St Helens has announced that it has signed Sydney Roosters center Sia Soliola on a three year deal.
The top team in Super League has signed Soliola from the second last placed side on the NRL ladder and will feature two overseas born centers next season.
Now normally, a Super League club signing an overseas player wouldn’t get my attention, its what keeps Super League alive, it happens every week of the year and is a non event these days.
I couldn’t however let one of these press releases with made up quotes slip by.
“I am really looking forward to playing in England next year as St Helens is a fantastic club,”, Soliola is quoted as saying, because all players like to act like love struck teenagers when they sign a contract to play in a small town in Northern England.
He supposedly continued “Going to England is something that has appealed to me now for a while.”, because if there is nothing more that appeals to a 22 year old young man playing for a club based at Bondi, its leaving everything behind for Northern England.
Oh yes…thats the dreams ladies and gents!
This was my favorite part though, so much so, I’m giving it its own line, it needs to stand out like a monolith or stupid, regurgitated, public relations bullshit….
“I will get the opportunity to play in a world-class team and, at the same time, experience life in a different country.”
Wow…..just wow. I mean, they honestly believe this shit.
I’ve often wondered who these Super League clubs are trying to kid when they come up with these made up statements. You couldn’t get away with it in Australia.
The British game is full of ego and self importance, hence the fact it has never felt the need to move beyond the 19560’s or do anything to move the British game forward. Still, it has to be something deeper than that pushing out this public relations turds.
I think its about the insecurities that the British games holds, not about the bigger picture of course, its all about trying to make themselves sounds bigger and better than the tiny little team that lives next door.
Its small minded and its pathetic.
