He's also thinking "Shit, does that mean we've made at least four of these buggers ?"

Happy New Year BB

Austria and Saudi Arabia are not part of any consortium involved with the project, they are genuine bona-fide export customers.







Where have you seen reported that the Typhoon is being ditched by the RAF?



The RAF are equipping with the latest spec jets and selling some of the lesser spec jets (that's selling, not ditching or scrapping.) Many of the Saudi order will be supplied direct from BAE just as happened in the past with Tornado and Hawk aircraft.







Aircraft numbers are being reduced (it's always happened, it always will) it's not neccessarily anymore a reflection on this type than cuts to the Tornado programme, Harrier programme or the F22 programme have been in the past.



These things happen when you procure military equipment over decades where as the threats evolve so does the kit needed to combat them. That doesn't alleviate the need to plan for the future as best you can with the information available at the time though.







What was odd is that you mentioned the USA in relation to arms sales to the Middle East as if it's something they wouldn't countenance when their biggest military customer since the end of the second world war is in fact a Middle East state and it's not the only one either.



With regards the F22:



1) The USA have the bare minimum for their own requirements.

2) US Congress have determined there will not be any F22's sold for export.

3) There will be no F22's in production after this year.

4) The cost of re-opening production once it ceases will be prohibitive.

5) The cost per airframe to the RAF would also be prohibitive.

6) The cost of training and integration is unplanned and would be prohibitive.

7) The UK government is already committed to the F35 as a versatile weapons platform able to equip across the three services as required.



In the current economic climate it's not going to happen either now or at any time for the forseeable future, to suggest otherwise is somewhat bizarre.



The Typhoon is and will increasingly provide the backbone of the RAF's fast jet, multirole capability in the short to medium term. If it doesn't ...... nothing else will and sadly with the present government that's also a possibility as it's bound to be a bit cheaper.

Will someone please get in touch with the modern day 'Bomber' Harris and get him to re-name the Eurofighter to the Wilf Rosenberg for fooks sake or at can we have a base called RAF Wilf Rosenberg or summat.

If you say so! Time will tell

Good idea as he was the "flying winger"

Quote Fred_Pickup="Fred_Pickup"As someone who had Wilf as a sports master for a short time, I find these allegations quite astonishing. He was a really nice guy. www.myshtetl.co.za/media/news/jo ... %3B-report'" "But wot 'appens if he ain't bent, Mr Bridger ...." "Camp Freddie, ever-er-ree one is bent ..."

Quote Fred_Pickup="Fred_Pickup"As someone who had Wilf as a sports master for a short time, I find these allegations quite astonishing. He was a really nice guy. www.myshtetl.co.za/media/news/jo ... %3B-report'" "But wot 'appens if he ain't bent, Mr Bridger ...." "Camp Freddie, ever-er-ree one is bent ..."

The upshot of it is, have we established if Wilf is a fully paid-up member of MOSSAD or not ?

Possibly the best thread that I've ever read on this board. Even better than the old Hels Bells discussions about Franny's thighs.....Remember them?



And I came here looking for news of the Rhinos.......

If I remember the 'Franny jock strap' threads correctly they were more Kazzy then Hels Bells.







Unlikely to find it on a thread about Wilf Rosenberg.

As ever your powers of recall are exemplary.

I thought that the way you & JC were boring on that the thread should have been about flying whingers.

I was done with the thread way before christmas (edit: end of October) but Juan got a second wind.

I saw the two great tries by Wilf in the championship semi against saints in 1961

Maybe but you wouldn't let it lie.

Just keeping you on your toes for the new season!

Yes me too. Derek Hallas played a big part in many of Wilf's tries. Much underated centre.

he certainly did

I seem to remember he played a season with Paramatta maybe with Fred Pickup

yes he went to Parramatta ,dont know who went first though .I think Fred I think maybe Derek went back to Keighley from Leeds .I wonder if 3 x leeds men played for Parra at the same time Fred ,Derek and of course Ken Thornett

I've been doing a bit of research and it looks like Ken Thornett (Paramatta 1962-1968 + 1971) played with both Derek Hallas (1963-65) and Fred Pickup (1966-6icon_cool.gif for Paramatta but not at the same time. Fred Pickup played for Manly (1964-65) and where he scored 16 tries



Talking of Kenny Thornett brings back some memories. For me still the best fullback I have seen. He was known to fans as "bucket" because he never seemed to drop the high ball. But he was known to Ozzie players as "the Mayor" because when on tour over here with the Green and Golds (after his time with Leeds) he was mobbed by admiring fans where ever he went.

I remember when Ken Thornett first arrived,at that time as kids we used to go watch them train,we used to walk with him back to the dressing room's,Arthur Clues at that time used to help out with the coaching,we had never heard Aussie accents before.We thought it was great.

Yes thanks for that about Fred Pickup I remember him going. I thought he spent all his spell at Parramatta.If he had stayed he would have figured in the Roy Francis era and probably got GB honour's but he did come back towards the end of his career and got a couple of medals

Ken Thornett was a terrific attacking FB with a lethal handoff. He used to figure a lot in the famous Lewis Jones "hanging pass" move with the object of putting a man into space.



From the base of a scrum Evans (SH) would pass to Jones (SO) who made to pass to his centres. But in the final execution of the pass would flip the ball up with wrists and soft hands to make the ball "hang" in the air as if by magic. This gave options for either Evans to run around Jones and collect the ball or for Thornett to take it at great speed and slice through with an angled run in the other direction.



This move produced many tries or yardage (as it was in those days). As opposition grew accustomed to the move Jones would vary it by following through with the pass to the centre with Evans and Thornett on dummy runs at different angles.

Talking of Derek Hallas I can still remember the try he scored in the 5-5 1st round cup game with Wigan ,in 1961 Evans passed to Jones from the scrum Jones kicked from about centre field halfway for Hallas and Rosenberg to chase

the ball just bounced nice for Hallas who ran about 15 yards to score 5-10yards in from the south stand old score board end.

Wigan equalised when geoff bootle stepped into touch on his way to score.

We got thrashed in the replay 32-7 ,but we got the holy grail the championship at the end of the season

I seem to remember getting soaked that day in a big 30k+ crowd. Big Jack Fairbank shoulder charged Billy Boston into the paddock and you could hear the contact all around the ground. Should have won on the day. I went to the replay at Central Park and we were outplayed by Ashton and their pack in front a huge crowd (mid week I think?)

yes youve got the game I was still at school so missed my first of many trips to Central park for the replay.I remember we were having games at school and the score came through.

Big Jack got sent off with Eric Ashton,but I still maintain,If Geoff Bootle had stepped into touch on his way to scoring ,but maybe it was a blessing in disguise it left us to concentrate on winning the holy grail