Aussie Player Exodus

[Major Tom]

When would they be likely to enter the NRL?

 

[Major Tom]

It’s why we need some help to pushing back against the French system.

 

[Derpus]

Wales made $215m aud in revenue. Their urc salary cap is just Bout twice our Super Rugby cap.

It's the six nations rivers of gold

Damn. Even though they absolutely suck arse.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

We should be identifying NRL talent and sending their highlights to Japan and France. If they end up playing really well, then just pay to get them back.

 

[Quicktapsonly]

Reds Academy player Myles Rosemond has signed with the Cowboys.

 

[Adam84]

I mean, he is from Iggy Park in Townsville, has to be expected.

 

[The Phoenix]

Always a leaguey. Came down from Townsville to Toowoomba Grammar on a scholarship.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Not looking forward to the effect 2 new NRL teams in the space of 2 years is going to have on the player market.

A big impact no matter how we try and differentiate the sports. Guess what almost every Rugby backs agent is going to say to a Super Rugby franchises and RA when contracts are up.... "We're looking at the NRL" Even if we hold a player it's going to cost more.

The battle for young talent is going to get even more extreme now that 60 new top tier jobs are opening up with another 30-40 below that.

Average salary of around 350k with the minimum 135k currently. Salary cap going up 1m by 2028 as well.

 

[Ignoto]

I'm more worried about the Perth team than I am with the PNG team.

The latter will be great at picking up PNG based players, but, who from Australia will want to pack up their family and most likely, live in a compound in PNG?

It's similar to what we've seen over the last couple of years in Saudi Arabia (and China before that) for Football/Soccer. Huge amounts of money was being thrown at "stars" and a lot of players are now rebuffing because of the lifestyle is just not compatible with them.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

PNG will set a lot of mid tier players up for life overpaying with no tax but it won't be an attractive option for your career if you have ambition for rep games and what not. They won't have the spotlight and likely not be high on the ladder if you can't get elite halves.

PNG isn't going to get the next Munster just because of the pay because Marquee guys get paid no matter what and more third party endorsement opportunities here anyway.

Rugby have to be finding the money now to put into youth contracting. Whatever you think of it and it's effectiveness it's the way of the game now and when I say game that's Rugby and League. I want Rugby to get it's own talent but I'd also love to know if we have guys showing up the League carnivals looking at talent the way the NRL has scouts at School Boy Rugby games.

 

[Wilson]

It doesn't really matter if the PNG team lures our players over, picks up prospective union talent, or just signs up a bunch of PNG and Pasifika talent already in league, a new team in the comp means demand for 30+ more players whichever way you cut it. Every player signed from the other NRL clubs is a space on their roster they'll need to fill. Even if they're picking up all the local talent coming through PNG, a decent chunk of those guys were getting signed by Australian based clubs already, they'll now need too look elsewhere (and the smart ones will do it early, knowing they'll have a harder time hanging onto anyone they sign from PNG).

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Have a feeling PNG is also going to be looking at a heap of players from the PIs.

As you say it doesn't really matter regarding the specific place but the overall job creation. We're in the process of shrinking our pool while League will likely grow by 100 by the end of the decade.

 

[Wilson]

Yeah, I think the major appeal for players (outside of PNG ones) will be for Fijian, Samoan and Tongan ones - the guys who don't necessarily move their families with them and send a lot of money home. A package including accom and living expenses will be very appealing, as will the tax break they are set to get. That still puts a lot of stress on our pathways, whether it's our (and NZ's) recruitment for the Pacific, other NRL's recruitment there, or even as direct competition to the heavy French and Japanese interest - if the French find they're being out competed for young Pasifika talent they're not just going to offer a Gallic shrug and give up, they'll likely redouble their growing efforts to sign young Australian talent instead.

That is where these potential Japanese changes might help though, the rules as they stand should significantly decrease their demand for mid-range talent from the Pacific, allowing the NRL to fill that void.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Rugby have to be finding the money now to put into youth contracting. Whatever you think of it and it's effectiveness it's the way of the game now and when I say game that's Rugby and League. I want Rugby to get it's own talent but I'd also love to know if we have guys showing up the League carnivals looking at talent the way the NRL has scouts at School Boy Rugby games.

Don't we just outsource this to private schools?

Long before Len Ikitau was a breakout Wallabies star, he dreamed of playing for the Canberra Raiders.

A talented teenager that had only played rugby during his primary school years in New Zealand, Ikitau signed a development contract with the Green Machine when he was at Marsden State High, south of Brisbane, the same school which produced Cameron Smith and Israel Folau.

At that stage, Ikitau thought he was destined for the NRL.

While he was an All Blacks fan, rugby only became a consideration when a Brisbane Boys College talent scout offered Ikitau a full scholarship after watching him play at a carnival in Year 10.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Wouldn't even call it outsource as RA give the Schools nothing. They get to piggy back off their administration, organisation,coaching and competitions they put together.

I just wonder if anyone goes to the U18s league carnivals and finds a kid and has a chat about going and playing Colts or 7s. Always pushing it up hill though to break in when you haven't been signed into academies.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I just wonder if anyone goes to the U18s league carnivals and finds a kid and has a chat about going and playing Colts or 7s.

"Sounds interesting.....how much does it pay?"

 

[Major Tom]

Reports seem to confirm Heinz Lemoto is off to Toulouse. Pretty scary that rugby league can’t even compete with them. Hopefully we can get him back in a couple of years

 

[Major Tom]

From ESPN’s Sam Bruce
“But Lemoto would instead come through the JIFF-qualification program, which is designed to encourage clubs in both the Top 14 and France's second division to invest in homegrown talent by stipulating that they must have spent five years playing age grade rugby before turning 23, or have spent three years in a club's professional academy before hitting the same age to be eligible for the national team. Lemoto would therefore become eligible for France at that age, if he does commit his extended future to Toulouse.”
Double checking but Lemoto would still need to do 2 more years in France after his 3 yr academy deal to be eligible?

 

[Dctarget]

Fuck them French.

Thouuuugh, if we can somehow ensure that he stays eligible for Aus then I’m actually okay with this.

there isn’t a better academy in the world right now, they’ve developed so many of the world’s best players and also attract the best talent. They made a champion out of custard man Meafou.

 

[Tomikin]

From ESPN’s Sam Bruce
“But Lemoto would instead come through the JIFF-qualification program, which is designed to encourage clubs in both the Top 14 and France's second division to invest in homegrown talent by stipulating that they must have spent five years playing age grade rugby before turning 23, or have spent three years in a club's professional academy before hitting the same age to be eligible for the national team. Lemoto would therefore become eligible for France at that age, if he does commit his extended future to Toulouse.”
Double checking but Lemoto would still need to do 2 more years in France after his 3 yr academy deal to be eligible?

Im assuming he is around 18 now, he will be in the JIFF program, that he spends 5 years in before 23 and then becomes eligible for France. its a bit confusing though so I could be wrong.