NRL talent depth seems to be very low at the moment

[eozsmiles]

There I thought the salary cap was supposed to even out the comp but especially this year there has been some serious blow outs when the top teams play the teams there cropping up the table.
Some very big floggings 50+ points.

When I was watching the Storm v Eels I was thinking both these teams have the same cap space right and yet one looks like they are NSW Cup team playing v a NRL team in a training match.

Yet people want expansion teams when we are getting such blow outs and showing the depth in talent in the game at the moment is not big enough.

The salary cap does even out the comp but it can't improve the skills of a front office or recruitment officer.

Yes, Storm and Parra have the same amount of money to spend on players. But one of them spent it on Cronk and the other Sandow. One of the teams is coached by Bellamy and the other Stuart. One is privately owned and united while the other has an unstable board.
Teams that are struggling ie Saints, parra, tigers, have all lost key players in recent times. Teams like Manly have let the right players go eg cut Hodgkinson and kept DCE, cut TRex and kept Foran. Some teams use the salary cap better than others.

Haven't even mentioned injuries yet.

The salary cap, a lack of depth, and the floggings aren't completely related. I agree there is a lack of depth that should be seriously looked at before expansion is considered, but I think that is reflected by the overall standard of play rather than the occasional flogging.

 

[Perth Red]

The salary cap, a lack of depth, and the floggings aren't completely related. I agree there is a lack of depth that should be seriously looked at before expansion is considered, but I think that is reflected by the overall standard of play rather than the occasional flogging.

Don't disagree but the major problem I have with this, and it the same argument has been mentioned by the NRL and by others, is what are they doing to grow the talent pool? They can't just say we can't expand until we have more talent, then do nothing about it. I went to a breakfast with Grant last year where he said the same thing and said there needed to be an extra 10,000+ kids playing the game to service another NRL club. Since then not $1 extra has gone into the WARL to help reach that goal. There is a massive untapped pool of 50,000 players 300kms off the North coast of Australia yet the NRL is doing nothing to find ways to tap into and develop the game in PNG, we have seen the raw talent in Fiji who if given a chance can make great first graders, RU jnrs are ripe for the cherry picking, NZRL got exactly how much out of the new TV deal to help it develop players to feed into the NRL? Yep that is right $0 despite the game taking $20million from NZTV every year. Sorry but if the pool isn't big enough then the NRL needs to get off its backside and start digging!

 

[my2centsworth]

The U/20's does seem to be stifling the development of local talent. This of course is at the backdrop of a week GBP and there seems to be multiple English players over, More NZ'ers staying in the NRL rather than ESL and more older local players retiring here.

 

[LJC]

There I thought the salary cap was supposed to even out the comp but especially this year there has been some serious blow outs when the top teams play the teams there cropping up the table.
Some very big floggings 50+ points.

When I was watching the Storm v Eels I was thinking both these teams have the same cap space right and yet one looks like they are NSW Cup team playing v a NRL team in a training match.

Yet people want expansion teams when we are getting such blow outs and showing the depth in talent in the game at the moment is not big enough.

"Seems" is the key word in your statement.

The depth is there all right, but the fact that Under 20s players are lost to the game because of no real path after turning 20 unless they are picked up. That's where our "depth" is going! Wasted.

Believe me I have been a trialist and the depth and talent for the NRL is there and in bucket loads!

The depth argument is not valid. The players are there but are not being picked up due to limits within playing numbers of clubs.

If you add more teams(which should happen) you will note that the players(2os) will have something to aspire to and somewhere to go! Simple as that!

 

[some11]

I was thinking both these teams have the same cap space right and yet one looks like they are NSW Cup team playing v a NRL team in a training match.

Compare the Storm and Eels from the top down, there's your answer.

 

[Rhino_NQ]

the fact that defence is nearly non existent in the holden cup makes it more difficult more outside backs who may be great athletes but mediocre footballers that need a bit more work.

 

[Edwahu]

Its a salary cap and not an earnings cap, and some clubs offer much better opportunities to earn then others. Its not in the NRLs interest to do anything about that.

Mismanagement also plays a big role though.

 

[joel caine number 1 fan]

the problem is lack of good halfs coming through imo its been really avg over the year