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New Zealand 2 will deal a massive blow to NZ rugby

Wb1234

Immortal
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I was just joking about Gob.

I've managed to pick issues with pretty much every article of hers I've come across. Stuff that has been taken for granted by the Aussie reading public.

Most of the league journos I know about are from articles posted in the forum so I don't really have favourites or ones I dislike.


Is this true? 16 year olds can earn $20k? Personally I don't think that should be happening in either code.
No idea but probably

Didn’t it say the union version is way more and league needs to up it

The quality of league journos is probably the worst out of any major sport in the world

They’ve not just make stuff up but post stuff that makes no sense

So that article is one that in general is well written imo

It’s good that Aussie journos are taking such an interest in the game in nz
 

Matua

First Grade
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6,182
Didn’t it say the union version is way more and league needs to up it
Maybe I'm getting my comps muddled up? Harold Mathews is U17s right? That's schoolboy rugby equivalent, no ones getting paid to play schoolboy rugby.

The quality of league journos is probably the worst out of any major sport in the world
I think the majority of rugby journos are equivalent.
 

Matua

First Grade
Messages
6,182
School boy rugby equivalent would be school boy rugby league.
So do schoolboys play Harold Mathews and for their school?

In that case there's no equivalent to Harold Mathews in rugby as the peak rugby at that age is the various schoolboys comps (Super 8, Auckland A1, and the new South Island one).

Do you know if they're getting paid at that age like the article said?
 

Gobsmacked

First Grade
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5,921
Yeah that was me too, and when this thread was created that was completely true, at that time league had less total players than male teenage rugby players. The big % increases over the past three years is evidence that it was true.

So while it's good to see those numbers increase, something I (and Te Kaha) have been advocating for in the entirety of the thread, it has to be read with the following asterisk in mind.

I suspect a decent portion of that growth is for the week long national tournament, which does not mean those juniors are playing week in week out league (I've seen other sports attacked for using one of tournament figures on this forum), in fact many are rugby players playing a one off tournament at the end of the season. As I noted in just recently in another thread, the U18 league final in my region was played between two rugby clubs so there's a mixing of the player base (which I've alway said happens).

Also, as it's another Fatima Kdouh (who I think posts here as Gob 😉) "article" I'd like to see the actual figures in the annual report first before the champagne glasses are brought out. I don't know why Mainsbridge is even talking to her, but he's a typical hypocritical Cantab who whines about an overrated Crusaders U20 player leaving yet his team is constantly pinching players from all over the country. Although maybe he's just speaking to NZ Herald journalists who pass on quotes.


What's even dumber about George's opposition is for all their talk about wanting to be a homegrown team there's still a look towards Australia first lean to the club anyway.
Yeah I remember the pages and pages of the sky is falling on junior player numbers..
I told you then that the bulk of the decline was due to covid as previous to that was only minor and upon the return of the Warriors in NZ , the steady improvement in performance will see a dramatic shift upward... No, you said.. in my area they aren't even fielding teams...
The end of Rugby league is upon us!!
Lol

Just own up for once dip shit.

You were dead wrong... again!
 

Gobsmacked

First Grade
Messages
5,921
I was just joking about Gob.

I've managed to pick issues with pretty much every article of hers I've come across. Stuff that has been taken for granted by the Aussie reading public.

Most of the league journos I know about are from articles posted in the forum so I don't really have favourites or ones I dislike.


Is this true? 16 year olds can earn $20k? Personally I don't think that should be happening in either code.
"Is this true? 16 year olds can earn $20k? Personally I don't think that should be happening in either code."

Why? People leave school at that age to do apprenticeships and earn similar.. there's 15 year olds in maccas earning that.
 

Matua

First Grade
Messages
6,182
Yeah I remember the pages and pages of the sky is falling on junior player numbers..
I told you then that the bulk of the decline was due to covid as previous to that was only minor and upon the return of the Warriors in NZ , the steady improvement in performance will see a dramatic shift upward... No, you said.. in my area they aren't even fielding teams...
The end of Rugby league is upon us!!
Lol

Just own up for once dip shit.

