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Polyneysians In the Junior Ranks

marlow

Juniors
Messages
61
Not wanting to sound like a white supremascist, but something needs to be done about polyneysians in the junior ranks of the game. They are quite frankly, bashing the lighter whiter, less physically mature kids out of the game. To keep white kids, who represent the majority of the population and therefore the most important commercial market in the game, we need action to be taken. I coach juniors in SE QLD, and in our under twelves team we are split 50/50 polyneysian/ caucasian. But our polyneysian kids are huge, we have a couple who would be realistically pushing 100kg and a few more at around 80kg, which is monstrous for a twelve year old. We all like to crow about the parra/ penrith junior bases but they are now 50% polyneysian. This is not a a bad thing in that so many young polyneysian kids are playing rugby league, what is bad is they are destroying the will of your average 50kg white twelve year old to play the greatest game of all. Parra and penriths juniors have always been this size, but until recently they were probably 80% caucasian with a smattering of all different races thrown in, so in essence we have lost roughly 2000 kids from the heyday. If these kids were still playing along with their polyneysian friends, this would be great for rugby legaue.
My thoughts immediatly turn to age weight categories until say 15, when caucasians start to mature to the polyneysians level, touch and oz tag spring to mind as well. Above all rules have to be made so that we encourage both polynesian and caucasian to play rugby league.
 
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ucantseeme

Juniors
Messages
1,729
Maybe tell the islander parents not to feed their kid so much.

100kg at 12 years old. Geez why not play first grade.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
this threads been done a million times... I think most people agree that weight divisions are a good idea in some form.

I think starting from Mod League (under 9s if i remember correctly) up to u16s there should be a weight limit. Players can be forced to move a maximum of 2 ages up, so we don't have the problem of a huge 9 year old playing with teenagers. Also, I think the highest division should be open weight.
 
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Molly

Juniors
Messages
472
This is an issue that has been discussed at numerous levels. The reality is that it is alienating some kids from playing RL.

I know a proposed solution has been to revert back to weight divisions as oppossed to age in juinior ranks. Perhaps ,Under 15 and below has been suggested. Not sure how they suggested the weights be split though.

I am not sure of the answer, to me, the weight divisions seems to be worth a go if this is a growing concern amongst players and parents. After all, the growth of other codes is relaint on generational change and the attraction for these kids might be that they see the AFL as less physical and perhaps safer.

Its an issue worth keeping an eye on.
 

coach

Guest
Messages
1,431
Its a big problem (excuse the pun). Not sure what the answer is. Possibly weight divisions instead of age. But what ever something needs to be done.

I just hope the NRL/ARL don't hide it away as not to offend the Polyneysians.
 

innsaneink

Referee
Messages
29,362
The ARL have gone with the 5m rule from next season in 13's and 14's to counter this somewhat.
Needs to be from 12's to 15's imo....ridiculous having kids playinga different game for 2 years. My sons u'14s next year, his grade get one year of 5m then back to 10....

He knows several kids (on the samller side) that have left the game, gone to AFL

If they can bring in 5m for two grades nationally, they can bring in weighted grades, in comps that have the numbers you can also have it open (rep standard)
 

j0nesy

Bench
Messages
3,747
Several 12 year old kids 80-100kg. Goodness gracious me we are breeding a race of giants. I remember getting smashed as an 75kg 15 year old playing shoolboys and thinking, damn these islander boys are big fellas. Bottom line is they're built for the game, you might be able to even things out at junior level, but they're generally bigger people, even as adults. There's no easy answer, perhaps we should look to Japanese rugby for clues? ;-)
 

marlow

Juniors
Messages
61
Their bigger as adults on average, but no that much bigger to be frank. Look at the NRL biggest players are dave taylor and sam burgess. As adults, their still suited to the game obvioulsy and are good athletes, but the size differential is cut out essentially because u cant be over around 110 kg on the whole and still be fit enough to play rugby league, in regions where there are large polynesyain communities, age weight is the go to stop the drift to AFL of many young caucasian guys.
 

skrabsta

Juniors
Messages
67
From memory, Penrith Juniors were discussing bringing in one weight division per age group where the weight was capped. The only draw back would be if you chose to play in that division you were not eligible for Rep teams that season. I dont think there was much of demand for it as it never got off the ground.
 

innsaneink

Referee
Messages
29,362
From memory, Penrith Juniors were discussing bringing in one weight division per age group where the weight was capped. The only draw back would be if you chose to play in that division you were not eligible for Rep teams that season. I dont think there was much of demand for it as it never got off the ground.

