Post by England 3 Lions on Dec 21, 2008 0:15:29 GMT 10
Clint Newton tips UK Super League to surpass NRL
BY BRETT KEEBLE
20/12/2008 4:00:00 AM
Source: The Hearld
OUTSPOKEN former Knights and Storm back-rower Clint Newton wants to play out his career in England, where he believes Super League is on the verge of usurping the NRL as the world's premier rugby league competition.
Newton said the standard of Australian players leaving the NRL for England had improved dramatically in the past few years, and that trend would only continue as England's Rugby Football League restricts the number of imports at Super League clubs in coming seasons.
A premiership-winner with Melbourne in 2007 after he left Newcastle mid-season citing irreconcilable differences with coach Brian Smith, Newton played for Hull KR in Super League this year until a knee injury cut short his season in June. He will return to England early next month to continue pre-season training with the Robins.
Newton was reluctant to leave Australia and the NRL 12 months ago but his cold feet did not last and he quickly warmed to the English game, and lifestyle, and was keen for more.
"Obviously it was difficult for a number of reasons early, just getting used to the conditions, the different grounds, the players you're playing with and what-not," Newton told The Herald.
"I didn't know anyone there besides [Hull KR and former Storm teammate] Garret Crossman, so that was all new and challenging. But all in all, I was really impressed with Hull KR as a club, their fans are fantastic, and it's been a real pleasure to play for them.
"The club's pretty keen to extend my contract and I'm seriously considering re-signing with them and staying in England for possibly another four or five years, depending on how my body's going.
"At the moment, if there was interest from the NRL I'd possibly come back, but my priorities have changed a bit in the last six to 12 months and the way the Super League comp is trying to progress, and with the player drain that's going to happen in the NRL in the next couple of years some of their best players I don't know whether it's going to be the best competition in the world to play in.
"I spoke to [former Storm coach] Craig Bellamy about it midway through the season, and I think it's something the NRL really need to look at."
Newton, 27, said the influence of the Rugby League Professionals Association had ensured a fairer payment system across the board in the NRL.
But, as evidenced by the departure of bona fide superstars and representative players the calibre of Sonny Bill Williams, Mark Gasnier, Danny Buderus and Trent Barrett, the Australian game's elite players are vulnerable to approaches from Super League and European rugby union clubs.
"In England, they don't have a minimum wage and stuff like that, but what they do is just top up all their top-end players," he said.
"In a lot of ways that's unfair, and it's why the players association is great for the Aussie game, but what it does is it leaves itself open for big cash to be spent on the top players from Australia.
"With the quota system coming down in England in the next couple of years, they're not going to go for your six-out-of-10 Aussie players, they'll be going after your nine-out-of-10 and 10-out-of-10 players ... They are going to come hunting for the best players because those players are available and the NRL is potentially going to deteriorate because of that."
Newton returned to Australia earlier this month to be best man at former Melbourne teammate Michael Crocker's wedding last weekend, to play in his father Jack's Celebrity Classic golf tournament at Cypress Lakes this week and to attend his sister Kristie's wedding next week to former Hawthorn AFL player and current Hawks assistant coach Ben Dixon.
He said he was given time off because he started pre-season training a month before his Hull KR teammates and has also been working with some of the club's most promising juniors.
Newton had fluid drained from a bursa in his knee before he flew home to Australia but had fully recovered from that setback and resumed training on his own on Thursday.
Though reluctant to discuss it, Newton said he had also overcome the anguish caused by his break-up with girlfriend Erin Salkeld earlier this year, and the involvement of one-time best friend and long-time former teammate Josh Perry.
News of the love triangle broke in the week leading up to Manly's 40-0 mauling of Melbourne in the NRL grand final, when Newton was holidaying in Europe.
"That's nothing. I don't even give it a second thought," he said.
"It's all dead and buried and what's done is done. I'm a better person and a stronger person from everything I've gone through in the last 12 months, and I couldn't be happier at the moment."
BY BRETT KEEBLE
20/12/2008 4:00:00 AM
Source: The Hearld
OUTSPOKEN former Knights and Storm back-rower Clint Newton wants to play out his career in England, where he believes Super League is on the verge of usurping the NRL as the world's premier rugby league competition.
Newton said the standard of Australian players leaving the NRL for England had improved dramatically in the past few years, and that trend would only continue as England's Rugby Football League restricts the number of imports at Super League clubs in coming seasons.
A premiership-winner with Melbourne in 2007 after he left Newcastle mid-season citing irreconcilable differences with coach Brian Smith, Newton played for Hull KR in Super League this year until a knee injury cut short his season in June. He will return to England early next month to continue pre-season training with the Robins.
Newton was reluctant to leave Australia and the NRL 12 months ago but his cold feet did not last and he quickly warmed to the English game, and lifestyle, and was keen for more.
"Obviously it was difficult for a number of reasons early, just getting used to the conditions, the different grounds, the players you're playing with and what-not," Newton told The Herald.
"I didn't know anyone there besides [Hull KR and former Storm teammate] Garret Crossman, so that was all new and challenging. But all in all, I was really impressed with Hull KR as a club, their fans are fantastic, and it's been a real pleasure to play for them.
"The club's pretty keen to extend my contract and I'm seriously considering re-signing with them and staying in England for possibly another four or five years, depending on how my body's going.
"At the moment, if there was interest from the NRL I'd possibly come back, but my priorities have changed a bit in the last six to 12 months and the way the Super League comp is trying to progress, and with the player drain that's going to happen in the NRL in the next couple of years some of their best players I don't know whether it's going to be the best competition in the world to play in.
"I spoke to [former Storm coach] Craig Bellamy about it midway through the season, and I think it's something the NRL really need to look at."
Newton, 27, said the influence of the Rugby League Professionals Association had ensured a fairer payment system across the board in the NRL.
But, as evidenced by the departure of bona fide superstars and representative players the calibre of Sonny Bill Williams, Mark Gasnier, Danny Buderus and Trent Barrett, the Australian game's elite players are vulnerable to approaches from Super League and European rugby union clubs.
"In England, they don't have a minimum wage and stuff like that, but what they do is just top up all their top-end players," he said.
"In a lot of ways that's unfair, and it's why the players association is great for the Aussie game, but what it does is it leaves itself open for big cash to be spent on the top players from Australia.
"With the quota system coming down in England in the next couple of years, they're not going to go for your six-out-of-10 Aussie players, they'll be going after your nine-out-of-10 and 10-out-of-10 players ... They are going to come hunting for the best players because those players are available and the NRL is potentially going to deteriorate because of that."
Newton returned to Australia earlier this month to be best man at former Melbourne teammate Michael Crocker's wedding last weekend, to play in his father Jack's Celebrity Classic golf tournament at Cypress Lakes this week and to attend his sister Kristie's wedding next week to former Hawthorn AFL player and current Hawks assistant coach Ben Dixon.
He said he was given time off because he started pre-season training a month before his Hull KR teammates and has also been working with some of the club's most promising juniors.
Newton had fluid drained from a bursa in his knee before he flew home to Australia but had fully recovered from that setback and resumed training on his own on Thursday.
Though reluctant to discuss it, Newton said he had also overcome the anguish caused by his break-up with girlfriend Erin Salkeld earlier this year, and the involvement of one-time best friend and long-time former teammate Josh Perry.
News of the love triangle broke in the week leading up to Manly's 40-0 mauling of Melbourne in the NRL grand final, when Newton was holidaying in Europe.
"That's nothing. I don't even give it a second thought," he said.
"It's all dead and buried and what's done is done. I'm a better person and a stronger person from everything I've gone through in the last 12 months, and I couldn't be happier at the moment."