You were dead wrong... again!
No I wasn't wrong at the time, and I'm not going to re-litigate everything again, but there was evidence pre Covid from Auckland RL itself that numbers were dire. If you want to pretend otherwise then go for your life, you tend to like indulging in fever dreams on this thread.

"Is this true? 16 year olds can earn $20k? Personally I don't think that should be happening in either code."

Why? People leave school at that age to do apprenticeships and earn similar.. there's 15 year olds in maccas earning that.
If they're at school I don't think they should be, which was I was asking questions about whether Harold Mathews was for school kids or not. Are the kids at Keebra Park for example getting paid that kind of money?
 

Gobsmacked

First Grade
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5,921
No I wasn't wrong at the time, and I'm not going to re-litigate everything again, but there was evidence pre Covid from Auckland RL itself that numbers were dire. If you want to pretend otherwise then go for your life, you tend to like indulging in fever dreams on this thread.


If they're at school I don't think they should be, which was I was asking questions about whether Harold Mathews was for school kids or not. Are the kids at Keebra Park for example getting paid that kind of money?
"Seriously bro, even if that is halfway true it does not compare with the state of league in NZ - league is not booming in NZ. The domestic game where I'm from is basically dead and guys on here are even saying it's not going well in Auckland, the teams I played for at school age don't exist anymore, none of the guys I used to go to Warriors games with go anymore, in fact most of them don't follow the game at all."

A Matua classic.

Mate, there's plenty of kids going to school and working at Maccas in their spare time getting more than that. I don't know why this should be any different .

Your reluctance to want to reward hard work and dedication to a sport is exactly why that sport exists.
 

Matua

First Grade
Messages
6,182
"Seriously bro, even if that is halfway true it does not compare with the state of league in NZ - league is not booming in NZ. The domestic game where I'm from is basically dead and guys on here are even saying it's not going well in Auckland, the teams I played for at school age don't exist anymore, none of the guys I used to go to Warriors games with go anymore, in fact most of them don't follow the game at all."

A Matua classic.
Why are you pretending that what exists now was what was existing back then? I mean I'm pretty sure you know how time works. You posted a quote from three years ago.

Mate, there's plenty of kids going to school and working at Maccas in their spare time getting more than that. I don't know why this should be any different .

Your reluctance to want to reward hard work and dedication to a sport is exactly why that sport exists.
You haven't actually answered any of the questions I've asked.

Do Australian schoolboys, like Keebra Park kids, get paid to play for their school? Do Harold Matthews players attend school or are they all out "working"?

And since you think carry yourself like you're the league messiah can you actually confirm they're earning up to 20k to play Harold Mathews?
 
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Wb1234

Immortal
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48,857
So do schoolboys play Harold Mathews and for their school?

In that case there's no equivalent to Harold Mathews in rugby as the peak rugby at that age is the various schoolboys comps (Super 8, Auckland A1, and the new South Island one).

Do you know if they're getting paid at that age like the article said?
Suaali played nrl from school I think

But yeh loads of nrl juniors are in school

Many in private schools that don’t even have league teams
 

Matua

First Grade
Messages
6,182
Suaali played nrl from school I think

But yeh loads of nrl juniors are in school

Many in private schools that don’t even have league teams
Yeah, but are they getting paid like the article said Harold Mathews players are, and are they the same players in the school and Harold Mathews.

Hell, if a league club had offered me private school and 20K to play Harold Mathews as a 16 year old I would have been on the plane. Not sure my Mum would have been too happy about it then.
 

Gobsmacked

First Grade
Messages
5,921
Why are you pretending that what exists now was what was existing back then? I mean I'm pretty sure you know how time works.


You haven't actually answered any of the questions I've asked.

Do Australian schoolboys, like Keebra Park kids, get paid to play for their school? Do Harold Matthews players attend school or are they all out "working"?

And since you think carry yourself like you're the league messiah can you actually confirm they're earning up to 20k to play Harold Mathews?
Lol mate, I don't care where or how they earn 20k at 16 or if they're in school.
What does interest me is why you don't think they should..
20k a year is f**k all, let's the kids earns some pocket money ya tight cúnt.

