Please, anyone else in 2021

[adamkungl]

Why would someone who believes in the value of local juniors want a draft which would send local juniors all over the country

 

[greenBV4]

Yup. Have always been in favour of an AFL draft like system to keep the comp fairer.

Mind you for it to have any chance of success;

1. Clubs at the bottom of the competition ladder come end of season should always get first pick of the draft.

2. The draft should also include coaching staff.

point 1 yes, not sure why you need point 2 - with clubs having more time to focus internally they should be able to recruit decent coaching staff on their own

 

[The_Frog]

Why would someone who believes in the value of local juniors want a draft which would send local juniors all over the country

The draft would act as an incentive for players to come to terms with their existing club. Failing that, they list themselves on the draft at a price determined by the player and risk having to relocate (as opposed to the current schemozzle of clubs being able to make offers to players one year before their current contract ends). It can only function so long as no-one mounts a legal challenge but the AFL have managed to achieve this for a considerable number of years now.

In addition to a draft, player exchanges should be formally introduced, so that unwanted players can find a new club without necessarily going on the draft.

 

[greenBV4]

Why would someone who believes in the value of local juniors want a draft which would send local juniors all over the country

it makes it easier for clubs without the financial pull to get these other juniors as a compromise for no longer developing them themselves - evens the playing field instead of some clubs just being better at it than others (although you will always have some clubs being better at some things than others no matter what you do)

 

[This Year?]

Or maybe the NRL should take over junior development, introduce some form of draft, and let the NRL clubs focus on being sucessfull on and off the field

I'm not a fan of a draft, but I like the idea of the NRL being more involved in junior development. If the salary cap works in the way it's intended then the spread takes care of itself.
The problem at the moment is some player managers are able to negotiate much higher values for dud players and the more shrewd clubs are getting the most value out of their signings.

 

[adamkungl]

point 1 yes, not sure why you need point 2 - with clubs having more time to focus internally they should be able to recruit decent coaching staff on their own

Some people want the worlds premier rugby competition to be a feel good exercise where everyone gets a turn at winning no matter how incompetent they are.

 

[Valheru]

Yet the juniors of other clubs are still fair game for the Roosters when their talent is recognised and they come off contract with the club that nurtured that talent... James Tedesco a good case in point.

Why shouldn't they be fair game? Surely you can't be suggesting players must play for their local side?

 

[adamkungl]

I'm not a fan of a draft, but I like the idea of the NRL being more involved in junior development. If the salary cap works in the way it's intended then the spread takes care of itself.
The problem at the moment is some player managers are able to negotiate much higher values for dud players and the more shrewd clubs are getting the most value out of their signings.

A draft offers no benefit IMO.
While I don't believe local juniors is the be-all-and-end-all that some people think it still is, I do think it has value, fairly unique to Rugby League, that should be preserved. If a kid from Penrith can grow up, be good at football, and has the opportunity to play for his team, that's great.

As for who actually runs junior development, many different systems can work. The Broncos don't run any junior clubs directly, but they still have pathways set up via Queensland Cup clubs.

There's no reason why Sydney NRL clubs need to directly run junior competitions. Changing to a centralised funding structure wouldnt change Penrith having first crack at a gun local kid, it wouldn't change how they promote themselves in the region or who the kids grow up cheering for.

On the other hand, if clubs are to run and fund their own junior districts, if any importance should be placed on it then the boundaries should be redrawn to ensure all clubs have both fair opportunity and fair responsibility. This debate over local juniors and what should and could be is meaningless while Parramatta has 16 clubs and Roosters have 3. If this is the preferred development model, Roosters should be forced to take on more responsibility of local clubs, and given the opportunity to have more local juniors. Its a two-sided coin.

The boundaries and rules are completely outdated. They were drawn for a completely different era. Decades of not only gentrification, but behind-the-scenes dealings by other clubs, have resulted in Roosters getting a raw deal in local football, and in turn choosing to find success through other means.
TLDR; don't hate the player, hate the game. Fix the system to ensure all clubs get a fair go and a fair weight to carry, and it will even up supposed 'poaching'.

 

[adamkungl]

Penrith - 24
(Wests Tigers - Balmain+Wests - 23)
Parramatta - 16
Souths - 16
Cronulla - 14
Balmain - 12
Canterbury - 12
Manly - 12
Wests - 11
St George - 9
Norths - 9
Roosters - 3

138 clubs, 11 districts, 9 clubs.

IF your concern is about clubs pulling their weight in junior competition funding, then this should be evened up, the extra districts of Norths and Balmain should be re-distributed. Each NRL club should be funding 15-16 Sydney junior clubs.
If you want Roosters to poach less and fund more, but don't want to give them any more clubs to fund, then how do you propose that works?

 

[kit66]

I really thought the new rules and one ref would even things out a little more this year but it didn't happen, same result, same teams at the top and in the final, the Roosters with their dodgy as roster and Storm with their ability to "bend" the rules on field and too often getting the rub of the green. Storm get some credit because it's undeniable that Bellyache is the best coach in the world by far plus they have the goat.
Still, I can't wait for a new guard to step up, don't know who though.

