This whole issue shows how incompetant most clubs are, particularly the NSW clubs. There is no reason why the under 20s must increase to 21 or 22 except if you're feeder system between u20s and first grade is rubbish. Hands up NSW clubs.
I was talking to a bloke from the Broncos recently and asked him about this exact thing. He said that they like the u20s concept and they hope it stays as is. He said their attitude comes from the fact that they use it properly. At the Broncos they put their best 18 year olds into the u20 side this year but their best 20 year olds played Qld Cup. This will be the same in 2009, so the kids who are still u20 will leave the u20s and play in the Qld Cup. It's because the Broncos treat the Qld Cup as the main feeder to the NRL, not the u20s. They think that most players must play in the senior comp before they are ready to play NRL, especially the forwards, and know that some players take longer to mature and must be given a chance to remain in the system, again especially forwards. So that's why they have such an extensice feeder club network with Easts, Norths, Redcliffe, Wynnum, Burleigh and Centrals all feeding into the Broncos. The reason the NSW clubs are stuffed is because they treated the under 20s like a replacement for the Premier League, especially dullards like the Dragons, and they've been left with weak feeder structures between the 20s and first grade. They also thought that under 20s would feed straight into first grade without too much trouble, until they started to realise, "hang on, duh some players develop later". Morons.
