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I have no doubt there was nepotism and other bullshit associated with junior representative teams. Clubs recruit a certain number of juniors with NRL potential (often from outside the catchment) and then fill out the rep squads with nuffies who have zero NRL potential. There are dozens of these merkins who are good enough to make up the numbers in an SG Ball squad, and maybe only a dozen positions, so they have to narrow down the pool somehow. How to choose between the third best player at Wenty or Guildford or Rouse Hill under 18s? Pick the kid you know, or whose parents you know, or whose coach you know. It doesn’t matter because the merkins will never even play reserve grade.
That is funny
Yep. Merkins with an axe to grind seem to think the pathways report was about Brad Arthur and his sons. But those kids proved their quality through selection in junior rep teams (Australian Schoolboys or Junior Origin) and their high performance in reserve grade at a young age.
No it’s just in Parramatta and specific to the Arthur family ffs!!! Merkins see what they want to see.
Brad Arthur’s would’ve had the rep selectors sent to Siberia if he had any control over pathways staffing. The only reason Barrett picked Matt Arthur in first grade was because BA threatened to sack him from Northern England.
So that would include the 2016 under 14 Rouse Hill Rhinos, coached by none other than Brad Arthur. Just by coincidence, Jake also played in that side.
I can tell you for a fact that someone formerly at Parra told one of my friend’s that his son did not stand a chance to play at hooker whilst Matt Arthur was here. So he left and is starring at another rival club.
We won more games than we lost whilst Dylan Brown was stood down.
Pathways aren’t pros. Most of them are uncontracted amateurs.
For the ones still contracted for 2026, offering them a payout for next year might be required to have them completely off the books for the following year. It’s very exciting.
No it definitely doesn’t include Brad.
He was our best last week. He’s obviously still got it.
Given he went on to be one of the relatively few players to earn a top 30 NRL contract, it’s fair to say he would’ve starred in that team. He also played for his high school and was selected in the Australian Schoolboys. He might not be a first grader but he is far better than most players his age.
Vlado Jenkovic?
The question remains, did we put our eggs in the Rhino basket for back-up level players such as Jake, Russell and Loizou, when we could have looked further afield? Perhaps our outside backs situation might not be so dire.
Our outside backs issue is because for 3 years running we have had outside backs go down in January or February with ACL's.