Yeh there was talk, nothing else I think....too hard basket

But they can implement 5m rule for two grades country wide from next year
 

marlow

Juniors
Messages
61
yes i heard penrith wanted to split into weight divisions, which would have essentially been "polyneysian and caucasian" and voted against it. Strange. 5m rule will be good, but its all about promoting the code and getting kids playing rugby league.
 

mxlegend99

Referee
Messages
23,004
I like the idea of having two divisions in each age group. ie:

Under 12's - No Restrictions
Under 12's - 60kg and Under (or whatever is a reasonable weight for 12 year olds)

The option shouldn't apply to the Toyota Cup ofcourse. But while the kids are basically still babies they could give that option as Polynesian kids bodies seem to develop a lot faster then most other kids. The restricted class might not be popular at first, but if they kept it going they shouldn't have any trouble attracting more people to the game. I don't think they should remove the rep game eligibility, but they should definitely make any players aware that the rep classes have no weight limits.
 

innsaneink

Referee
Messages
29,362
I like the idea of having two divisions in each age group. ie:

Under 12's - No Restrictions
Under 12's - 60kg and Under (or whatever is a reasonable weight for 12 year olds)


The option shouldn't apply to the Toyota Cup ofcourse. But while the kids are basically still babies they could give that option as Polynesian kids bodies seem to develop a lot faster then most other kids. The restricted class might not be popular at first, but if they kept it going they shouldn't have any trouble attracting more people to the game. I don't think they should remove the rep game eligibility, but they should definitely make any players aware that the rep classes have no weight limits.

Thats great where you have the numbers to do this (ie: Penrith had
41 u/ 12's teams 2009)...Balmain had nine

It'd have to be all or nothing imo...
 
Messages
14,028
Not a fan of weight restrictions. What's going to happen is some kid is going to go though the ranks as a prop, then get to open weight, where he'll break the scales at around 85kg, too small to be a prop, but he doesn't have the skills to play in the halves, and he'll just give the game up at an older age.
 

BLKOUT!

Juniors
Messages
1,371
I was 6'2 and 85kg at 12 and even though I was a sh*t football player most people on other teams were petrified of me, though every guy I encountered who was bigger than me was an Islander. As someone else mentioned they are not generally THAT much bigger than everyone else as adults, they seem to just peak earlier which is what happened to me. I don't know about weight divisions, I kinda feel like if a kid is going to quit because people are bigger than him then he's probably never going to turn into much of a player anyway.

That being said I can understand parents at younger age levels being concerned because you can get seriously hurt if you're a normal sized 10-11 year old playing against someone who weighs as much as an adult.
 
Messages
14,028
Most big blokes dominate the younger age groups because the guys are scared to tackle them. If someone goes in with any vigor and courage, 99% of them fall down like a sack of spuds. Most of them score tries when the kids try to arm/shirt grab, or make a poor attempt at tackling them.
 

BOMAR

Juniors
Messages
155
I have to say weight divisions will have their own share of problems. I actually have found over the years the problem really is not the size of the kid but how many you have in the same team. I think there should be a cap on how many you can have in the same team. The stronger clubs like st marys, wenty, cabra have 110 kg forwards 100 kg centres and wingers. Two or three big boppers all having a run a set the smaller boys can handle but having a whole side of giants is where it is actually becoming dangerous. This rule would stop the super sides and actually make alot of the comps more competative. Penrith have the bigest jnr base and are finding it hard to field enough 1st div sides that can be competative because of the problem.
 

innsaneink

Referee
Messages
29,362
Most big blokes dominate the younger age groups because the guys are scared to tackle them. If someone goes in with any vigor and courage, 99% of them fall down like a sack of spuds. Most of them score tries when the kids try to arm/shirt grab, or make a poor attempt at tackling them.

So what do you do when a kid consistently refuses to put his shoulder into the tackle?

Ive found not a lot of emphasis is placed on tackling technique, most jnr coaches know they wont have a squad that can all tackle ala Linc Withers.

Keeping the teams on a similar scale will keep these kids that dont have the heart or techniqyue in the game longer.
I kinda feel like if a kid is going to quit because people are bigger than him then he's probably never going to turn into much of a player anyway.
Its not really about that, its about keeping the kids in OUR game
 
Messages
14,028
So what do you do when a kid consistently refuses to put his shoulder into the tackle?

No idea, it's a mental thing. When I played, we were basically told, if you go in with no effort, you'll get hurt, if you go in with the shoulder you'll be fine. Most of the big blokes still carves us up all day. Then again, one of the big blokes we all thought was invincible was tackled by our hooker (in under 12s he would've been 45kg at most, the bloke he brought down would've been around 70kg, and quick enough to play in the centres).
 
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