NRL needs a rookie draft

[I Bleed Maroon]

This would just encourage bad behavior. Clubs that regularly roll out the chequebook instead of develop their own juniors like the Roosters would just rely on the draft to snatch up juniors from others. It would also encourage tanking for draft picks like we see in the AFL. The negatives outweigh the positives basically.

 

[hellteam]

Draft wouldn't work in league. Obviously it doesn't always happen like this but Broncos fans want to see Bris juniors play for them. Knights want to see local juniors play for them. And so on and so on.

It could be a roll on effect from Origin, not sure, but league supporters seem much more "tribal" to their specific areas than other sports.

Plus the whole tanking issue

 

[titoelcolombiano]

You can thank Terry Hill. It was challenged in court and found to be a restraint of trade so was abandoned.

 

[umina panther]

You can thank Terry Hill. It was challenged in court and found to be a restraint of trade so was abandoned.

Only useful thing that piece of shit ever did

 

[adamkungl]

This would just encourage bad behavior. Clubs that regularly roll out the chequebook instead of develop their own juniors like the Roosters would just rely on the draft to snatch up juniors from others. It would also encourage tanking for draft picks like we see in the AFL. The negatives outweigh the positives basically.

Others wouldn't have juniors if there was a draft genius. And it wouldn't be possible to poach juniors, even if they did exist, because they would all be at the mercy of the draft first.

There would be total separation between NRL and junior leagues. Clubs would no longer run junior areas. Clubs would scout to determine draft picks rather than scout to sign up promising players on immediate contracts.

I don't like the draft idea for NRL but most of the reasons in this thread are way off.

"Other clubs will steal our juniors"
No, you would no longer have any juniors to steal.

"restraint of trade Terry Hill etc"
This could easily be negotiated with the RLPA if the will was there.

"it didn't work 30 years ago"
Something not working decades ago is never a good reason to shelf it forever.

"no one would develop juniors if clubs don't"
The majority of players outside of Sydney are not in a club-run junior league.

 

[Perth Red]

The games too immature and parochial to consider it. Next.

 

[Danish]

Draft would be stupid in the NRL.

The reason there is intrigue in the US drafts js because millions of people have already been watching those players’ careers for several years in college. Everyone knows who the blue chip players are after having watched them dominate on nationally televised games that rate better at times than the pros.

What would an NRL draft be? 99% of fans struggling to give a shit about which team selected a random 17 y.o from SG ball

 

[Perth Red]

Draft would be stupid in the NRL.

The reason there is intrigue in the US drafts js because millions of people have already been watching those players’ careers for several years in college. Everyone knows who the blue chip players are after having watched them dominate on nationally televised games that rate better at times than the pros.

What would an NRL draft be? 99% of fans struggling to give a shit about which team selected a random 17 y.o from SG ball

Its like we need an under 20's comp. Oh hang on!

 

[Danish]

Its like we need an under 20's comp. Oh hang on!

The under 20s players were already contracted to NRL clubs numbnuts.

 

[Perth Red]

The under 20s players were already contracted to NRL clubs numbnuts.

They were, but if it was independent of NRL clubs they wouldn't be and would feed the draft. numbnuts.

The game has not yet matured enough to be beyond its league clubs history and NRL clubs being an extension and connection of that. Nor is it national enough to need a draft at this time. Better we stick with our suburban NSW mentality and whinge when one of "your" players gets "poached" by someone.

 

[franklin2323]

Others wouldn't have juniors if there was a draft genius. And it wouldn't be possible to poach juniors, even if they did exist, because they would all be at the mercy of the draft first.

There would be total separation between NRL and junior leagues. Clubs would no longer run junior areas. Clubs would scout to determine draft picks rather than scout to sign up promising players on immediate contracts.

I don't like the draft idea for NRL but most of the reasons in this thread are way off.

"Other clubs will steal our juniors"
No, you would no longer have any juniors to steal.

"restraint of trade Terry Hill etc"
This could easily be negotiated with the RLPA if the will was there.

"it didn't work 30 years ago"
Something not working decades ago is never a good reason to shelf it forever.

"no one would develop juniors if clubs don't"
The majority of players outside of Sydney are not in a club-run junior league.

No one comes to NRL straight from the bush so there is some form of development

 

[adamkungl]

No one comes to NRL straight from the bush so there is some form of development

For a draft to work NSW Cup would have to be restructured with no direct links between Cup clubs and NRL clubs.
There would still be development, but it would be done by NSW Cup clubs instead of NRL clubs.

