Re: Huddersfield away : Mon May 02, 2016 6:11 pm  

Gotcha wrote:

Of course, I am sure Hall will have put players right who his agent has given this advice to. Infact I would have thought he would have come off his books if that was the case....... No really.

I really don't see what the issue is with his advice to be honest that people seem to get so bothered about. At the end of the day, the player, whoever it is makes the decision, and it is for their benefit. I can see exactly why Hall would regret his decision, not at not leaving Leeds but at his decision. At the end of the day, he has good money, and he is settled, and won trophies. But you can't tell me if anybody knew they could have got more, they wouldn't regret not taking that chance.

I'd just be happy with what I had.

Re: Huddersfield away : Mon May 02, 2016 6:22 pm  

Gotcha wrote:

Not when he had the world at his feet. Not sure why that bit keeps getting missed.

Back when he signed in 2012 him and his then fiancée were adopting a young baby and just became pregnant themselves.........

"In an exclusive interview with Starsport, Hall has spoken for the first time about how he and his ­fiancee Vicky
became foster parents for a child in Leeds.

The couple had a son, Harry, seven months ago and Hall said: “Not many people know this, but, before Harry came
along, both me and my girlfriend were foster carers.

“We had a little boy in place, ­between the age of three to six months, but then Vicky fell ­pregnant.

“Vicky was a child-minder. She worked in a nursery and because we come from a privileged background, compared
to some people, she thought she’d like to help ­people who couldn’t afford nurs­eries, or couldn’t look after their ­

children properly for whatever ­reason or circumstances.

“She wanted to give a child a better life, so we got a young boy. I can’t talk too much about him. I’m not allowed to.
We don’t have him now.
“Leeds City Council spoke to us at the time of Vicky falling pregnant and told us to look after our own family first, get that up and running.

“We are planning to get married at the end of 2014. It would have been a big year, if I’d done this as well in 2013,
wouldn’t it?

“The little boy has moved on to another foster carer now, but we still keep in touch with them and he’s doing really
well.”

Re: Huddersfield away : Mon May 02, 2016 7:29 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Brisbane over Leeds - not even a contest - playing in front of 30k plus every other week, 30 degrees the whole year - I know where I would rather be. That's without the arty/cafe culture, river bus things etc

Agreed to a large extent but I've spent a lot of time over there and although the weather, the beaches and outdoor lifestyle is a hugely attractive prospect, the country ain't quite the paradise it likes to paint itself.

Way too geared towards American culture for my liking. A fast food nation of obesity, poor health, neoliberalism, consumerism, affluenza, associated stress, sky high mortgages to maintain, higher than average suicide rates among the young and generally a lot of unhappy people who don't chill out at the nearest beach or park or arty/crafty boutique shopping area or take river taxis from one side to the other open air shopping mall for their next skinny latte or frappe.

I'd also add that there's been a spate of suicides among young RL players over there too.

Re: Huddersfield away : Mon May 02, 2016 10:13 pm  

William Eve wrote:

Agreed to a large extent but I've spent a lot of time over there and although the weather, the beaches and outdoor lifestyle is a hugely attractive prospect, the country ain't quite the paradise it likes to paint itself.

Way too geared towards American culture for my liking. A fast food nation of obesity, poor health, neoliberalism, consumerism, affluenza, associated stress, sky high mortgages to maintain, higher than average suicide rates among the young and generally a lot of unhappy people who don't chill out at the nearest beach or park or arty/crafty boutique shopping area or take river taxis from one side to the other open air shopping mall for their next skinny latte or frappe.

I'd also add that there's been a spate of suicides among young RL players over there too.

You make some really good points and correct observations here mate. Very American which you can image is hard to stomach for a lad from east Leeds.

Don't get me wrong it's an awesome place to live and is Rugby League Disneyland! But there are plenty of cons to go with the Pro's. Some of which you have totally nailed here AP.

