The gap is getting wider - how to fix it?

[roopy]

Since Union went pro the gap between the top teams and the bottom teams in the WC has widened.
2 or 3 WC's ago it was usual for a few of the lower sides to give the big boys a real scare in the early rounds, but now you could have saved a lot of money by just bringing out the top 6 sides and make up the rest from Sydney grade teams, because you would have a higher standard comp.

Eddie Jones reckons Union players are only 70% as fit as League players, but it is obvious that they are improving rapidly in the countries where they are full time pros (Eng, Aus, NZ, France, SA), so the gap will only get wider before the next WC if nothing is done.

I really think it is time that the super twelve started letting in players from all round the world. Minor countries will not cut the mustard till they can get a core of full time pros in their sides, and their local comps will never deliver that.

 

[dimitri]

the problem is that yawnion people say the game is great when it is not

 

[thomo]

I really think it is time that the super twelve started letting in players from all round the world. Minor countries will not cut the mustard till they can get a core of full time pros in their sides, and their local comps will never deliver that.

Players from other countries can play in the Super 12. Nearly all the NZ sides have 2 Fijians on their flanks.

Unfortunately the Professional vs Amateur divide will continue to get wider. The problem for teams like Canada, Romania and the Pacific Island teams is that they can't get any of their players back from their clubs to play internationals on a regular basis. It is sort of like the Socceroos problem.

 

[Doctor]

You make some very valid points. I find it interesting though that Union has gone professional only in the last decade or two.

They are now paying considerably more for their players than the NRL clubs can - albeit on an international stage. The rugby league recruits would have just about doubled their money in the switch to Union - that says a lot about the gap between Amateur and Professional - not that League in amateur, but simply that even League, a long-time professional sport, cannot compete with the ARU purse.

The amateur sides will continue to fall behind the 8 ball, but the question is: what systems are already in place to rectify this trend? How is it that the six big sides are all professional, yet the others aren't? Surely the rest of the sides could turn professional also?

At the end of the day though, I worry more about the state of rugby league's international game.
Put it this way: Union has 6-times the competition in their international game than League does.

 

[roopy]

You make some very valid points. I find it interesting though that Union has gone professional only in the last decade or two.

They are now paying considerably more for their players than the NRL clubs can - albeit on an international stage. The rugby league recruits would have just about doubled their money in the switch to Union - that says a lot about the gap between Amateur and Professional - not that League in amateur, but simply that even League, a long-time professional sport, cannot compete with the ARU purse.

The amateur sides will continue to fall behind the 8 ball, but the question is: what systems are already in place to rectify this trend? How is it that the six big sides are all professional, yet the others aren't? Surely the rest of the sides could turn professional also?

At the end of the day though, I worry more about the state of rugby league's international game.
Put it this way: Union has 6-times the competition in their international game than League does.

I don't think Union has anywhere near 6 times the pro players that League has. My guesstimate is that Union has around 1000 fully professional players worldwide, and League has around 600.
The Union numbers are growing very quickly though, and League numbers have been standing still for a decade or so.
Union only has full time pro players in National squads from the top countries and provincial players who play in the super twelve and English and French comps.
League has 27 fully professional clubs in the ESL and NRL, as well as many player/coaches in lower comps such as Qld cup, NFP in England etc.

Down the track I can see Union having maybe 2000 fully pro players, but they will all be from the same countries as the pro players come from now, while I'm hoping League will get more pro players as comps expand, and they will come from where ever League is played, because the pro clubs don't care where they sign talent from, as long as they sign them.

 

[Marcus]

The only way to fix the gap is to contract overseas players to pro clubs. The French do a lot for the Romanians and Georgians, and the UK clubs are helping out too. But it would take many years before things would start to improve.

When the ARU setup their national comp, I hope they source out international players, as the benefit of doing that would help lift the standard of world rugby. More foreigners in domestic leagues would curtail the gap we have now.

 

[bayrep]

You would see a lot more island players in a Aus domestic league. I would like to see a island team enter the super 12 and have argentina join the tri nations. also have something like a super 6 nation where Japan, USA, Canada, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga play off for a spot in the Tri nations in the following year the bottom ranked tri nation drops down to the super 6 nation the follwoing year. It would probably take about 10 years before you started to see the effect, but it would generate income for the super 6 nations and give varity to the Tri nations.