Oldest / youngest players in the NRL

[Willow]

Survey: Barrett youngest captain in NRL
02 May, 2002 Article by Steven Williams Coming into round eight of the NRL will see St George Illawarra, one of the youngest aged teams in the NRL taking on one of the oldest in the Northern Eagles. Research into the average ages of teams competing in this year's NRL competition has revealed that Trent Barrett is the youngest of the captains to lead his side out this weekend. Barrett turned 24 last November. The average age of the Dragons is a low 23.12 years but the youngest aged team in the competition are the North Queensland Cowboys who came in with an average of only 22.71 years. The Canterbury Bulldogs are the competition's oldest aged team with an average of 25.53 years. Not far behind are the Penrith Panthers with an average of 25.06 years, marginally older than the Northern Eagles who came in at 25.0 years. Not surprisingly, the NRL's oldest player is Allan Langer who turns 36 in July. Such is the endurance of Langer that he is now a generation older than one of the NRLs youngest player, Cronulla's Greg Bird, aged just 17 years. Bird won't turn 18 until October. Members of the thirty-something club include Jason Death (South Sydney, 30), Matthew Johns (Cronulla, 30), Darren Smith (Canterbury, 33), Steve Reardon (Canterbury, 30), Darren Senter (Wests Tigers, 30), Brett Mullins (Roosters, 30), Brad Fittler (Roosters, 30), Andrew Gee (Brisbane, 32), Allan Langer (Brisbane, 35), Billy Peden (Newcastle, 32), Ivan Cleary (Warriors, 31), Kevin Campion (Warriors, 30), Robbie Kearns (Melbourne, 30), Colin Ward (Penrith, 31), John Cross (Penrith, 30) and Scott Sattler (Penrith, 30). Players of the future include teenagers, Greg Bird (Cronulla, 17), Michael Russo (Storm, 18), Ashley Alberts (Cowboys, 18), Matt Bowen (Cowboys, 19), Jaiman Lowe (Cowboys, 19), Luke Lewis (Penrith, 18), Luke Rooney (Penrith, 19), Joel Clinton (Penrith, 19), Michael Robinson (Raiders, 19), Anthony Quinn (Newcastle, 19) and Lance Hohaia (Warriors, 19). At 20 years of age, St George centre, Mark Gasnier is one of the NRLs youngest internationals. Summary of teams, youngest to oldest <center> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <tbody> <tr> <td width="25%">NQ Cowboys</td> <td width="75%">Team average 22.71 years. Captain Glenn Morrison, 26</td></tr> <tr> <td>St George Dragons</td> <td>Team average 23.12 years. Captain Trent Barrett, 24</td></tr> <tr> <td>Cronulla Sharks</td> <td>Team average 23.41 years. Captain Chris Beattie, 26</td></tr> <tr> <td>Parramatta Eels</td> <td>Team average 23.65 years. Captain Daniel Wagon, 26</td></tr> <tr> <td>Newcastle Knights</td> <td>Team average 23.65 years. Captain Andrew Johns, 28</td></tr> <tr> <td>South Sydney</td> <td>Team average 24.00 years. Captain Andrew Hart, 26</td></tr> <tr> <td>NZ Warriors</td> <td>Team average 24.24 years. Captain Stacy Jones, 26</td></tr> <tr> <td>Brisbane Broncos</td> <td>Team average 24.35 years. Captain Gorden Tallis 28</td></tr> <tr> <td>Canberra Raiders</td> <td>Team average 24.41 years. Captain Simon Woolford, 27</td></tr> <tr> <td>Melbourne Storm</td> <td>Team average 24.82 years. Captain Robbie Kearns, 30</td></tr> <tr> <td>Wests Tigers</td> <td>Team average 24.88 years. Captain Darren Senter, 30</td></tr> <tr> <td>Sydney Roosters</td> <td>Team average 24.92 years. Captain Brad Fittler, 30</td></tr> <tr> <td>Northern Eagles</td> <td>Team average 25.00 years. Captain Steve Menzies, 28</td></tr> <tr> <td>Penrith Panthers</td> <td>Team average 25.06 years. Captain Scott Sattler, 30</td></tr> <tr> <td>C'bury Bulldogs</td> <td>Team average 25.53 years. Captain Steven Price, 28</td></tr></tbody></table></center> Overall: NRL age average = 24.25 years http://www.sportsunlimited-online.com/

 

[imported_Roopy4246]

Did Greg Bird play firstgrade this week?
Only Newcastle could produce a Greg Bird these days.
He was the most outstanding sportsman at Hunter sports high last year, with provan abilities in about a dozen sports including athletics. The kid could choose any sport, but there is only one choice in Newcastle really, League. What a shame he went for big money rather than stick with Newcastle. I think he will be an outstanding success, where ever he plays.

 

[Willow]

"Only Newcastle could produce a Greg Bird these days."
Roopy, fair go mate...
Are you saying that no other club is capable of producing quality juniors?

 

[Willow]

btw, Bird is playing this weekend. Tonight against the Raiders

 

[imported_justme]

"Only Newcastle could produce a Greg Bird these days."

Well, err, um, .......

