Hugh McGahan: Following in the footsteps of giants

To view the departure of Iafeta Palea'aesina to Wigan as a sign that players prefer the UK instead of the NRL is piffle.

My understanding is that there was little interest initially from any NRL club, including the Warriors, about eight weeks ago but, since his consistent barnstorming form of late, there has been a clamour to sign the front rower.

His talent was appreciated more by the English clubs than in this hemisphere and he was always going to be on the move.

That aside, the players who tend to move to the UK more readily are New Zealand players.

The game there is more akin to their style of play. New Zealand also has a great tradition of having players head to England in their prime and Fika is just another. Jason Cayless has also decided that the time is right. He has learnt his trade well in the Australian scene and is considered one of the better props in the NRL. He will be a big loss to the Roosters but there is sound back-up in their ranks to fill the void.

The British Super League is more attractive nowadays with a higher quality of competition than 15 years ago, although there is still disparity between the top four sides and the rest.

The move from winter to summer in 1995 has contributed greatly to the style of play, with firmer and drier ground conditions and has also been a notable factor in Southern Hemisphere players deciding to make a move North.

Because of the improvement in the Northern competition, British players are more sought-after than ever. Adrian Morley has succeeded in the NRL and there is the recent acquisition of Brian Carney from Wigan to the Gold Coast franchise in 2007. I know that Stuart Fielden, from Bradford, was high on the list of some Sydney clubs along with other high-calibre players.

New Zealand players made the move more readily than our transtasman cousins but a trickle of players are making the move earlier.

It was common for players close to retirement to seek out what was termed the obligatory superannuation package from the Northern clubs. Unfortunately, some Australians treated it as retirement and nurtured resentment from club chairmen. This was when English clubs preferred NZ players, as their attitudes were better than the Australians.

It was a band of players moving en masse to the UK that highlighted the Kiwi invasion and encouraged aspiring players to the UK. Those players are now folklore, having helped their clubs to greatness and shone a light to NZ players and the sporting public that Australia is not the only place where the game is played.

They were James Leuluai, Gary Kemble, Dane O'Hara and Fred Ah Kuoi (Hull FC) and Gary Prohm, Gordon Smith and Mark Broadhurst (Hull KR), greats of the modern era and players who achieved a great deal for themselves and their families and consequently allowed others to make the transfer easily.

The current crop of players have an easier start in the UK because of the example set down by the those players and owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

 

- HERALD ON SUNDAY