 

[Someguy]

All this talk of a draft makes no sense to me. It only works in American sports where there is a really strong college league, we stand moly for not have such as system here

 

[Valheru]

Penrith - 24
(Wests Tigers - Balmain+Wests - 23)
Parramatta - 16
Souths - 16
Cronulla - 14
Balmain - 12
Canterbury - 12
Manly - 12
Wests - 11
St George - 9
Norths - 9
Roosters - 3

138 clubs, 11 districts, 9 clubs.

IF your concern is about clubs pulling their weight in junior competition funding, then this should be evened up, the extra districts of Norths and Balmain should be re-distributed. Each NRL club should be funding 15-16 Sydney junior clubs.
If you want Roosters to poach less and fund more, but don't want to give them any more clubs to fund, then how do you propose that works?

On those numbers the roosters are well and truly punching above their weight with 3 true juniors in the squad this year which is the same amount as Parramatta.

 

[greenBV4]

A draft offers no benefit IMO.
While I don't believe local juniors is the be-all-and-end-all that some people think it still is, I do think it has value, fairly unique to Rugby League, that should be preserved. If a kid from Penrith can grow up, be good at football, and has the opportunity to play for his team, that's great.

you can have concessions in a draft for first pick at locals, or some kind of academy set up

it also provides another TV event ($$) and something for the media to focus on in the off season besides digging up dirt on players and shining the game in a bad light

 

[Someguy]

I really thought the new rules and one ref would even things out a little more this year but it didn't happen, same result, same teams at the top and in the final, the Roosters with their dodgy as roster and Storm with their ability to "bend" the rules on field and too often getting the rub of the green. Storm get some credit because it's undeniable that Bellyache is the best coach in the world by far plus they have the goat.
Still, I can't wait for a new guard to step up, don't know who though.

too easy right now for teams like the storm that recruit players on potential and rarely make a big buy. Everyone else is throwing big coin at superstars and having reshuffle the whole roster to accommodate, all the while looking past the potential they have in their own ranks.

A bad buy like Moylan, Hunt, Foran etc can cripple a team for many years. I tend to think panthers closed their last premiership window when they went away from everything they were doing right and splashed out on Merrin. It’s screams desperation to get one shot at the title then fade to obscurity again, teams like the storm (blessed as they may be with Smith,Cronk etc) are constantly building and looking to the future.

 

[Perth Red]

So, maybe those clubs who poach the local juniors of other clubs need to either set up junior league development somewhere in regional Australia or relocate?

After all, I’m “reliably informed” that now no one gives a shit about what connection a given star player has with the city/town/area the club represents, so perhaps they similarly won’t bat an eyelid if their club also relocates despite over a century of history and tradition in those areas?

Crazy thought, I know, but hey...

Bit of a strawman argument going on there!
People choose a certain club to follow for a variety of reasons, location/link to where you are from being a critical but by no means only one. The vast majority have no idea and don't care where a player played U16's. They care about how they are performing in their clubs jersey. And guess what, if they win a title it doesn't feel any better with local players than it does acquired ones!

 

[Perth Red]

Pretty sure Melbourne Storm were sponsored by one gif**kingnormous pokies den until very recently.

Or is crown a benevolent society?

Crown don't have a pretense that they exist for the good of the local community! Have you seen how much money goes into jnr RL from these places compared to their revenue amount? Its a pittance.
Then you've got NRl clubs attached them who take what little money there is to fill multi-million $ holes that their inability to run as a good professional sports club business creates.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Crown don't have a pretense that they exist for the good of the local community! Have you seen how much money goes into jnr RL from these places compared to their revenue amount? Its a pittance.
Then you've got NRl clubs attached them who take what little money there is to fill multi-million $ holes that their inability to run as a good professional sports club business creates.

A pokie is a pokie sport.

 

[Pantherjim.]

Why would someone who believes in the value of local juniors want a draft which would send local juniors all over the country

Because the current system isn’t working.

 

[Pantherjim.]

point 1 yes, not sure why you need point 2 - with clubs having more time to focus internally they should be able to recruit decent coaching staff on their own

Yet your club consistently contracts the services of a Head coach the caliber of Bellamy...

 

[soc123_au]

Crown don't have a pretense that they exist for the good of the local community! Have you seen how much money goes into jnr RL from these places compared to their revenue amount? Its a pittance.
Then you've got NRl clubs attached them who take what little money there is to fill multi-million $ holes that their inability to run as a good professional sports club business creates.

In what universe was it decided that a Leagues Club exists to spend the majority of profits on junior RL. The reason they exist is to support the club that set them up. In the case of Panthers, Parra Leagues etc that would be the NRL club. As a rule they are highly profitable, that is good business. They also do a shitload for junior RL along with a heap of other community based funding. Souths Juniors & you have a point, it was not set up to fund the senior side. Crown on the other hand lines the pockets of it's stakeholders.