Australia has a nationwide meth amphetamine epedemic which is ravaging it's youth and destroying families.

It's not all sunshine and BBQ's! (But there is quite a bit of that).

I firmly believe I can give my family a better life here (living an hour north of Sydney working in the city) than I could in Leeds.

But personally I wouldnt dream of living in Melbourne, Bris, Adelaide or WA. Bris isn't too bad it's just quiet with no beaches (it's good if you like mud flats) but has beaches 1 to 2 hours north/south.

Maybe Bris Rhino could give his thoughts on life in Qld?

Re: Huddersfield away : Mon May 02, 2016 11:36 pm  

sgtwilko wrote:

You make some really good points and correct observations here mate. Very American which you can image is hard to stomach for a lad from east Leeds.

Don't get me wrong it's an awesome place to live and is Rugby League Disneyland! But there are plenty of cons to go with the Pro's. Some of which you have totally nailed here AP.

Australia has a nationwide meth amphetamine epedemic which is ravaging it's youth and destroying families.

It's not all sunshine and BBQ's! (But there is quite a bit of that).

I firmly believe I can give my family a better life here (living an hour north of Sydney working in the city) than I could in Leeds.

But personally I wouldnt dream of living in Melbourne, Bris, Adelaide or WA. Bris isn't too bad it's just quiet with no beaches (it's good if you like mud flats) but has beaches 1 to 2 hours north/south.

Maybe Bris Rhino could give his thoughts on life in Qld?

The high levels of self-medication, mood-altering drugs and booze culture throughout Australia are consistent with a society suffering from emotional distress, caused mainly by inequality and a culture of conspicuous consumption where status is judged by how much money you make, how huge your house and outdoor swimming pool is, how much other stuff you own.

Have you got the very latest 4WD w@nker mobile? Or the brand new $5000 stainless steel three burner barbecue on special at Bunnings Warehouse yet? Where low prices are just the beginning! Does your consumer lifestyle commit you to loads of lifetime debt? Overwork? Stress? If not, what a loser you must be then. Like I said earlier, Aussies aspire to a very unhealthy American culture of greed and waste. But many don't have much at all and struggle along on a day to day existence.

That kind of culture is making a lot of people miserable and suicidal and RL players aren't immune to related mental disorders either, in spite of their above average high salaries and all the consumer trappings and fame associated with being a top NRL player. Too much stress. Too much pressure to succeed on strictly neoliberal terms. I'm sure it ain't just breaking up with his long-term partner which has sent Kieran Foran over the edge in recent days. How sad. And he's not the only one. Ben Barba needed a long time off and so did Andrew Fifita who was very close to ending it all last year. Thankfully, both appear to have got the help they needed.

Lovely place to live if you are fortunate enough to be in a job you like and a position to redefine your existence and goals in terms of what is truly of value like being able to spend quality time with family and friends and outdoor pursuits. Unfortunately, many are not in a position to do that.

I've spent between 2 and 3 years over there when I account for all the trips I've made and know each major city fairly well. The culture I've described above is sadly prevalent in all of them. They've not all been holidays based in nice areas. I've experienced some of the underbelly too. Oh, and their politicians, media hacks and leading civic blazer-wearers are often more irritating than ours as well.

Re: Huddersfield away : Tue May 03, 2016 12:08 am  

The cost of living here is now astronomical. When I moved out here in the late 90s, somebody with a smallish house in England could sell up and buy a McMansion here and have little or no mortgage, because house prices were far lower and the exchange rate higher.

Now you'll struggle to buy a house around Brisbane for anything less than $350k (that's about £180k) against average salary somewhere around $80k. By virtually any measure its a classic price bubble, and housing affordability is awful for young people starting out.

On the other hand I'd say the lifestyle for kids is better, with much more of an outdoors focus. And kids' sport is ridiculously well organised (if a little expensive as its mostly not at school but clubs).

