Why Rabbitohs have equal best junior nursery in NRL
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have a junior nursery as powerful as the Penrith Panthers — and here’s why, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.
Phil Rothfield
2 min read
March 27, 2022 - 4:41PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
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The South Sydney Rabbitohs have a junior nursery as powerful as the Penrith Panthers.
You could pick a team of their local products from around the NRL — which we have done — and it would beat most sides in the competition.
This comes down to the passion of Souths Juniors stalwart Henry Morris.
There is not a more driven person in rugby league around grassroots junior football.
Souths Juniors commit $2 million every year to provide free registration for every youngster who plays the game.
This is a far bigger commitment than the Penrith Panthers, who have actually cut funding to their pathways.
Cameron Murray (left) and Alex Johnston (right) are local juniors (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
And they never whinge — like Panthers chief executive Brian Fletcher — about providing a pathway to NRL and the fact it is impossible to keep all of them.
Independent commission chairman Peter V’landys has made participation and development programs the number one priority for the game.
He will invest more money than ever before in the battle against soccer and AFL to sign up kids.
We need more clubs like Souths to invest and develop future NRL players.
Some clubs like the Roosters and the Sea Eagles don’t have the numbers to produce their own.
But there are no excuses for the others.
TEAM OF Souths LOCALS
1 Blake Taaffe (La Perouse)
2 Alex Johnston (La Perouse)
3 James Roberts (La Perouse)
4 Campbell Graham (Coogee Wombats)
5 Josh Addo-Carr (La Perouse)
6 Dylan Walker (Mascot)
7 Adam Reynolds (Alexandria Rovers)
8 Addin Fonua-Blake (Mascot)
9 Cameron McInnes (Botany Rams)
10 Toby Rudolf (South Eastern)
11 Shaun Lane (Mascot)
12 Keaon Koloamatangi (Mascot)
13 Cameron Murray (c) (Mascot)
Bench
14 Davvy Moale (Coogee Wombats)
15 Peter Mamouzelos (Maroubra)
16 Siosifa Talakai (Mascot)
17 Nat Butcher (South Eastern)
18th man Emre Guler (Mascot) or Paul Momirovski (South Eastern) or Reimis Smith (Mascot)
.