Given the crowds some of the games are getting here at the moment, the NRL is barely a Sydney code either :
!!!
Union is a bit different though, I guess, given this is the first time that the established franchises have had their pockets picked.
In the past there were some players, looking for a career break or something, that moved from one franchise to the other
(eg. Jason Little) and the Brumbies have collected pretty well from both NSW and QLD over the years.
But nothing can be compared to the blatent attempts by the Western Force at pillforing players out from under their contracts with existing states, while they are still in play, that has been going on recently.
But as you said that is progress. We wanted the fourth Australian franchise and here it is, and it really has no choice but to try and arrest the best out-of-contract players it can from the three existing organisations. And so far it has been pretty damn successful.
But if you think it is ordinary here, spare a thought for the new South African group. There aren't even enough quality players as it is in the republic to fill the current four provincial teams, let alone five next year.
