I have not posted for a long time but still read often. The usual comments have been made. Tinkering around the edges will do nothing.
1.Terminate all professional systems in this country. Everything to do with professional rugby in this country is a failure. Two Super Rugby titles and next to nothing else. Flash in the pan wins then nothing. Part of the issue is contracting players just so League won't get them. I personally know two young blokes in the "professional" system now. Neither of them have played a full game at 1st grade club level. A season of 7s is not 15s. Both have contracts with Super sides. They are great young men and very good players at 18 years old. Are they anywhere near a finished product - No where near it. How many times have people here said that there is no time at Super Level to train skills - well in that case unfinished players cannot be contracted.
This is a very good point we have 2 Wallabies captains and both world cup winners who never played for their school 1st XV they were both in the 2nd XV. In this day and age a 2nd XV player will never find themselves in a Rugby Australia “pathway”.
Farr Jones left Newington College in 1979 and debut as a Wallaby in 1984. Phil Kearns left in that same year 1984 and debut as a Wallaby in 1989. They developed and proved themselves in the intervening years playing
senior mens first grade club rugby.
In todays ‘pathway’ world Nic Farr Jones and Phil Kearns would be zero chance of making it to the Wallabies.
Yeah pathways are the answer!