Re: Huddersfield away : Tue May 03, 2016 12:18 am  

William Eve wrote:

The high levels of self-medication, mood-altering drugs and booze culture throughout Australia are consistent with a society suffering from emotional distress, caused mainly by inequality and a culture of conspicuous consumption where status is judged by how much money you make, how huge your house and outdoor swimming pool is, how much other stuff you own.

Have you got the very latest 4WD w@nker mobile? Or the brand new $5000 stainless steel three burner barbecue on special at Bunnings Warehouse yet? Where low prices are just the beginning! Does your consumer lifestyle commit you to loads of lifetime debt? Overwork? Stress? If not, what a loser you must be then. Like I said earlier, Aussies aspire to a very unhealthy American culture of greed and waste. But many don't have much at all and struggle along on a day to day existence.

That kind of culture is making a lot of people miserable and suicidal and RL players aren't immune to related mental disorders either, in spite of their above average high salaries and all the consumer trappings and fame associated with being a top NRL player. Too much stress. Too much pressure to succeed on strictly neoliberal terms. I'm sure it ain't just breaking up with his long-term partner which has sent Kieran Foran over the edge in recent days. How sad. And he's not the only one. Ben Barba needed a long time off and so did Andrew Fifita who was very close to ending it all last year. Thankfully, both appear to have got the help they needed.

Lovely place to live if you are fortunate enough to be in a job you like and a position to redefine your existence and goals in terms of what is truly of value like being able to spend quality time with family and friends and outdoor pursuits. Unfortunately, many are not in a position to do that.

I've spent between 2 and 3 years over there when I account for all the trips I've made and know each major city fairly well. The culture I've described above is sadly prevalent in all of them. They've not all been holidays based in nice areas. I've experienced some of the underbelly too. Oh, and their politicians, media hacks and leading civic blazer-wearers are often more irritating than ours as well.

Look that paints a pretty bleak picture! You have almost got me looking on Seek for some rubbish under paid job back home.

There is definitely another side to the coin, another side to Aussie life which is amazing.

But fundemently I can't disagree with anything you have just posted.

Re: Huddersfield away : Tue May 03, 2016 3:19 am  

Juan Cornetto wrote:

After he missed a kick earlier in the season you were critical of Lilley being the goal kicker in favour of Hardaker.

IIRC I weren't making a choice one over the other, I was pointing out that on the evidence of his first pressure kick Lilley may not have secured a point or both V Warrington which appeared a popular concept on here at the time.

The following are snippets from your vbarious critical attacks on young Lilley:

'Lilley's only threat has come from little midfield chips'

he has 'no pace without offering a running threat'

a 'Paul McShane clone'

'unlikely to survive long enough to develop skills at this level'

and the career path you plotted for Lilley was all the way down to the Championship; "Leeds - Wakefield - Featherstone"

All the way down is your phrase and it's somewhere this coach could take Leeds in just a couple more months.

Critical attacks or merely my personal opinion which I understood we are all still allowed to have and freely express.

I note you now say (above) that he will end up in the lower reached of SL. Is this an attempt to alter your original prediction?

No, not yet. His lack of pace and poor defensive qualities will need to improve markedly otherwise I'm still of the opinion that opposition coaches will target him as a weak link which in turn will blunt his effectiveness with ball in hand.

I am on record from first seeing Lilley play that he has a great future as he is a head up creative player with good all round rugby skills and is our best natural place kicker. I have said he lacks a bit of pace but so do many others. I do not try to predict exact career paths in the way you do as I lack your crystal ball, but given its past record I have no wish to buy one like yours as it has a rather bad reputation. A licked finger in the air will have more rugby acumen

It's not that precise: Full International, top SL, lower SL, Championship, drift away. Just tick one of those or one of your own choosing.

Regards my past record which calls on which players are you alluding to?

