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http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/league-union-go-headtohead-for-talent/2006/11/25/1164341453376.html
Youth proves no barrier as league, union go head-to-head for talent
The gloves are off as rugby's codes fight over the stars of tomorrow, write Adrian Proszenko and Daniel Lane.
THE Australian Schoolboys rugby league side kicks off its European tour tomorrow against Wales under 19s, but the NRL is terrified the next time some of the players represent their nation they'll do so as Wallabies.
After a season in which the Wallabies have been challenged by minnows Italy, beaten by a Welsh provincial team and steamrollered by the superpowers, the ARU is looking for a quick fix - and that could mean plundering the elite of junior rugby league.
Australian Schoolboys official Grant Edwards said it was inevitable an ARU talent scout would be in Europe to assess his young players.
"I'd be surprised if someone from the ARU didn't have a look at our team," said Edwards. "After all, there's a lot of talent in the outside backs and that seems to be where the majority of the conversions to rugby come from."
While rugby officials deny they have received an edict to raid league's junior ranks, the NRL has been warned to brace for a Pearl Harbour-style attack.
"It's all about the battle for the good teenagers - it's too late to be chasing Greg Inglis," said player manager and former Wallaby Brett Papworth, referring to Melbourne's 19-year-old star centre.
"All the codes want the best 15- and 16-year-old athletes to be playing their game, that's the battle."
Foremost in the ARU's sights are promising young Polynesian players, whose powerful frames make them attractive commodities for both codes.
At junior league level there are fears changes to the rules governing representative football will play into the hands of rugby union.
The league is to drop the number of reserves in each age-limited representative team from seven to four. It will also scrap unlimited interchanges and introduce a rule aligned with the NRL policy of limiting a team's four reserves to 12 interchanges.
Those most likely to be affected are the bigger and heavier Polynesians, who are used as impact players.
Rugby, on the other hand, is planning to streamline the 32 rules surrounding the breakdown. Its intention is to make the game even more attractive to young players by allowing it to flow more freely.
ARU high performance manager Manu Sutherland says of the 35 players in the under-16 national training squad, half have played league.
"But those kids have also played rugby," he said. "They're the kids who have had to make a decision because it is now impossible to play both sports at a high level and they've picked rugby.
"While it would be smart to raid league and take its best junior players, I have not received an edict from anyone at the ARU sanctioning it."
Nevertheless, dual international and current Wallabies selector Michael O'Connor has been sighted at junior league carnivals hoping to identify the next Inglis or Sonny Bill Williams.
And he offers no apology for trying to win over the hearts and minds of the next generation of superstars.
"That's 100 per cent right and that's what we are doing at the moment - we are identifying guys at a younger age and getting them into rugby programs," O'Connor said.
"You'd be crazy not to consider league players - it's about identifying those players at an early age. You've got to look at the players that express a genuine interest in crossing to union.
"We've got to look at where we have weaknesses in positions, because there are some really exciting kids coming through.
"It would be remiss of the Super 14 teams and the Australian Rugby Union to not look at league players."
The NRL is banking on the introduction of an under-20s national competition to help repel the challenge. ARL and NSWRL chairman Geoff Carr has even proposed the introduction of under-16 and under-18 national competitions to create opportunity and to retain the best juniors. The NRL's clubs oppose the proposal, saying it would be too costly.
NRL chief executive David Gallop said the latest murmurs from the ARU were a "sad" indictment of that code's lack of depth.
"That's an admission of the strength of our development programs and a sad message for up-and-coming rugby players," he said.
"Rugby union can't provide the week-in, week-out intensity of competition that rugby league provides.
"Footballers in both codes realise that if you make it in rugby league you have cut the mustard.
"Players believe the ultimate testing ground is rugby league and, ultimately, that's how they want to be remembered."
Sixteen-year-old Jamie Horton represents the calibre of player the two codes are willing to fight for. Horton is a star of both codes but he's still deciding which will win his allegiance.
Manly have him earmarked for a big future after some exciting performances as a centre or fullback in their Harold Matthews team.
However, the Warringah Rugby Union's new junior development program has identified him as a centre or five-eighth with the potential to be a representative player.
In a sign of the times he has appointed a manager to help him make a decision about his playing future - although he is two months shy of his 17th birthday.
"My manager, my dad and mum say for me to play whatever I want to play," he said. "The thing is, I don't really know what to do."
Money, he says, is not yet an issue. Neither code has talked money but he says the professionalism of league has already made an impression.
"In union you train one night a week with your rep team and go and play on the Saturday," said Horton. "League seems a lot more professional in trying to develop they young players Manly had us training four nights a week in the off-season."
Horton has allowed himself 12 months to make up his mind and it's expected he'll be feted by both codes.
ARU general manager Pat Wilson knows only too well the depth of talent in the league ranks. Wilson, a former CEO of NRL club Manly, says the primary focus for rugby is on developing its own.
He admits, however, talented league players will always be welcome if their interest is genuine.
"Some young league players have made the transition," he said. "Sometimes it's because they see a different type of opportunity, whether their pathway may be blocked in rugby league or the lure of travelling overseas kicks in.
"There are age representative programs in rugby union that provide them a greater opportunity.
"We are always alert to an opportunity and we are always looking for an opportunity as to who might be available to support our succession planning in the right positions."
Brett Papworth, the manager of former Waratah Leroy Houston, believes union is beginning to cater for youngsters struggling to make their mark in league.
"I think what rugby is going to do is give some of these kids who get discarded by the league clubs at 19 or 20 an alternative to play somewhere professionally and maybe try something else," he said.
"League is really tough when you are about 20 years old - there are so many players that have been cast aside because a decision needs to be made [whether] they will play NRL.
"They want to stay in rugby league but there's not much they can do other than play Jim Beam Cup. Rugby gives those sorts of guys a shot."
