Domestic Player Rule - WC08

[Ari Gold]

I know i will get burnt for this, but i actually agree with removal of the minimum players domestic rule. We are not at a stage yet where we can put these amateur players (Ireland, Tonga etc) into such a professional environment. Quite simply, the gap is too big between the professional players and the domestic players. There would be a serious safety issue if these domestic players were put up against NRL stars. Their bodies aren't conditioned to play against such opposition, imagine a brick-layer from the Irish/Scottish side running into a few of the professional Samoan/Tongan forwards, the result could be ugly.

This World Cup (in my opinion anyway) is about generating enough funds as possible for the international game so that in the future we can close the gap between NRL/ESL players and domestic players from around the world.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I've seen CRL players play against NRL players and it's a non-issue. In fact it's patromising at best to even suggest that the best domestic players from these countries won't be able to hack it. Fiji and ONG will have plenty of domestic players and I don't expect to see them mamed just as the Americans weren't when they played the Roos or when the Russians and South Africans played the Roos in past world cups.

If NRL clubs or the NRL itself actually gave a f**k about the game in other countries the best players from those countries would be full-time pros anyway because they'd be given a chance. This rule has already allowed two Irish players to gain professional contracts when they almost certainly would have been ignored. Now we have to watch an entire squad of illegitmate grand parent rule players trotting out for a couple of games for a country they've never been to with no intention of ever playing for them again. That is what this rule means. A step backwards into illegitimacy that will become fully evident to the Australian public once again when the cup starts.

 

[Vimpy]

Now we have to watch an entire squad of illegitmate grand parent rule players trotting out for a couple of games for a country they've never been to with no intention of ever playing for them again. That is what this rule means. A step backwards into illegitimacy that will become fully evident to the Australian public once again when the cup starts.

Exactly.

 

[The Observer]

Has the domestic player rule been scrapped? When? Any link to the news? I bet Wales and the Cook Islands are thrilled about the decision, given they were willing to contest the Qualifiers and the main event with a sizable contingent of home grown talent.

 

[roughyedspud]

I know i will get burnt for this, but i actually agree with removal of the minimum players domestic rule. We are not at a stage yet where we can put these amateur players (Ireland, Tonga etc) into such a professional environment. Quite simply, the gap is too big between the professional players and the domestic players. There would be a serious safety issue if these domestic players were put up against NRL stars. Their bodies aren't conditioned to play against such opposition, imagine a brick-layer from the Irish/Scottish side running into a few of the professional Samoan/Tongan forwards, the result could be ugly.

This World Cup (in my opinion anyway) is about generating enough funds as possible for the international game so that in the future we can close the gap between NRL/ESL players and domestic players from around the world.

3 of the 10 domestic rule players that ireland & scotland picked for the WC qualifiers went on to be signed up by national league clubs,thats the best part of 30% went from the domestic leagues to one of the "major leagues" thoses being NRL,ESL,NSWRL,QLDcup,NL's & french league...thats the whole point of having the rule in the first place,to drive development...without it whats the put of samoa,tonga,ireland,scotland etc having a domestic league??

and i tell you what i'd be gutted if i was a tongan or samoa domestic because they now don't have a chance to better themselves, it was a way in for them...the domestic samoa played during the qualifiers here in the UK did'nt look out of place at all and people are forgeting that only one of these "lesser" nations are gonna get a chance to play against one of the big boys...


also i'd just like to point out that a player like *snigger* wayne kerr does'nt stop becoming a domestic even though he went to the national leagues, he is a domestic product so he counts as one even if he's not there anymore..