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The coronavirus shutdown could be a chance for rugby league to reset and create a new blueprint for the future of the sport, according to one of the game's most experienced figures.
Survival of clubs is the immediate concern, says Hull KR head coach Tony Smith, but the whole game has a chance now to change direction and plot a more sustainable future - with a focus on talent production.
"This is an opportunity for us," said Smith, the former GB boss, who helped resurrect the fortunes of Huddersfield, Leeds and Warrington in a coaching career that began nearly 20 years ago.
"The immediate focus is getting through this now. But once we get some answers to that, then we really need to take stock of what the game should look like, could look like, how strong it needs to be and in what areas.
"I'm not sure there's been a lot of focus on that for a number of years. This is a chance to do that."
Many clubs were walking a financial tightrope even before the current crisis. And many coaches had expressed alarm at the falling numbers in player talent pools in the junior ranks.
Now Smith believes both concerns could be addressed.
"Good on anyone who can earn whatever they can, it's not the players' fault, I'm not blaming players, but it's just got so cutthroat at the top in order to try to field the best team." he added.
"We spend so much money on player wages, we let our grassroots and junior systems be depleted.
"In this country we really need to take stock of how we are going to produce top-class players and more of them. And I think in order to do that, we need a bigger player pool at the bottom. So you need to finance more into the junior sections.
"If your playing pools aren't as big as some other player pools in the world, how do you make your player pools good? That's through fantastic coaching. So coach education needs to be focused."
'We need to take stock'
Smith also believes that the structure of the competition needs to be addressed.
"Most of the country has a system of promotion and relegation. And when you have that, it takes the focus to the top and survival, rather than growth below." he said.
"We've got to really work out what systems we want and what works best for the game.
"As soon as we get through some of this and we start to regroup and understand whatever levels we're playing at, and what adjustments we've had to make with the competition and wages and all those things, we really need to take stock of what the future needs to look like and how we are going to get there."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/52051964
Survival of clubs is the immediate concern, says Hull KR head coach Tony Smith, but the whole game has a chance now to change direction and plot a more sustainable future - with a focus on talent production.
"This is an opportunity for us," said Smith, the former GB boss, who helped resurrect the fortunes of Huddersfield, Leeds and Warrington in a coaching career that began nearly 20 years ago.
"The immediate focus is getting through this now. But once we get some answers to that, then we really need to take stock of what the game should look like, could look like, how strong it needs to be and in what areas.
"I'm not sure there's been a lot of focus on that for a number of years. This is a chance to do that."
Many clubs were walking a financial tightrope even before the current crisis. And many coaches had expressed alarm at the falling numbers in player talent pools in the junior ranks.
Now Smith believes both concerns could be addressed.
"Good on anyone who can earn whatever they can, it's not the players' fault, I'm not blaming players, but it's just got so cutthroat at the top in order to try to field the best team." he added.
"We spend so much money on player wages, we let our grassroots and junior systems be depleted.
"In this country we really need to take stock of how we are going to produce top-class players and more of them. And I think in order to do that, we need a bigger player pool at the bottom. So you need to finance more into the junior sections.
"If your playing pools aren't as big as some other player pools in the world, how do you make your player pools good? That's through fantastic coaching. So coach education needs to be focused."
'We need to take stock'
Smith also believes that the structure of the competition needs to be addressed.
"Most of the country has a system of promotion and relegation. And when you have that, it takes the focus to the top and survival, rather than growth below." he said.
"We've got to really work out what systems we want and what works best for the game.
"As soon as we get through some of this and we start to regroup and understand whatever levels we're playing at, and what adjustments we've had to make with the competition and wages and all those things, we really need to take stock of what the future needs to look like and how we are going to get there."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/52051964