With regard to Golding you said

"After the Hull game it was said Golding clearly isn't going to be a winger, I think we can add full-back to that assessment. What's his actually position supposed to be?"

So by implication that is what you are saying he is not a winger or a fullback..

I was adding full-back to the other person's view on Golding clearly not going to be a winger. I've posted after the last three games, without being particularly dogmatic ie the St Helens performance being an improvement on Hull.

You have said "I've yet to see a 1st grade performances where he's consistently brave" and "bravery IMO isn't yet consistently among them" .and that he is "unhappy with contact" and is "looking afraid to take contact" and that he is "going about his work half heartedly" and "Joe Vickery like"

Indeed, more honestly held opinions based on recent performances just as I also said there could still be a decent player worth persevering with if he can toughen up a bit.

He has made 37 tackles with only 2 misses in just a handful of games with a missed tackle ratio up with with Keinhorst and Watkins and miles better than Hall, Handley and Hardaker. This doesn't fit with your claim he is half hearted and is unhappy with contact I would suggest.

And I would suggest that those type of stats mean very little without you are prepared to analyse the actual tackles and misses as they occurred in games. The variables are simply too great they need context.

Golding played a lot of his junior rugby as a half back and most of his academy as a full back and has first team limited experience at FB and wing. He has the all round skills to fit in well in several positions. I think your critical point above is harsh. At Huddersfield previous bombs were dipping at the last minute and you can be critical of most full backs regarding this. he did take others and in particular a very difficult one before half time that most FBs would have missed which you chose to ignore.


The bombs by Brough last Friday and the conditions were very difficult and I have seen the experienced MOS Hardaker drop some this season that were simpler, so take this into consideration before you dish a young player whom you have seen so little of because he hasn't played much first team yet.

I tend to look more closely at players as they emerge and come into contention. Try and see if and where they fit, any areas I have questions over.

As far as other full-backs go I mentioned Nathan Graham at Wembley - not a performance I imagine any full-back would wish to be likened to. I'd also say the equally if not more inexperienced Brierley coped better in the same conditions that Golding struggled with. Huddersfield's kicking game better than Leeds' perhaps, smarter work at dummy half giving the kicker more time, Leeds' line speed not sharp enough.

17 is as per SL website and it is a high number hence my point.

Sounds high which is why I asked if you'd verified it. It wouldn't be the first time the SL website has made a mistake.

What out for the one on one tray saver in the corner and one where he played the major role in holding their player up. (he may well have been involved in another similar one too!)

Right, so basically something that could have happened at any point in the eighty minutes, involving random unnamed Huddersfield players. Thanks for narrowing it down.

Re: Huddersfield away : Tue May 03, 2016 6:04 am  

tvoc - nothing you have said justifies your depressingly negative assessment of two youngsters starting out in their SL careers. I have the totally opposite opinion of both these two whose job has been made so much harder as they have come into an injury ravaged side who have also been in terrible form.I see a bright future for both based on what you have failed to see.........they both have shown they have some classy rugby skills to built on.

Re: Huddersfield away : Tue May 03, 2016 7:18 am  

William Eve wrote:

Agreed to a large extent but I've spent a lot of time over there and although the weather, the beaches and outdoor lifestyle is a hugely attractive prospect, the country ain't quite the paradise it likes to paint itself.

Way too geared towards American culture for my liking. A fast food nation of obesity, poor health, neoliberalism, consumerism, affluenza, associated stress, sky high mortgages to maintain, higher than average suicide rates among the young and generally a lot of unhappy people who don't chill out at the nearest beach or park or arty/crafty boutique shopping area or take river taxis from one side to the other open air shopping mall for their next skinny latte or frappe.

I'd also add that there's been a spate of suicides among young RL players over there too.

I agree in part my son has been living in Mackay for the past 4 years and the money he earning and the lifestyle he has would be difficult to replicate here.

For a young person who is prepared to get stuck in I think Australia has a lot to offer - its not for everyone.