And I know exactly how time works , you were looking is the past to tell me the end of the world is upon us while I was telling you that the way everything is looking in real time with the popularity of the sport, the future is bright.

You were wrong to be pessimistic.. I was correct in my optimism.
Get over it .
 

Gobsmacked

First Grade
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5,921
Yeah, but are they getting paid like the article said Harold Mathews players are, and are they the same players in the school and Harold Mathews.

Hell, if a league club had offered me private school and 20K to play Harold Mathews as a 16 year old I would have been on the plane. Not sure my Mum would have been too happy about it then.
What planet are you from?
20k is $384 a week. It's pocket money..
Bloody hell.
 

Matua

First Grade
Messages
6,182
Lol mate, I don't care where or how they earn 20k at 16 or if they're in school.
What does interest me is why you don't think they should..
20k a year is f**k all, let's the kids earns some pocket money ya tight cúnt.

And I know exactly how time works , you were looking is the past to tell me the end of the world is upon us while I was telling you that the way everything is looking in real time with the popularity of the sport, the future is bright.

You were wrong to be pessimistic.. I was correct in my optimism.
Get over it .
I'm not a bitter prick obsessing over a code war like you so I have nothing to get over, I'm genuinely happy that things have improved. If you had any sort self awareness you would easily have seen in this posts from that time that a number of us Kiwis were concerned with the state of the game at the time, and for good reason.

You deserve some credit for guessing right back then - you would have made a mint in the NZ TAB if you'd put that bet down, although NZ2 is no closer to dealing a massive blow to NZ rugby.
 

Wb1234

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48,857
Yeah, but are they getting paid like the article said Harold Mathews players are, and are they the same players in the school and Harold Mathews.

Hell, if a league club had offered me private school and 20K to play Harold Mathews as a 16 year old I would have been on the plane. Not sure my Mum would have been too happy about it then.
Throw in the cost of a private school is 40k pa

Problem with the private school boys is they get poisoned by playing for the 1st xv and then despite being a league junior from day dot get swayed by the dark side

Suaali is the best example of being a Penrith junior then went to kings later on

Pretty sure all sports throw money at these kids as they often are in Waratahs swans and nrl club juniors then there’s a fight as to where they go
 

Gobsmacked

First Grade
Messages
5,921
I'm not a bitter prick obsessing over a code war like you so I have nothing to get over, I'm genuinely happy that things have improved. If you had any sort self awareness you would easily have seen in this posts from that time that a number of us Kiwis were concerned with the state of the game at the time, and for good reason.

You deserve some credit for guessing right back then - you would have made a mint in the NZ TAB if you'd put that bet down, although NZ2 is no closer to dealing a massive blow to NZ rugby.
There's a article this week quoting the Crusaders about the juniors going to NRL..
When an NRL franchise is on his doorstep with 15 million to spend in players, juniors ect..
Basically out bidding NZ's most successful Rugby franchise 3 to 1..

That's a f**king blow mate.

It's actually going to deal an even more massive blow than I thought!
💥
 

Matua

First Grade
Messages
6,182
Throw in the cost of a private school is 40k pa

Problem with the private school boys is they get poisoned by playing for the 1st xv and then despite being a league junior from day dot get swayed by the dark side

Suaali is the best example of being a Penrith junior then went to kings later on

Pretty sure all sports throw money at these kids as they often are in Waratahs swans and nrl club juniors then there’s a fight as to where they go
With NZ there's scholarships to private schools, but the reality is there's way more better non private rugby schools, but as far as I know players in NZ aren't getting paid to pay. I wonder if the Warriors Harold Mathews players are - I might send them an email and see if I get a response.
 

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
48,857
There's a article this week quoting the Crusaders about the juniors going to NRL..
When an NRL franchise is on his doorstep with 15 million to spend in players, juniors ect..
Basically out bidding NZ's most successful Rugby franchise 3 to 1..

That's a f**king blow mate.

It's actually going to deal an even more massive blow than I thought!
💥
The article said the warriors have signed 26 players from union juniors

It’s already happening which long term impacts the national team

The more money in league v super rugby the better this goes
 
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