I don't doubt this is what Richo was aiming for with his Platinum League. If the NRL went in that direction a draft would be the next logical step. NRL clubs would become purely professional franchises. Easier to relocate with no actual attachment to any local area...

 

[Springs09]

They were, but if it was independent of NRL clubs they wouldn't be and would feed the draft. numbnuts.

The game has not yet matured enough to be beyond its league clubs history and NRL clubs being an extension and connection of that. Nor is it national enough to need a draft at this time. Better we stick with our suburban NSW mentality and whinge when one of "your" players gets "poached" by someone.

How the hell is that 'mature'? Do you mean modern?

How is keeping the history of our clubs important immature? Yeah let's scrap them all and replace them with 15 franchises pulled out of our arse and fill them with random players through a draft.

 

[T-Boon]

.

 

[T-Boon]

teams tanking. Good teams enticing players not to hit the draft. Even this way is messy

thankfully the NBA is working on solving that for us, they are going to sought out some better lottery system.

 

[Perth Red]

How the hell is that 'mature'? Do you mean modern?

How is keeping the history of our clubs important immature? Yeah let's scrap them all and replace them with 15 franchises pulled out of our arse and fill them with random players through a draft.

Ah the old strawman argument, it has to stay the same or it will be something totally different we will all hate. well done on getting that one in lol.

Imagine a world where the Sydney clubs are in the minority and the majority of NRL clubs don't have league clubs or suburb based jnr development responsibilities. It starts to make more sense.

Like said it is likely what Richo's long term planning document was about and we may well be slowly seeing it happen with the potential development of the NSW and Qland comps national second tier programs that could also be responsible for all Jnr development, leaving the NRL clubs to concentrate on being professional sustainable sports businesses at the top tier.

 

[T-Boon]

For a draft to work NSW Cup would have to be restructured with no direct links between Cup clubs and NRL clubs.
There would still be development, but it would be done by NSW Cup clubs instead of NRL clubs.

The beauty of this is we would suddenly see "thinking" from outside the 16 clubs. Presently we have a very shallow pool of thinking.
The game would delevope. New ideas about how to play would flow. Coaches would come into the NRL system with new ideas. Not just slight variations on Bellamy ideas. Someone would come along with the guts to go "lets try this I think it could trump the wrestle".

 

[Danish]

They were, but if it was independent of NRL clubs they wouldn't be and would feed the draft. numbnuts.

The game has not yet matured enough to be beyond its league clubs history and NRL clubs being an extension and connection of that. Nor is it national enough to need a draft at this time. Better we stick with our suburban NSW mentality and whinge when one of "your" players gets "poached" by someone.

I’m a roosters fan, buddy. We are the ones who poach.

Drafts only work when fans can be invested in who is selected. That can only happen in the US, as they have a very unique high school and collegiate sport set up in which players’ careers are followed intently from a very early age. That fandom also means huge amounts of money are independently pumped into these sports systems, allowing highly professional coaching and development to occur, so the players being pumped out are genuine professionals. Having this level of interest also in turn leads to going first in the draft as being highly prestigious, and something to be strived for.

None of that will never happen in the NRL, nor would it in any other nation really outside of the US

 

[Life's Good]

Draft would be stupid in the NRL.

The reason there is intrigue in the US drafts js because millions of people have already been watching those players’ careers for several years in college. Everyone knows who the blue chip players are after having watched them dominate on nationally televised games that rate better at times than the pros.

What would an NRL draft be? 99% of fans struggling to give a shit about which team selected a random 17 y.o from SG ball

Exactly my thoughts.

If it’s aimed at creating interest /ratings then forget it. I love my league but sure as sh*t wouldn’t watch it nor would most kids who cant concentrate for more than 15 minutes.
If a draft is for spreading talent to create a more equal competition then I give you multiple GF winners since the turn of the century.
I’m happy to say even diehard AFL supporters think their draft is a w*nk.

 

[T-Boon]

I
Drafts only work when fans can be invested in who is selected. That can only happen in the US, as they have a very unique high school and collegiate sport set up in which players’ careers are followed intently from a very early age.

The Canadian Football League has a draft and they select from a college system that nobody seems to care about.
I bet you could say the same about American Major League Soccer. Nobody cares about college soccer.
Maybe we should have a second tier of universities and clubs like Newtown, Wenty, Bears etc.