 

[imported_JoJo]

Well... I have to disagree with you there Roopy. It may seem to you that only Newcastle produce good juniors, Franze, Gidley, Quinn, to name a few, but there are definately the same calibre of, if not better, junior players at other clubs as well... Matt Petersen (Ok bad example - played at Newcastle), Ashley Alberts, Matt Bowen... on and on and on. I only say Cowboys players because I have no idea about other teams but I'm sure there are great players in every junior team.

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

Roopy mate, u have to head out to western sydney one day and look at some of the talents running around in the junior comps . U would be amazed, some of the guys u would think were born with a football in their hand. I remember a couple of years back i was playing a bit of league and there was a small tongan guy in the squad. Mate, this guy brought down the biggest person on the field, every week, without doubt. And u could replicate that hundreds of times for all the players out in the west of sydney. Im not sure how spot on i am, but there are 4,500 juniors in penrith alone, and i think that Mounties has somewhere in the figure of 45 clubs representing them this year. Its truly amazing.
Knights dont own everything
Moffo.

 

[Willow]

When looking for the greatest breeding ground for RL juniors, the Sydney western suburbs wins hand down. Not just in Australia but in the universe!
How many thousands of fantastic first graders have been produced from this part of the world... too many to count.

 

[imported_Roopy4246]

I say only Newcastle could produce a Greg Bird THESE days, because Newcastle is the only place at the moment where League is the undisputed king. Greg Bird is not only a great League prospect, but he is the best sporting prospect from the entire Hunter region. Quite frankly, if i had a son with his sporting potential i would have him playing tennis or golf or soccer in a minute. Something will real money in it. The best sportsmen in Newcastle play League. I don't think you can say that anywhere else.
The first time I heard of Bird, it was for winning several events at the state athletics carnival.

 

[imported_Buddley2002]

Is he worth 2 Craig Wings?

 

[imported_footy2k]

A Greg Who?

 

[imported_Larry Long Prong]

Mr.Roopy
Please don't think you can speak on behalf of every Rugby League are in Australia.
You Novocastrians live in a sheltered little world where everything is Red and Blue and Joey couldn't possibly do no wrong,kind of reminds me of that movie Pleasantville.
When you say "I say only Newcastle could produce a Greg Bird THESE days" us 'outsiders' could be thinking this would of been something similar to what an East German swim coach my of said in the 1970's don't ya think?

 

[imported_Roopy4246]

Newcastle produces about half as many first grade Rugby League players as Sydney (that is being generous to Sydney), with one tenth of the population. The reason that happens is because all the kids with sporting potential have League as their number one choice, while League is only one of a dozen choices in Sydney. i could start listing names of first graders from the hunter, but who can keep track of them all these days. Lets just say that there are about three teams worth of them running around.
Newcastle has always been a League area, but when the Knights entered the comp there were only about ten players from the Hunter in first grade and the knights had to sign players from all round the world to make up the team. that has changedover the years to the point where i am looking forward to when, in the near future, the Knights put their first all Hunter side on the park. It might even be in the coming Warriors match if Kennedy and Parsons play SOO.
Only NQ comes close to the Hunter in producing players per capita, and League is the top sport there too

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

The greatest fallacy around at the moment is that Sydney ISN'T aleague town. West of say Leidchardt, rugby league is pretty well the only game. I don't just say that through speculation. After listening to reps from AFL and RU in the last few weeks during lectures, they both admitted that they draw the great majority of their fans from the north shore and eastern suburbs. From memory, the bledisloe cup game a couple of years ago sold 95% of their tickets to people from east of the location (at Stadium Australia).

'Western Sydney' has a greater population than Perth and Adelaide combined. And yes, its all league heartland. For people to suggest otherwise is crazy, and would probably come from people who have never visited/lived out there. And SW Sydney produces heaps of juniors, absolutely heaps. Parra junior district had close on 4,500 young kids running around this year (Equal with Penrith i think).

Roopy mate, i really think your suggestion of Newcastle producing half the players that Sydney does is dubious at best.

Moffo.

 

[imported_Roopy4246]

Rodney Howe
Jamie Feeney
Willie Mason
Scott Hill
Jason Moodie
Brett Finch
Brett Kimmorley
Matt Johns
Greg Bird
Paul Franze
Luke Burt
Robbie Ross
Richard Swain
Justin Holbrook
Ben Jefferies
Ashley Alberts
Adam Muir
Thats just a few Hunter boys not playing for the Knights off the top of my head, and virtualy all the Knights are Hunter boys now.
It was said last year that 60% of players eligable for NSW are Country players, that means only 40% from Sydney, and 10 out of 17 of the country team are Newcastle bred, with Matt Parsons also missing the Hunter by only a few miles as well. You do the math.

 

[El Duque]

Stop using the word Newcastle.

Half the towns these players come from are not Newcastle.

 

[imported_Roopy4246]

The bay, the Lake, the town and the valley - it's all Newcastle - just ask the boys.

 

[El Duque]

I consult maps when I'm looking for what's called what.

If I'm going to Cessnock I don't say I'm going to Newcastle.

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

Roopy, i could throw up a list 3-4 times that big of players who grew up/learnt their trade in Sydney. I just think your initial estimation was a bit bold

Moffo.

 

[imported_JoJo]

Ashley Alberts from the Hunter?? I think we had better concentrate where they got their playing experience... Alberts was a junior in NQ. Some of the boys playing for Young guns could be in the athletics field but they took league over the 'higher' paid sports.