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The demise of the "Qld is Broncos Jnr territory"

Joker's Wild

Joker's Wild

Coach
Messages
17,894
The best young rugby league talent in Queensland appears to be headed everywhere but to the Brisbane Broncos

IT IS only going to get worse.

This is the sobering message for Brisbane Broncos fans expecting the club's talent pool to produce a young backline superstar in the next two years ready to scale the heights of a Ben Barba or Daly Cherry-Evans.

The proud club is in the midst of its longest stretch without a premiership win and to add salt to its wounds, the state's best teenage talent is being signed by rival NRL clubs at record rates.

The Broncos' inability to produce gifted youngsters, backs especially, is one of the most concerning aspects of their finals fade-outs of recent years.

The Broncos have maintained a policy of promoting from within, however leading NRL scouts and player managers said the southeast Queensland junior market was now too competitive to be relied upon for producing a stock of talent.

There was just one Broncos player in the Toyota Cup team of the year, Caleb Timu, while the club was forced to let go of their best young back Dane Gagai for disciplinary reasons.

Incredibly, the Canberra Raiders had the same number of representatives as the Broncos in this year's Queensland under-18 team.

One of those players was five-eighth Anthony Milford, who grew up on the Broncos' doorstep in Logan and is rated the best 18-year-old in rugby league.

Fellow Logan-bred Raider Josh Papalii, 20, starred in the club's NRL 34-16 elimination final win over the Cronulla Sharks at Canberra Stadium on Sunday, repeatedly smashing Paul Gallen.

Brisbane-based player manager Simon Mammino, whose clients include Josh McGuire and Andrew McCullough, said young league talent in Brisbane is drying up.

"There is simply too much competition for the same kids in Brisbane," Mammino said.

"It has been getting harder every year and it's only going to get worse.

"Each NRL team now have their own Brisbane juniors patch.

"New Zealand is where the best talent field is now, not Queensland."

Melbourne Storm, the Sydney Roosters, Wests Tigers and the Raiders all have established academies in southeast Queensland while other teams have dedicated scouts based in the area.

"There are another two Sydney NRL clubs on the verge of appointing full time recruiters to southeast Queensland," Mammino said.

"The Broncos have good operators in development but it is very difficult."

Queensland under-16s coach and Melbourne Storm Toyota Cup coach Anthony Seibold also said Queensland's player market was more than competitive than ever.

"The Storm have just signed two kids from Mackay and a kid from Atherton to come down to Melbourne next year," he said.

The Broncos recently lost two veteran recruiters in Cyril Connell (deceased) and Paul Bunn (Melbourne Storm).

The club does have six full time scouts headed by well-regarded former Redcliffe Dolphins CEO James Hinchey.
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Knightmare

Knightmare

Coach
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10,715
*World's smallest violin* But........but........every kid growing up in Qld wants to play for the Broncos.........don't they?

In all seriousness though, I think the Broncos are going to be a genuine title contender next season. Losing Lockyer was never going to be an instant transition, their young backs have an extra season of NRL in their experience and Griffin looks to be a genuine long-term coach for them.
 
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beave

beave

Coach
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15,749
You blokes have no idea the size of the smile that article gives me.................................
 
Desert Qlder

Desert Qlder

First Grade
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9,680
If anything, I think this proves what a terrific eye Cyril Connell had for talent, and probably the ability to nurture youngsters and allay the fears of the families.

There is reason to make fun of the drongos on this one, but what does it also say about the needs of NSW based clubs to scour Queensland for talent?
 
Joker's Wild

Joker's Wild

Coach
Messages
17,894
Desert Qlder said:
If anything, I think this proves what a terrific eye Cyril Connell had for talent, and probably the ability to nurture youngsters and allay the fears of the families.

There is reason to make fun of the drongos on this one, but what does it also say about the needs of NSW based clubs to scour Queensland for talent?
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With 10 sides in NSW (11 if you include the Raiders) and only 3 in Qld, its not really that hard to work out is it
 
E

ek999

First Grade
Messages
6,982
Desert Qlder said:
If anything, I think this proves what a terrific eye Cyril Connell had for talent, and probably the ability to nurture youngsters and allay the fears of the families.

There is reason to make fun of the drongos on this one, but what does it also say about the needs of NSW based clubs to scour Queensland for talent?
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Doesn't say anything about the need for NSW based clubs to scour Queensland for talent there is plenty of talent in NSW. Do you expect all the 11 NSW/ACT based clubs just to target kids in their state and leave QLD players to 3 clubs and NZ players to 1 club? All clubs are looking for the best talent from anywhere to join them. Doesn't matter where they come from as long as they get into their system.
 
beave

beave

Coach
Messages
15,749
The problem for us (NQ) is our isolation up here.

Thank god Matty Bowen's parents sent him to boarding school in Ingham because god knows how he would have been discovered otherwise. Have a look at a map a see how remote Hopevale is, I have no doubt there is a lot more lads with the potential of 'Mango', it's just finding these lads that is the problem.
 
applesauce

applesauce

Bench
Messages
3,573
The irony it has taken this long for NSW clubs to actually set up decent scouting and development connections, and they were the ones complaining about the dominance of the Broncos. It's not like Brisbane is some third world country and 10000km away... Not too disimilar to the rocket Western Sydney clubs now have up the backside due the AFL presence.
 
B

betcats

Referee
Messages
24,319
applesauce said:
The irony it has taken this long for NSW clubs to actually set up decent scouting and development connections, and they were the ones complaining about the dominance of the Broncos. It's not like Brisbane is some third world country and 10000km away... Not too disimilar to the rocket Western Sydney clubs now have up the backside due the AFL presence.
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Western Sydney has alway been a very competitive market for kids.
 
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