ROBY MINES AUSSIE GOLD
I’ve been loyal.. but NRL cash is tempting
ONE-CLUB James Roby admits even his head could be turned by Australian offers, as NRL clubs hunt England’s World Cup stars.
Prop Alex Walmsley and winger Jermaine McGillvary are among those being targeted by leading clubs Down Under, as the salary cap difference between the hemispheres widens.
St Helens hooker Roby, 31, has remained loyal to his boyhood club all his career, turning down the chance to switch to Parramatta at one stage.
But he would not blame any player for looking at what is on offer in Australia. Roby said: “I’ve had a couple of chances but, for various reasons, I’ve never come across and I don’t regret it.
“The closest I came was a good few years ago, I nearly came to Parramatta.
“But I stayed true to my roots at St Helens – it’s a privilege to play for my hometown club and I’ve spent my whole career there to date.
“I still think I’ve got another two or three years left in me, and I would never say never.
“If the opportunity did come to play over here, it would definitely have to be an attractive offer.
“But I’m happy where I am at Saints at the minute.
“Their salary cap seems to be going up every time I read something about it so, I suppose, from a players’ point of view, you have got to take that into consideration.
“We have all got families and futures to plan for. On the other hand, we get well looked after in Super League and a lot are hometown lads, who live local. The money is good over here in Australia and I suppose that’s just an issue for people to consider on their own stage.”
Yesterday, England and Roby got an early taste of what kind of reception to expect in Saturday’s semifinal showdown with Tonga in Auckland.
Tongan supporters gave their team a rockstar welcome at a fans’ event in the city, and Roby added: “There will be a lot of Tongans here, and maybe, with the Kiwis getting knocked out, they might be on the Tongan fence rather than the England fence.
“We’re not expecting to have the majority of the crowd in our favour, but we will just have to get on with it.”