Melbourne born player to debut tonight

[Knownothing]

At Last the Melbourne Storm are finally going about it the right way.

You can't seriously expect Melbournians to have passion for a team of transplanted New South Welshmen, Queenslanders and Kiwis...

AFL fans in Melbourne don't care where their players are born. Jim Stynes is a classic example.

 

[StormHi]

Thought he had a pretty good debut he diddnt let the first half mistakes damper his enthusiasm
And effort (he had Idris the biggest human on the planet running at him all night lol) frankly I thought he was better then Quinn........

And I thought he showed a ton of hart and courage to get back into the thick of things after his ko due to Gordon's accidental knee's to the face lol

 

[Canard]

AFL fans in Melbourne don't care where their players are born. Jim Stynes is a classic example.

In fact there draft almost guarantees that sides dont have "local" players in the side.

In the modern day world of sport its hard to believe that the casual fan actually feel that strongly about locals, unless they are die-hard supporters.

The UK and US sports worlds have literally no locals in there major codes sides.

 

[Óglaigh na hÉireann]

In fact there draft almost guarantees that sides dont have "local" players in the side.

In the modern day world of sport its hard to believe that the casual fan actually feel that strongly about locals, unless they are die-hard supporters.

The UK and US sports worlds have literally no locals in there major codes sides.

So why is such huge empahsis placed placed on "Local Talent" in rugby league these days?

I'd rather my club win a premiership with a whole host of local juniors who were nurtured from surrounding suburbs of where I grew up rather than win a premiership with "purchased talent"

 

[Cloudsurfer]

The real benefit of Mahe's inclusion in the FG and debut is the effect it will have on young Victorian league players. One of their own has got there, a few more are on their way & the message is that there is a pathway for them in Victoria if they work hard and are passionate enough to give it a go. There's no reason why the talent isn't there too. It is a watershed moment for VRL

 

[Canard]

So why is such huge empahsis placed placed on "Local Talent" in rugby league these days?

I'd rather my club win a premiership with a whole host of local juniors who were nurtured from surrounding suburbs of where I grew up rather than win a premiership with "purchased talent"

So do I my fake Irish AFL troll mate.

I think its great that League CAN offer the pathway for a local kid to his top side that AFL cant, and we should market that.

However, other than pissing contests on this forum however is there actually this need in the "casual" sporting fan.

For example I doubt that is a reason why the Storm arent averaging 80K per game.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

So do I my fake Irish AFL troll mate.

I think its great that League CAN offer the pathway for a local kid to his top side that AFL cant, and we should market that.

However, other than pissing contests on this forum however is there actually this need in the "casual" sporting fan.

For example I doubt that is a reason why the Storm arent averaging 80K per game.

You are probably right but it might also be that apart from the limited number of league fans in Melbourne (or the whole of Victoria) compared to other areas, and the lack of support they get through the bias of the media who are AFL-centric, the grassroots league clubs in Victoria & the kids/parents that belong to them can finally hang their hats on something real & relevant to them - there could be a sense of ownership that the Storm wasn't able to offer before, being a franchise placed there. And you're right about marketing it - they should market the hell out of the Victorian kids coming through (I think they probably do now but not sure) - Mahe's debut makes it real and if promoted well...

 

[Perth Red]

Tv exposure, newsprint exposure, game in schools and at grass roots, marketing

All things that need to be improved before we can expect RL to conquer any new frontier.

 

[Evenflow]

Bred in Canberra - as you said.

It's near impossible to call who's the dumbest poster is to grace LU out of yourself and Bunniesman but i reckon you've put your nose ahead after that little gem. How in the hell was he bred in Canberra when he was born in Melbourne, went to his first training session and learnt the game in Melbourne, played in the under 15's and 18's for Victoria while he still lived in Melbourne yet still be bred in Canberra you clueless halfwit? :lol:

 

[thorson1987]

Well loudstrat said he was bred in Canberra, must mean Inglis was bred in QLD

 

[BunniesMan]

He's obviously a genuine born and bred victorian. Loudy is an idiot. If he or other mexicans become genuinely good I hope NSW is smart enough to recruit them.

 

[Frailty]

He's obviously a genuine born and bred victorian. Loudy is an idiot. If he or other mexicans become genuinely good I hope NSW is smart enough to recruit them.

Under eligibility he is falls into NSW due to him playing with the storm in NSW Junior reps.

 

[Evenflow]

He's obviously a genuine born and bred victorian. Loudy is an idiot.

Credit where it's due, you do very occasionally speak some sense. Though i'm sure you'll let me down again within reading your next few posts.....

 

[Perth Red]

Going to be fun to explain State of Origin to a non RL fan in years to come.

"Origin? yeh it is NSW v Q'land. Well actually no you don't have to be from NSW or Q'land. Yeh I know its called Origin but it doesn't actually mean where you originate from. See him he's a Kiwi, and he's Fijian, yeh he was born and bred Victorian but played a year in ACT, and that guy there is a sandgroper and only ever played in Perth. You don't understand? Don't ask me, just enjoy the game!"

 

[typicalfan]

It is not as though the Storm finally decided to create a pathway for victorian based players to be introduced into the side. Mahes debut is the tip of the iceberg. He will definitely not be the last and the juniors down there are full of them. Even Jeremy Smith and Gareth Widdop spent some time down in the local system there.

This is work that has been done for years coming to fruition.

 

[PaddyBoy]

So why is such huge empahsis placed placed on "Local Talent" in rugby league these days?

I'd rather my club win a premiership with a whole host of local juniors who were nurtured from surrounding suburbs of where I grew up rather than win a premiership with "purchased talent"

How is that the choice?

The choice is usually "Would I rather win a premiership or watch a team full of scrubs from a small group of postcodes get smashed by 80 points every week". If a player is from the area that's great, but only if they're good enough, you can afford them, and there aren't obviously better choices avaliable.

 

[madunit]

Something I'm curious about: what's the go with his Origin eligibility? Uncharted territory here. Does he get to play for whoever he wants/whoever picks him first?

he can't play origin, all his rep footy has been for Victoria.

Furthermore, I believe he is of Tongan descent, so he'd probably represent them anyways.

 

[madunit]

Widdop played nearly all his junior footy in Victoria.

Peter Wallace and Timana Tahu were both born in Victoria as well.

Storm have a long list of kids about to join their NYC team over the next 2 years who are all Victorian born.

 

[Loudstrat]

He wasnt "bred" in Canberra, you dumb arsehole.

:lol:

Hooked a few mullets - obviously tongue in cheek dig about the "born and bred" in Victoria when he went north to crack it in SG Ball. He's far more Victoria than Inglis is Queensland for instance. And Perth Red's clueless digs at Tamou who was in the Bunnies junior system since he was 13 - you dont bag him as well?

His Raiders jumper means he is NSW eligible.

 

[Perth Red]

:lol:

Hooked a few mullets - obviously tongue in cheek dig about the "born and bred" in Victoria when he went north to crack it in SG Ball. He's far more Victoria than Inglis is Queensland for instance. And Perth Red's clueless digs at Tamou who was in the Bunnies junior system since he was 13 - you dont bag him as well?

His Raiders jumper means he is NSW eligible.

No his SGBall jumper makes him eligible for NSW. Just happens storm didn't have an SG Ball team then, all storm and Perth SG B all players are eligible for nsw. We have had another North beach player just sign for souths logan so guess he will be eligible for Q'land.