Here's another article, about the development of younger players. It's saying that there are more opportunities for young league players to go farther in union. This makes it sound as though there are plenty of players in league's youth system, and union could deepen it's player ranks by diverting a small percentage of them. I know this article is written from a union point of view, but is it true and could union take some of those young players without hurting league, since league has so many young players?
Emus' Niumata brothers in a league of their own
By Phil Wilkins
Friday, May 30, 2003 There are hundreds of young footballers out in Sydney's west who run like brumbies and charge around the plains like emus but, unlike the Niumata brothers, most of them get lost before they are corralled in Nepean Rugby Park. Glen Liddiard, former first-grade rugby league five-eighth of 100 games for Paramatta and Penrith, shakes his head in astonishment at the failure of rugby union to attract droves of frustrated young leaguies with the promise of a grade rugger jumper and the lure of a rich contract. "When I was playing league I saw up to 400 young blokes a year trialling for grade positions and sometimes not one of them making it," he said. "Overseas contracts are for the fortunate few in league. At least in rugby union if you don't win a contract here, you can go overseas and earn good money as well as having the opportunity to travel. "In rugby league, if you are not discovered and signed up by 16 or been chosen for Australian Schools or picked in an SG Ball team, you have not got a chance of making it in the big time.<br clear=all> "Penrith junior rugby league is the biggest in the world. Even if we got 10 per cent of those kids we'd be laughing. "Rugby league was good for me but in my view running around in A-grade is rubbish when you could be playing grade rugby. Too many of these kids miss out in the trials and give football away. We'd love to see them up here at Penrith." Pete Niumata is a league player who was sidetracked into rugby union. Big, strong and mobile, he so impressed in one sensational season for the Emus last winter that he was signed up by the Queensland Reds, as were Warringah half Josh Valentine and Gordon's five-eighth/fullback Julian Huxley. The 22-year-old prop so impressed Queensland officials that they offered him captaincy of the Queensland B team. He refused it to concentrate on learning the game. He signed up again yesterday with Andrew Slack's Reds. Slack said of Niumata: "He's been terrific. He's a great kid and a really good footballer. I think he will develop into a real force for us." Liddiard was out scouting wide last season at a junior rugby league grand final and spotted a big, strong prop who appealed to him as a potential rugby player. "His work rate was unbelievable. When they put in a kick, he would be first there 60 metres back and hitting the ball up," Liddiard recalled. It's a small world. Coincidence of coincidences, the player's name was Niumata - Tito Niumata. And, yes, brother of Pete.
