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Newcastle set to confirm Hayman deal
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<blockquote data-quote="SaintsFan_Webby" data-source="post: 111769"><p>To be fair, everyone moans about the number of Kiwis we have signed in the past, but the vast majority of them have not been star players, particularly upon arrival. Spencer is the only really world famous player to come from New Zealand.</p><p></p><p>Virtually nothing was known about Reihana by Saints fans when he arrived, but he has always shown 100% commitment to the club which has ultimately ended up with him being awarded the captaincy. Mark Robinson was an equally obscure name to most when he arrived as cover for Dawson during the 2003 World Cup, but he is another whose unwavering effort has earned him no end of fans at the club.</p><p></p><p>Matt Lord is a name probably alien to may Kiwi's, but he is yet another whose willingness to put his body on the line has earned him nothing but respect. The same with former Bay of Plenty flanker Paul Tupai. And former Australian World Cup winning lock Mark Connors. And perhaps most crucially in the case of Corne Krige, a man whose signing greatly divided opinion among the supporters, but whose devotion to the casue won over most if not all of his doubters.</p><p></p><p>There is only one guy I cn immediately think of who looked like he arrived looking for an easy retirement package - former Springbok prop Robbie Kempson. He put in little or no effort most of the time, was rightly criticised by fans and as a result had his contract prematurely terminated. (Apparently by mutual consent while he was 'injured', but I firmly believe this was spin to conceal just how angry at his <em>laissez-faire</em> attitude everyone involved with the club had become.</p><p></p><p>Foreign players are not bad for the English game and young talent can blossom playing alongside them. I firmly believe playing alongside guys like Reihana and Spencer helped Jon Clarke develop the confidence to play like he was before his injury.</p><p></p><p>Arsenalesque levels of foreign players should not be accepted, but the cosmopolitan style of NH rugby is what makes it as intense as it is, and will continue to be for the forseeable future.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SaintsFan_Webby, post: 111769"] To be fair, everyone moans about the number of Kiwis we have signed in the past, but the vast majority of them have not been star players, particularly upon arrival. Spencer is the only really world famous player to come from New Zealand. Virtually nothing was known about Reihana by Saints fans when he arrived, but he has always shown 100% commitment to the club which has ultimately ended up with him being awarded the captaincy. Mark Robinson was an equally obscure name to most when he arrived as cover for Dawson during the 2003 World Cup, but he is another whose unwavering effort has earned him no end of fans at the club. Matt Lord is a name probably alien to may Kiwi's, but he is yet another whose willingness to put his body on the line has earned him nothing but respect. The same with former Bay of Plenty flanker Paul Tupai. And former Australian World Cup winning lock Mark Connors. And perhaps most crucially in the case of Corne Krige, a man whose signing greatly divided opinion among the supporters, but whose devotion to the casue won over most if not all of his doubters. There is only one guy I cn immediately think of who looked like he arrived looking for an easy retirement package - former Springbok prop Robbie Kempson. He put in little or no effort most of the time, was rightly criticised by fans and as a result had his contract prematurely terminated. (Apparently by mutual consent while he was 'injured', but I firmly believe this was spin to conceal just how angry at his [i]laissez-faire[/i] attitude everyone involved with the club had become. Foreign players are not bad for the English game and young talent can blossom playing alongside them. I firmly believe playing alongside guys like Reihana and Spencer helped Jon Clarke develop the confidence to play like he was before his injury. Arsenalesque levels of foreign players should not be accepted, but the cosmopolitan style of NH rugby is what makes it as intense as it is, and will continue to be for the forseeable future. [/QUOTE]
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