Stevo claims some Australian players come to Super League for “a bonus pension”

Recently Jenna Brooks caused a stir when she said on the Bench podcast that English clubs waste too much money on Australian players from the NRL who are past their best.

Now former Sky Sports commentator Mike ‘Stevo’ Stephenson has agreed with the assessment.

“I agree with her but this is nothing new. This has been going on for years and years and years and it brings me back to promotion and relegation.

“For years the team that’s been promoted normally buys at least four or five players from the team that’s been relegated. It’s been going on for years.

“I can remember one season Halifax they had someone with a lot of money behind them and I think for the first time ever they sent out 13 players on the field and there wasn’t one Englishman.

“Now that’s going back a few years and a lot of people were complaining and do you know what he said. ‘the fans like winning. I bought these players to come over and play’.

“They were a good side but it will still continue on because the English clubs still want them. They’re in their 30s or sometimes nearly 40s and it’s always been said in Australia. ‘Look if you want a bonus pension there’s always the UK’.

“That’s how I look at it. You can’t blame the players.

“You can guarantee that the percentage of players that do come over are past their best. That’s the way it has been.”