Gatland sticks his nose in where it's not needed

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Warren Gatland has warned Super League new boys Celtic Crusaders that their players could be poached by Wales' union clubs should they impress.

The Crusaders began life in the top-flight by losing 28-6 at Leeds Rhinos.

Gatland, Wales' Grand Slam-winning rugby union coach, said: "There's so much money in the union game that their players may be targeted in the future.

"If the Crusaders are successful, their challenge is to stop our union teams picking off some of their players."[/b]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_leag...ers/7876091.stm

What's the point of these comments?. I'm sure he was drawn into saying them by an upstart reporter but is there really any need to say this on the Crusaders first weekend in Super League?

Iestyn Harris had this rebuttal:


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

"I don't think switching from league to union is as much of a temptation as you may think," he said. "The link is inevitable but if you look at the Catalans Dragons in France, they have developed extremely well.

"They have been in Super League for three years and finished in third position last year.

"The Dragons have good home-grown players and they have not been poached by the French Rugby Union.

"Once players are performing for the Crusaders and gaining admiration from the rugby league world, it will be something the players won't think about."[/b]

If those comments came from anybody other than Harris, they'd carry more weight in my opinion, since he clearly saw a reason (1,500,000 reasons in fact!) to jump from the 13 man game to Union. Having said that, what he says with relation to Les Catalans gaining ground in a Union hotbed in southern France holds true for the Crusaders. I hope there'll be a market in Wales for Rugby League and that we can see them (along with France) compete alongside the big three nations as a result of the Rugby Football League's ambitious expansion of Super League.

 

[gingergenius]

I'd like to see rugby league encroach on football, not union.

So in North Wales it's great, but I'm not sure it's great having a major franchise in the south of france (catalans), or in south wales. I'd prefer one in Paris.

 

[Cymro]

Probably miss quoted!

 

[Prestwick]

I think its a great idea personally. Keep this sport penned in to Yorkshire and Lancashire thank you very much!

 

[St Helens RLFC]

He'd best watch his back if the Crusaders come good, he might look a bit of a ***.

 

[Vambo]

The Crusaders won't have much trouble getting players to play for them if there is the additional carrot of easy money to be earned in the Magners League if they find Super League too hard


I like this bit - "There's so much money in the union game"

Clearly there wasn't enough to keep the likes of the Celtic Warriors or the Border Reivers around....

 

[Bullitt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vambo @ Feb 11 2009, 02:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I like this bit - "There's so much money in the union game"

Clearly there wasn't enough to keep the likes of the Celtic Warriors or the Border Reivers around....[/b]

There's plenty of the money in the clubs, not the unions.

 

[Vambo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Teh Mite @ Feb 11 2009, 03:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vambo @ Feb 11 2009, 02:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like this bit - "There's so much money in the union game"

Clearly there wasn't enough to keep the likes of the Celtic Warriors or the Border Reivers around....[/b]

There's plenty of the money in the clubs, not the unions.
[/b][/quote]

Surely even the Welsh have worked out by now that most League to Union switches end in relative failure?

 

[Bullitt]

Apart from wingers, I tend to agree. Still, that won't stop many more failures of Henry Paul proportions in the future from continuing.

 

[dundeesmiffy]

I think a few of the guys who play in Ireland, Scotland and Wales who are ex-league or are considering a switch of codes should highly consider a switch to the CC's. I mean, they only have 3 Welsh players on the squad at the moment, bringing in guys like (for the sake of argument) Heffin O'Haire from Glasgow, he's Welsh and has played international before, it'd be good to see him there. I don't think (for the time being) it should just be the Welsh players the CC's are looking for, maybe some disenfranchised unions players would be interested in a switch of codes, and he CC's would be a nice little segway into professional rubgy league.

 

[Cymro]

The Crusaders poach on players that are dropped from the Welsh regions ala Ben Fowler who looks a brillaint prospect!