Why don’t NRL clubs buy Union players anymore?

[myrrh ken]

Taking a risk and developing promising juniors is a bit different to poaching select elite players after the time and money has been invested in them.

 

[Perth Red]

England Union clubs have a salary cap 1.5mil higher than NRL clubs but its spread over larger squads, so on average NRL players get paid more. As for the French Top 14 ... Its such a mess who would know what their cap is ? Its a competition propped up by French billionaires happy to loose millions every season to have a d&%k measuring contest.

It’s $4million more than nrl in England plus 2 marquee signings which make it significantly more
French union is double plus plus
Then you have the top up contracts for the internationals

sht game but if your good at it you get paid well.

 

[bazza]

As others have said, league pillages Union at schoolboy level. I know there are many more but off the top of my head the following have represented Australia Rugby Union Schoolboys

Tepai Moeroa
Cameron Murray
Dane Gagai
Angus Crichton
Cooper Cronk
Kayln Ponga
Luke Keary
Billy Smith
Brodie Croft
Tyson Frizzel
Jayden Sa'u
Connor Watson
and the Rabbits have just signed Lochlan Ilias and Joseph Suaalii

The ARU have identified the huge drain of talent as an area that they desperately need to fix to become competitive again. Recently they have beaten big interest from NRL teams to sign Apensia Dritit and Billy Pollard. It'll be interesting to see what happens with jnr talent in the future.

How many of those are league players who only play union because of the school they go to? Some may even be in junior rugby league programs while playing schoolboy union

I am guessing at school leaving age you pick the sport you prefer or which ever offers you the best deal in the short term

 

[bazza]

As for NZ rugby as a target I thought this would be prime. I’ve got relatives over there and watched a lot of games domestic and regional games. It’s a whole different style of play in NZ versus what a lot of us league fans have seen and loathe. They throw the ball around and honestly it’s brilliant to watch.. not a penalty party that you see in internationals.. loads of talent but not really targeted much.

I guess in NZ they have 5 pro teams in super rugby and their domestic RU comp pays some money - so for a small country there are plenty of opportunities to play professionally
If you want to play league it is either the warriors or move to Australia

 

[Perth Red]

How many of those are league players who only play union because of the school they go to? Some may even be in junior rugby league programs while playing schoolboy union

I am guessing at school leaving age you pick the sport you prefer or which ever offers you the best deal in the short term

A lot of kids play Union at school and league on a weekend, that's certainly the case in WA at least. Union still has a better schools program in a lot of States so not surprising kids are playing both. The early career opportunities are better in League due to the number of prof. clubs in comparison to Union and the money thrown at 16 -17 year olds is more than Union is doing so not surprising we see a lot of kids who've played union opt for League, then the better ones sometimes swap back to Union when they've made it. Such is the nature of having two codes very similar.

I'd love to see the NRL spending more grass roots money on schools programs in non RL states, that's where you could get a lot of traction and quash Union I reckon.

 

[kris rebane]

Explain me. Why just obsession with NZ and islanders players of Union!?

is this BBC cuckold obsession!?

The world is big and so is the rugby union world.


For example, Georgia.
Decent rugby country. Not paying well. You try to tell me that there is no NRL quality there!? Just on statistics justify me please.

Romania similar.

why not NFL discards (since u have BBC obsession).

And why not Estonia! My nation! I say this 6 months ago there is raw talent. I wrote to NRL and England includong HULL and no one get back to me.

so you think a nation of big guys with nothing to do but ram heads together and kill each other In street CNt make it in league?