It's an old gripe we all have but it's no mystery why they do it. They can't wait until the teenagers play Colts or Grade because some other Super outfit will nab them if they don't. The reason why this happens year after year after year, and will be worse with 5 teams, is the lack of depth in Oz rugby; so they recruit them out of school as medium term projects and hopefully they will still be there for them when they are seasoned enough to play in Super rugby.
Apart from rare stars who get a Super contract straight out of school they hedge their bets and give the good school players a 1 year pro academy deal to have a look at them, and the lesser ones an amateur spot.
Not to the point but some franchises use them as 18 y.o.s as the Brumbies did last year with Michael Hooper. The fact that Hooper had had a shoulder reconstruction about 9 months before did not signify.
The only way to build up meaningful depth of older players (and referees and coaches for that matter) is to find way to reintroduce the ARC; but it is an old song I sing. Meantime expect more schools players to be signed up before their time. Also expect the same comments to be made on this forum next year as they have been every other year.
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I disagree Lee. As I said before there is a black hole for kids in rugby if you dont go to a private school and and get a desent quality of rugby each week. In village club rugby, Sydney teams start to fold at the 15, 16, 17 year age groups and their is nothing for boys older except colts which goes against the ARU 2 year window. Out west and down south they struggle to even have teams in those older age groups. So in rugby if your in the public school system, a non rugby nurturing school, or if you have left school at 16 to do a trade, you go and play rugby league. In Sydney we have the framework within club rugby to create that pathway, all we need is younger age colts teams, say 16's and 18's and they could bring coaches, referees, and players right through the system to strengthen club rugby and Australian rugby. The way it is now it's elietest and thats why their is this league union rivalry, because rugby is run by the old school tie and leather patch brigade. Things work a bit better in Qld because the QLD GPS system just give scholarships to anyone who can pass a rugby ball, however their senior club rugby comp is of poor quality because of a lack of depth due to no alliegences with senior rugby clubs. Tell me if I'm wrong. It seems pretty simple, broaden your base, provide quality competition for everyone who wants to play regardless of what school they go to, = greater depth in Australian rugby. Lee feel free to correct my spelling mistakes I assume your a teacher.
