Rugby Australia to target top NRL talent

[Captain Apollo]

I guess the reason so many RL players go from GPS schools back to rugby league is that once they have played in the first XV for Joeys/Kings/Riverview they have achieved the pinnacle of rugby union achievement in Australia

It's also that at the initial level for young players, its easier to make a quid from rugby league than it is in Union. Have a look at how well paid players in Jersey Flegg squads are compared to comparable levels in Union. Even the NZ Warriors have noticed how much easier recruitment has been since they entered teams in SG Ball and Jersey Flegg. They've had players who would have been walk ups for the age group all Blacks instead turn out for them.

 

[taste2taste]

It's also that at the initial level for young players, its easier to make a quid from rugby league than it is in Union. Have a look at how well paid players in Jersey Flegg squads are compared to comparable levels in Union. Even the NZ Warriors have noticed how much easier recruitment has been since they entered teams in SG Ball and Jersey Flegg. They've had players who would have been walk ups for the age group all Blacks instead turn out for them.

Yea, so true.

In Australia there are roughly 600 professional league players compared to 150 in union, add to that the minimum wage in league is 125k and becomes an easy decision for youngsters.

In regards to NZ, it's no coincidence they are thriving again now that they have paid lower grades, the last time NZ made a GF was on the back of kids coming through the now defunct paid U20's....their u20 team was brutal, they were demolishing Aussie teams by 40.

 

[_Johnsy]

When League had the paid U20 competition, that's when we made serious inroads to thier recruitment and they've never recovered.
These days RA can't match NRL clubs financially so they resort to selling them the dream of wearing the Wallabies jersey and travelling the world...but if the Wallabies are loosing no kid will want to go down that path.

That premise has always made me laugh. Play union, see the world.

Yep because NRL players are unable to obtain passports and can’t afford to travel internationally.

 

[bazza]

That premise has always made me laugh. Play union, see the world.

Yep because NRL players are unable to obtain passports and can’t afford to travel internationally.

Australian union players get to travel around Europe for a month instead of playing union world cup finals matches

 

[Diesel]

That premise has always made me laugh. Play union, see the world.

Yep because NRL players are unable to obtain passports and can’t afford to travel internationally.

It seems like a lot of the Union players in SR were getting the shits with the travel. Sure it’s exciting at the beginning but after several long haul flights, I’m sure the players get sick of it and aren’t recovering properly

 

[SpaceMonkey]

It seems like a lot of the Union players in SR were getting the shits with the travel. Sure it’s exciting at the beginning but after several long haul flights, I’m sure the players get sick of it and aren’t recovering properly

SR wouldn’t have been the fun kind of travel- they were largely just going back and forth between the same destinations every year with a lot of jet lag. A lot more of a pain than playing in a relatively compact area like the NRL does, or lie going and playing a season in somewhere like France or Japan. Travel can be cool but constant travel gets old real fast.

 

[Chimp]

SR wouldn’t have been the fun kind of travel- they were largely just going back and forth between the same destinations every year with a lot of jet lag. A lot more of a pain than playing in a relatively compact area like the NRL does, or lie going and playing a season in somewhere like France or Japan. Travel can be cool but constant travel gets old real fast.

Similarly, once people are married with kids, there’s not that many people keen on living in a foreign country (particularly where English isn’t the first language), with no extended family support around them. Most folk want the comfort of being around family and friends - not many people are cut out for going it alone. The whole ‘experience the world’ thing is a bit of a red herring if you ask me. Might appeal to the odd few, but not the masses.
Top and bottom of it, if their cheque book is big enough, Union might lure a couple of decent players here and there, but rugby league can easily cope with that and simply replace them with another young superstar in the making. Most players don’t want to play Union, because it’s shite, and most players will prefer the higher standard and higher local profile of NRL and origin, with the comfort of living ‘at home’, near family and friends.
Let Union have the odd mercenary, their career rarely if ever goes on to bigger better things, and we’ll have a stack full of replacements in the wings.

 

[Brutus]

I wonder how many Stan Sport subscriptions got cancelled today ?

All 5 of them

 

[Chins get the wins]

That premise has always made me laugh. Play union, see the world.

Yep because NRL players are unable to obtain passports and can’t afford to travel internationally.

Staying in hotels away from your kids isn't a good life. They aren't tennis players or golfers on millions a year who can bring their families.

 

[taste2taste]

SR wouldn’t have been the fun kind of travel- they were largely just going back and forth between the same destinations every year with a lot of jet lag. A lot more of a pain than playing in a relatively compact area like the NRL does, or lie going and playing a season in somewhere like France or Japan. Travel can be cool but constant travel gets old real fast.

When Mat Rogers returned to league he said one of the reasons was he was sick of living out of a suitcase. Playing Argentina is a 48 hr flight over, play in a half empty stadium and then a 48 hr flight back. Yuck !!

If you play league it doesn't mean you can never leave the country, You can play league professionally in England, NZ and France ( and let's not forget Vegas Baby !! ) There are a fair few ex NRL players swanning around the south of France playing in thier Elite 1 domestic competition

 

[Wb1234]

Nine to cut how much it pays union as it builds a warchest for the nrl

the union World Cup here is going to be a tough sell that’s for sure

 

[taste2taste]

Nine to cut how much it pays union as it builds a warchest for the nrl

the union World Cup here is going to be a tough sell that’s for sure

That's one of the main reasons private equity walked away, RA couldn't guarantee them what future earnings would be

You know your product stinks when even private equity firms won't touch it.

How do Rugby solve the problem ? They've taken out another loan of 60 million

Rugby are like me at the pokies, trying to borrow $100 off a mate to try and win back the $50 I've just lost

 

[Captain Apollo]

Nine to cut how much it pays union as it builds a warchest for the nrl

the union World Cup here is going to be a tough sell that’s for sure

Cripes I don't want Stan to get the pay TV/streaming rights. Just more of the same old tired Channel Nein style coverage. Yes, Fox Sports has its issues too, but Nein have been far too complacent for far too long with its presentation/promotion of rugby league. In my opinion, they need a boot up the derriere.

 

[gUt]

The only reason I can think that a player would choose union over league in Australia is, provided the money is similar, to give your body a break.

 

[taste2taste]

The only reason I can think that a player would choose union over league in Australia is, provided the money is similar, to give your body a break.

That's exactly how Eddie Jones tried to sell it to Cam Murray, in an interview he said Cam could come to Rugby and give his body a rest, he would only have to make 11 tackles and a handful of hit ups.

Laughable, You can't make this sh#t up

 

[Walpole]

That's exactly how Eddie Jones tried to sell it to Cam Murray, in an interview he said Cam could come to Rugby and give his body a rest, he would only have to make 11 tackles and a handful of hit ups.

Laughable, You can't make this sh#t up

Geez, what was the poor bugger supposed to do for the other 70 minutes?

The title of this thread is funny. Top NRL talent? The Wallabies would be improved by a handful of QLD Cup talent.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Geez, what was the poor bugger supposed to do for the other 70 minutes?

The title of this thread is funny. Top NRL talent? The Wallabies would be improved by a handful of QLD Cup talent.

That's being generous. A Grade players from most district rugby league comps would improve the Wallabies talent levels.

 

[bazza]

The only reason I can think that a player would choose union over league in Australia is, provided the money is similar, to give your body a break.

the other reason is that you aren't suited to playing rugby league
i.e. you are a 140kg rolly polly or 2.1m stick insect who can't play basketball

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Hahahaha f**k this is brutal:

 

[Wb1234]

Full of lols