Parramatta Eels and Newcastle Knights wary of NRL draft that doesnt reward junior development
Nick Walshaw
The Daily Telegraph
August 11, 2014 12:00AM
PARRAMATTA CEO Scott Seward said the Eels will be among several NRL clubs wary of a rookie draft.
We are a development club ... developing juniors is what our success is based on, he said.
As revealed in The Sunday Telegraph , NRL officials have spent the past six months exploring various forms of a draft which, considered for implementation in 2017, would aim at spreading the codes best young talent across all 16 sides.
But clubs with the strongest development systems like the Eels, Penrith and Newcastle will ask why they should continue spending in excess of $1 million every year on players who they no longer have first crack at signing.
Of the Knights team that won the 2001 premiership, for example, roughly a dozen came through the local system. Back in 1997, the figure was higher again, with even outsiders like Queensland Origin fullback Robbie ODavis having played SG Ball with the club.
It is a blueprint the club is now working to repeat.
Parramatta, too, are pushing for the NRL playoffs thanks largely to a posse of local juniors who have been catapulted into the NRL recently.
The ability to develop juniors, its one of our real strengths, Seward said. Right now, there isnt a lot of detail on the draft and were keen to have a look at it, definitely.
But developing juniors is what the success of this club is built on.
Yes, our NRL side has some imports. But weve also had a number of young players come through recently from clubs like Cabramatta.
And when you have over 7000 e juniors who youre pumping money into from the age of five up, you want to get some reward for that.
One draft variation involves clubs being allowed to hand-pick five players who are draft exempt. That would save, say, Newcastle giving up an obvious future star like Immortal Andrew Johns.
Yet if all 16 clubs are offered the same, 80 of the codes most exciting teenagers wont be involved in the draft. And how do you sell it as an event, like the NFL Draft in America?
There were also suggestions that the NRL could take over financing junior development. But as one official said: Junior development is about a lot more than outlaying cash ... its the expertise of those on the ground. Do we put a value on them, or the systems we have of identifying and nurturing young talent?
Asked about anyone taking even partial control of the Eels nursery, Seward said: Obviously it would be hard to even get us to the negotiating table for that.
But right now, little information has been made public on what any potential draft may involve. Were certainly keen to look at anything which helps the viability of the game.
Newcastle football manager Warren Smiles said that while plenty of discussion lies ahead, the Knights preferred a system where the club got to pick at least five players to remain draft exempt.
Were happy to have a look at the draft, he said.
Well said.
