Former Panthers in the NRL

[ACTPanthers]

I don't mind that a lot of Panthers juniors go on to other teams and play well.

We produce some of the best talent, and sometimes we don't see the potential and let a good one go. It's the nature of the beast really. Combine that with the fact that it is impossible to hold onto every junior and you have our situation.

It's the recognition and development of the talent that is key. Get good scouts and people who can spot talent, then surround that talent with people who can mitigate the deficiencies in their game to make them even better.

We as fans will always have our opinions on who we should keep from the lower grades, and they won't always (seemingly very rarely as it were) align with the views of our staff. I honestly believe there are some posters on here who would make absolutely brilliant scouts, simply based on their appraisals of certain players over the years, but a lot of us just have favourites and form opinions based on that (which is fine, as this is the best place for individual thinking and discussions on opinions).

 

[franklin2323]

Sure, but I still think we could’ve held off another year before releasing him. The club invested so much time and money into his development, give it another year and then release him if he isn’t playing regular FG footy.

We didn’t even wait to see how he’d go in FG.

Depends how it went. If he had signed some where for next season already. Given where he was in the pecking order it makes no sense to keep him

 

[franklin2323]

Two alternatives. First is the NRL take full control of development, from funding to organisation. Then you’d have a draft like in the AFL. (I understand there could be legal issues with a draft)


Second is a trade system.

You could even do both.

Problem with option one. Areas would get missed because a central body can't tell what is good or not.

trade system. Players would just pull a Matterson or call homesick to leave the clubs they don't want.

I think better option is NRL to cover a clubs junior development costs or atleast go 50/50. Or Salary Cap savings

 

[The_Frog]

We as fans will always have our opinions on who we should keep from the lower grades, and they won't always (seemingly very rarely as it were) align with the views of our staff. I honestly believe there are some posters on here who would make absolutely brilliant scouts, simply based on their appraisals of certain players over the years, but a lot of us just have favourites and form opinions based on that (which is fine, as this is the best place for individual thinking and discussions on opinions).

Even if you are a keen watcher of the lower grades, you still need contacts in the inner sanctum to know which players are problem children. I'm always happy for those far more knowlegeable than me to make these calls.

 

[herbert henry1908]

I'd like to see clubs doing it, with a trade system. But all clubs, not just a few. It has to be seen to be beneficial to produce your own players, otherwise clubs will continue to offer promising juniors more money. They'd rather win a comp and three spoons every decade by backending and frontending than finish 6th or 7th every year.

If the NRL runs the entire development show there'll be allegations of bias as to who gets which players, and it'll be kind of like a draft anyway, and may be challenged in court.

It’s weird that the AFL have kept a lid on legal challenges to their draft, but it’s the only way you can do things if HQ take over junior development.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Depends how it went. If he had signed some where for next season already. Given where he was in the pecking order it makes no sense to keep him

Strongly disagree. We aren’t talking about just any kid here, he was a star throughout the juniors. We should at least give that type of player an opportunity in FG before letting them go.

If we’d seen how he went first that could’ve quickly changed the pecking order. He’ll be a better player than Billy Burns.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Problem with option one. Areas would get missed because a central body can't tell what is good or not.

trade system. Players would just pull a Matterson or call homesick to leave the clubs they don't want.

I think better option is NRL to cover a clubs junior development costs or atleast go 50/50. Or Salary Cap savings

The trade system could be limited to juniors. For instance we have too many juniors in the halves, we could then trade with a club that has too many juniors at hooker or another position we’re low on.

This would keep current players happy as well, knowing they can’t be traded on a whim.

 

[herbert henry1908]

I don't mind that a lot of Panthers juniors go on to other teams and play well.

We produce some of the best talent, and sometimes we don't see the potential and let a good one go. It's the nature of the beast really. Combine that with the fact that it is impossible to hold onto every junior and you have our situation.

It's the recognition and development of the talent that is key. Get good scouts and people who can spot talent, then surround that talent with people who can mitigate the deficiencies in their game to make them even better.

