Autumn Internationals 2009

We also have a salary cap, GW - and it's enforced too ...... clubs have been fined, and even had points docked for breaching it, but our top clubs don't seem to have sufferred leakage of stars in the same way.

I'd disagree that we have 3 excellent clubs and seven average - there are another 3 or 4 teams I'd class as good or very good (out of 14). We know 7 of the 8 teams which will qualify for the play-offs before a ball is kicked ....... positions will be decided by the margins (and number of) wins against the other half dozen clubs.

I cant really accept the "before the NRL season" plea, as its a couple of months before our season too now. Also, granted its an away fixture for the Australian side, but on the other hand - RL is now a summer sport here, but still played in winter there, yes? If thats the case, your players should in theory be more used to poor playing conditions.

Then I don't know Growler (other than an Aus winter is nothing like an English one)

You will have to wait for Mick's real opinion

Thanks buddy. I'm away for kip as its 2-30 am here.

Whats an Aus winter like - at least in the RL areas?

It is just like summer but a bit cooler - in Qld it is not really all that much cooler.

That's not being stupid (well not THAT stupid), we don't really have changes in season just changes in temperature.

A typical winter day in Sydney would be fine and 17 degrees C.

You might get more miserable wet freezing days in melbourne but there is only 1 game there a fortnight.

Have you any thoughts/opinions as to why there seems such a difference between the domestic & international game?

Someone such as Adrian Morley would be best placed to provide insight, but given that he doesn't appear to be about ............ here goes (with apologies to leeeeg fans who might actually know);

I suspect that 6 to 10 years ago the Australian club teams were arrogant and underestimated the opposition. I also suspect they treated themselves to whatever was available at the expense of the promotor.

More recently I'd think the Aussies have been more focussed on the task. The 7 to 3 thing is getting embarrassing.

Having dominant clubs in your comp would also be a factor. A team can only dominate over a period of years if the "front office" really has its stuff together. Good front offices manage their playing staff well. The only Aussie side that comes close to that in recent times is Melbourne.

Mick Sawyer will wish he wrote

chortle>snorfle

Thanks both for yor replies.

I guess very few of your professional sportsmen have ever played in

these conditions

That wasn't untypical of football pitches in those days. Derby (in white) were champions that year.

Can't help wondering how todays generation of players would manage on pitches of that standard

Thanks for posting that Growler.


Can't believe the state of the pitch, but the football was top quality. Atleast it was played by real men back then. Good stuff.

Aye. As a schoolboy we had leather caseys. On a wet day, it started off weighing a couple of pounds - by half time it felt like 3 stone ........ and if you were daft enough to head it & didn't get concussion, if you were really unlucky you got the imprint of the lace 1/2 inch deep in yer forehead - or got the end inch or so of loose lace in your eye lol.

Would never be allowed now would it? Elf 'n'safety & all that malarkey

I remember back in the 70s games in Aus were regularly played in mud baths but these days the fields are so well grassed/maintained that this doesn't even happen anymore. Even so, whenever the ball gets wet they can't hold onto it and have a sook.

Kids these days are soft I tell ya