we've done OK this time round but it is getting harder. The pool is getting smaller."

St Helens' signing of Lance Hohaia could be an exception to the new rule but they have a big hole to fill following the decision of England prop James Graham to try his luck in the NRL.

"The bigger concern for our game is not going to be recruiting Australians, I reckon it's actually going to be hanging on to our own elite players. If they have a desire to test themselves in the NRL and change their lifestyle and earn more money, it can be appealing. "
Richard Agar

Graham has clearly been tempted by the success of his international team-mates Gareth Ellis, Gareth Widdop and Sam Burgess in Australia and Agar is worried that he could set a trend.

"The bigger concern for our game is not going to be recruiting Australians, I reckon it's actually going to be hanging on to our own elite players," Agar added.

"If they have a desire to test themselves in the NRL and change their lifestyle and earn more money, it can be appealing given the success that Sam Burgess, Gareth Widdop and Gareth Ellis are having.

"If a player is due a testimonial - and James Graham is a perfect example - pretty much that can get covered in a three or four-year contract by going to the NRL."

Hobo wrote:Well Hulls Agar thinks so:

Hull coach Richard Agar admits top Super League players will increasingly be tempted to head for Australia's NRL.

A worsening exchange rate between the dollar and the pound and a big hike in the NRL salary cap has already virtually signalled the end of big-name signings from Down Under.

Top Australian stars Trent Barrett, Matt King, Steve Renouf, Greg Bird, Willie Mason and Danny Buderus have all joined Super League clubs in recent seasons, but the flow of top stars heading north looks to be drying up.

"Australian clubs simply can pay a lot more money," admitted Agar, whose acquisition for 2012 of Aaron Heremaia, Brett Seymour and Wade McKinnon has not exactly created the same level of interest generated by the club's capture of Mark O'Meley, Craig Fitzgibbon and Shaun Berrigan.

"The players I've got have a genuine desire to come over here. We feel we've done OK this time round but it is getting harder. The pool is getting smaller."

St Helens' signing of Lance Hohaia could be an exception to the new rule but they have a big hole to fill following the decision of England prop James Graham to try his luck in the NRL.

"The bigger concern for our game is not going to be recruiting Australians, I reckon it's actually going to be hanging on to our own elite players. If they have a desire to test themselves in the NRL and change their lifestyle and earn more money, it can be appealing. "
Richard Agar

Graham has clearly been tempted by the success of his international team-mates Gareth Ellis, Gareth Widdop and Sam Burgess in Australia and Agar is worried that he could set a trend.

"The bigger concern for our game is not going to be recruiting Australians, I reckon it's actually going to be hanging on to our own elite players," Agar added.

"If they have a desire to test themselves in the NRL and change their lifestyle and earn more money, it can be appealing given the success that Sam Burgess, Gareth Widdop and Gareth Ellis are having.

"If a player is due a testimonial - and James Graham is a perfect example - pretty much that can get covered in a three or four-year contract by going to the NRL."

source and link to story: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12198_7021821,00.html

So do you think he is right? Will the money be too much for our top stars?

George Hotel1895 wrote:

Hobo wrote:Well Hulls Agar thinks so:

Hull coach Richard Agar admits top Super League players will increasingly be tempted to head for Australia's NRL.

A worsening exchange rate between the dollar and the pound and a big hike in the NRL salary cap has already virtually signalled the end of big-name signings from Down Under.

Top Australian stars Trent Barrett, Matt King, Steve Renouf, Greg Bird, Willie Mason and Danny Buderus have all joined Super League clubs in recent seasons, but the flow of top stars heading north looks to be drying up.

"Australian clubs simply can pay a lot more money," admitted Agar, whose acquisition for 2012 of Aaron Heremaia, Brett Seymour and Wade McKinnon has not exactly created the same level of interest generated by the club's capture of Mark O'Meley, Craig Fitzgibbon and Shaun Berrigan.

"The players I've got have a genuine desire to come over here. We feel we've done OK this time round but it is getting harder. The pool is getting smaller."

St Helens' signing of Lance Hohaia could be an exception to the new rule but they have a big hole to fill following the decision of England prop James Graham to try his luck in the NRL.

"The bigger concern for our game is not going to be recruiting Australians, I reckon it's actually going to be hanging on to our own elite players. If they have a desire to test themselves in the NRL and change their lifestyle and earn more money, it can be appealing. "
Richard Agar

Graham has clearly been tempted by the success of his international team-mates Gareth Ellis, Gareth Widdop and Sam Burgess in Australia and Agar is worried that he could set a trend.

"The bigger concern for our game is not going to be recruiting Australians, I reckon it's actually going to be hanging on to our own elite players," Agar added.

"If they have a desire to test themselves in the NRL and change their lifestyle and earn more money, it can be appealing given the success that Sam Burgess, Gareth Widdop and Gareth Ellis are having.

"If a player is due a testimonial - and James Graham is a perfect example - pretty much that can get covered in a three or four-year contract by going to the NRL."

source and link to story: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12198_7021821,00.html

So do you think he is right? Will the money be too much for our top stars?

Now surely some clubs have to realise that they must start to develop their own talent and stop bring in has been and never was players from the NRL.
The likes of Leeds , Saints and Wigan will survive as they have good junior talent systems. the likes of Hull KR and Salford, and Wakefield (if they survive in Super League) will struggle.
The clubs will have to wake up to the fact that there is a chance they might lose some decent British players to the NRL, and that less Aussie's and Kiwi's will be coming here. Junior development is the future of Rugby League.

BicesterWarrior wrote:I'm not sure because if you look at the best English players who aren't already there who could play in NRL?

James Roby; wont go.

Sam Tomkins; signed 4 yr deal and how good would he be in NRL when he wouldn't get as much space and awful tackling as he does in SL?

Michael Shenton; tough defender and shown some attacking prowess when playing against Oz/NZ. Seems to have gone backwards at Stains.

Luke Robinson; best player we had in last years 4Nations but ppl say he can't defend.

Tom Briscoe; to light weight and would have to wait till he leaves school!

Other than that I don't see anyone else good enough, also think English SL stars are to comfortable being the big fish; scared of the challenge too IMO.