We as fans will always have our opinions on who we should keep from the lower grades, and they won't always (seemingly very rarely as it were) align with the views of our staff. I honestly believe there are some posters on here who would make absolutely brilliant scouts, simply based on their appraisals of certain players over the years, but a lot of us just have favourites and form opinions based on that (which is fine, as this is the best place for individual thinking and discussions on opinions).

The reward is the issue. We need more compensation for doing the hard yards. Ultimately I agree with the position that we can’t keep them all, but we should at least get something in return for developing so many juniors. The first bite at them isn’t enough of a reward.

 

[Westernised Panther]

If the Eels win the premiership it will show all and sundry that you can buy premierships and leave junior development to someone else. The Bulldogs are doing the same thing, looking to poach players from elsewhere. I know the Roosters have done it to an extent to fill perceived gaps but at least some of their players were developed there. The NRL doesn't seem to want clubs doing development, but I'm not entirely sure what their alternative is.

So much for the Bulldogs so-called “Bred not Bought” catch cry from a few years ago when the Roosters raided their ranks

 

[snickers007]

The reward is the issue. We need more compensation for doing the hard yards. Ultimately I agree with the position that we can’t keep them all, but we should at least get something in return for developing so many juniors. The first bite at them isn’t enough of a reward.

Another reward is salary cap concessions for continuous service. I know that Under 20s is included in that - but not sure how they calculate it now that 20s is dead in the water,
The main problem with that is that you need to keep them for at least 5-6 years before you see any benefit.

I'm not sure what the best solution is, but I'd like to see a system where any local junior or developed player with less that 25 NRL games (or 2 seasons of Top 30 squad), can be re-signed for up to 2 years with only 50% of their salary counted towards the cap. If a club wants to lock them up for longer, they can pay full freight This would stop the Milford situation, where Broncos pay him $900k after only a dozen games, and the Raiders are left with nothing to show for their 7 years of development.

Additionally, I think the NRL should be compensating junior clubs/competitions (especially in regional areas) for NRL debuts. I'm not sure how much is the right amount, but when I think of all the Western Division players we've blooded recently (Naden, Burton, Burns, Staines, Egan, Ellis), along the other dozen across other NRL clubs, it severely weakens their competitions. If the NRL pays them $5k - $10k each player, distributed to the clubs, that allows them to bring other talent in (eg. recently retired NRL players etc).

NRL should also be funding at least 2 junior development officers per club. Any club wants more than that, they can fork out for it - but I think the NRL should be footing the majority of the bill.

 

[The_Frog]

The reward is the issue. We need more compensation for doing the hard yards. Ultimately I agree with the position that we can’t keep them all, but we should at least get something in return for developing so many juniors. The first bite at them isn’t enough of a reward.

We get the first year or so after they debut at base rates, that's about the only advantage we get. After that time you are competing with the vultures.

 

[franklin2323]

We get the first year or so after they debut at base rates, that's about the only advantage we get. After that time you are competing with the vultures.

Yeah but a draft would be no different. No guarantee they stay long term

 

[WestyLife]

Hetherington giving it to JWH is epic.

 

[The_Frog]

Hetherington giving it to JWH is epic.

The changing of the guard.

 

[mxlegend99]

Blore into Brown
Hethro into JWH

Our young blokes come through not wanting to take shit from anyone.

 

[Zampaa]

I won't be mad if we lose tamou after how Hetherington has done for nz

 

[Zampaa]

Hetherington just 1 on 1 Monstered taukeiaho on the try line. This NZ stint had been so good for him

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Hetherington just 1 on 1 Monstered taukeiaho on the try line. This NZ stint had been so good for him

He should be back next week unless they extend it.
Parramatta are loaning Alvaro and George Jennings from next week.

 

[franklin2323]

Still not sure where Hetherington plays if he comes back next week.

Good to see him take it too JWH

 

[WestyLife]

JWH refusing to shake hands the grub. It's tradition to leave it on the field going back a hundred years.