Youth proves no barrier as league, union go head-to-head for talent
The gloves are off as rugby's codes fight over the stars of tomorrow, write Adrian Proszenko and Daniel Lane.
THE Australian Schoolboys rugby league side kicks off its European tour tomorrow against Wales under 19s, but the NRL is terrified the next time some of the players represent their nation they'll do so as Wallabies.
After a season in which the Wallabies have been challenged by minnows Italy, beaten by a Welsh provincial team and steamrollered by the superpowers, the ARU is looking for a quick fix - and that could mean plundering the elite of junior rugby league.
Australian Schoolboys official Grant Edwards said it was inevitable an ARU talent scout would be in Europe to assess his young players.
"I'd be surprised if someone from the ARU didn't have a look at our team," said Edwards. "After all, there's a lot of talent in the outside backs and that seems to be where the majority of the conversions to rugby come from."
While rugby officials deny they have received an edict to raid league's junior ranks, the NRL has been warned to brace for a Pearl Harbour-style attack.
"It's all about the battle for the good teenagers - it's too late to be chasing Greg Inglis," said player manager and former Wallaby Brett Papworth, referring to Melbourne's 19-year-old star centre.
"All the codes want the best 15- and 16-year-old athletes to be playing their game, that's the battle."
Foremost in the ARU's sights are promising young Polynesian players, whose powerful frames make them attractive commodities for both codes.
At junior league level there are fears changes to the rules governing representative football will play into the hands of rugby union.
The league is to drop the number of reserves in each age-limited representative team from seven to four. It will also scrap unlimited interchanges and introduce a rule aligned with the NRL policy of limiting a team's four reserves to 12 interchanges.
Those most likely to be affected are the bigger and heavier Polynesians, who are used as impact players.
Rugby, on the other hand, is planning to streamline the 32 rules surrounding the breakdown. Its intention is to make the game even more attractive to young players by allowing it to flow more freely.
ARU high performance manager Manu Sutherland says of the 35 players in the under-16 national training squad, half have played league.
"But those kids have also played rugby," he said. "They're the kids who have had to make a decision because it is now impossible to play both sports at a high level and they've picked rugby.
"While it would be smart to raid league and take its best junior players, I have not received an edict from anyone at the ARU sanctioning it."
Nevertheless, dual international and current Wallabies selector Michael O'Connor has been sighted at junior league carnivals hoping to identify the next Inglis or Sonny Bill Williams.
And he offers no apology for trying to win over the hearts and minds of the next generation of superstars.
"That's 100 per cent right and that's what we are doing at the moment - we are identifying guys at a younger age and getting them into rugby programs," O'Connor said.
"You'd be crazy not to consider league players - it's about identifying those players at an early age. You've got to look at the players that express a genuine interest in crossing to union.
"We've got to look at where we have weaknesses in positions, because there are some really exciting kids coming through.
"It would be remiss of the Super 14 teams and the Australian Rugby Union to not look at league players."
The NRL is banking on the introduction of an under-20s national competition to help repel the challenge. ARL and NSWRL chairman Geoff Carr has even proposed the introduction of under-16 and under-18 national competitions to create opportunity and to retain the best juniors. The NRL's clubs oppose the proposal, saying it would be too costly.
NRL chief executive David Gallop said the latest murmurs from the ARU were a "sad" indictment of that code's lack of depth.
"That's an admission of the strength of our development programs and a sad message for up-and-coming rugby players," he said.
"Rugby union can't provide the week-in, week-out intensity of competition that rugby league provides.
"Footballers in both codes realise that if you make it in rugby league you have cut the mustard.
"Players believe the ultimate testing ground is rugby league and, ultimately, that's how they want to be remembered."
Sixteen-year-old Jamie Horton represents the calibre of player the two codes are willing to fight for. Horton is a star of both codes but he's still deciding which will win his allegiance.
Manly have him earmarked for a big future after some exciting performances as a centre or fullback in their Harold Matthews team.
However, the Warringah Rugby Union's new junior development program has identified him as a centre or five-eighth with the potential to be a representative player.
In a sign of the times he has appointed a manager to help him make a decision about his playing future - although he is two months shy of his 17th birthday.
"My manager, my dad and mum say for me to play whatever I want to play," he said. "The thing is, I don't really know what to do."
Money, he says, is not yet an issue. Neither code has talked money but he says the professionalism of league has already made an impression.
"In union you train one night a week with your rep team and go and play on the Saturday," said Horton. "League seems a lot more professional in trying to develop they young players Manly had us training four nights a week in the off-season."
Horton has allowed himself 12 months to make up his mind and it's expected he'll be feted by both codes.
ARU general manager Pat Wilson knows only too well the depth of talent in the league ranks. Wilson, a former CEO of NRL club Manly, says the primary focus for rugby is on developing its own.
He admits, however, talented league players will always be welcome if their interest is genuine.
"Some young league players have made the transition," he said. "Sometimes it's because they see a different type of opportunity, whether their pathway may be blocked in rugby league or the lure of travelling overseas kicks in.
"There are age representative programs in rugby union that provide them a greater opportunity.
"We are always alert to an opportunity and we are always looking for an opportunity as to who might be available to support our succession planning in the right positions."
Brett Papworth, the manager of former Waratah Leroy Houston, believes union is beginning to cater for youngsters struggling to make their mark in league.
"I think what rugby is going to do is give some of these kids who get discarded by the league clubs at 19 or 20 an alternative to play somewhere professionally and maybe try something else," he said.
"League is really tough when you are about 20 years old - there are so many players that have been cast aside because a decision needs to be made [whether] they will play NRL.
"They want to stay in rugby league but there's not much they can do other than play Jim Beam Cup. Rugby gives those sorts of guys a shot."
