Death, Taxes, Super League clubs dying to sign an import…
Ah yes, its that time of the year again, silly season in England just throws up so much comedy value.
Whether its Sean Long’s utter desperation in his voice as he tries to convince people he wouldn’t be crushed if St Helens didnt re-sign him, Keith Senior talking about the challenges that lie in signing a long term deal to stay in his comfort zone, Brian Nobles public breakdown over the fact Wigan wants rid of him or Ian Lenagan sounded out any Aussie with a pulse as Wigans next big signing….it always ends in good times for Freaky.
The thing about Wigan I find funny is how bad they are….at everything!
This is a club who’s brand is still attractive to players and coaches. They have a very nice stadium and get big crowds. They have no excuse to be shit, they just are.
Look at their coach first of all. Brian Noble had a great record at Bradford, but so did Matthew Elliott! Anyone that just watched his management of a game and the diabolical was he coach the Great Britain team would know straight out that he can’t coach. Yet, they paid big money for him.
It was the same with Stuart Fielden. They paid more money for him than has ever been paid in a transfer for a Rugby League player in the history of the sport….and he was done and dusted by the time they got him.
So Wigan need a halfback, who better to get than a dropped halfback from Australia who has drinking problems and just announced he is Bi Polar?
Your whole team is going terribly? Why not spend a million pounds on a try scoring winger from Australia!
Who is running this club?
People game Maurice Lindsey grief, but at least the bloke aimed high. Sure he had some failures, but not everything he did was a failure!
Then over at St Helens, it seems Sean Longs life it about to walk into a big telegraph pole called reality. You know, where you’re just that dickhead called Sean with the camp haircut?
St Helens are doing pretty well in their process of replacing their older English players will youngsters, and these youngsters they are bringing in are doing well at Super League level.
In this process though, the oldies are getting shown the door, just look at Biscuit legs last year when he talked about leaving St Helens. They didn’t offer Sculthorpe a contract and he retired because no one wanted him.
Now its Sean Longs turn, and I think a few things would shock him.
First of all, the clubs just is so willing to cut him lose. Secondly, you hear the howls or protest from St Helens fans? Nope…I can’t either. Last but not least….where is there to honestly go that’s any good?
Then we have Keith Senior. In between selling everything he’s got on Ebay (And let me be the first to ask, why does he need money so badly? He is a well paid player, whats all his money going on?) and knocking of skanks on footy tours, Senior has managed to pen a new deal with the Leeds Bulls…I mean Rhinos.
See, I keep getting those two clubs confused because Bradford also signed up their title winning teams, even though they were getting old and past it and the game has moved on. They failed to make the moves St Helens are making now…and look at the shit its got them into now!
Another great day for the pensioners in our game come not too long ago when Hull signed Craig Fitzgibbon for next season. Thats just what Hull needs you know, a soft tackling second rower who’s legs left him in 2008.
So yeah, I love the English silly season, it has a bit of everything.