Derpus
George Gregan (70)
I wish I was good enough at a sport to earn beer money playing it. I gotta use my real money.
Waratahs 2024
- Thread starter RugbyReg
- Start date
What's your plan with the guy who has been pretty good in Club Rugby for the last five years? Offer him a contract to be a depth piece at Super Rugby level instead of a player who has excelled for the Australian under 20s where there is no plan to play him unless there are a ton of injuries and you can only offer a wage that isn't really high enough to survive in Sydney?
In a perfect world we would have far more professional players earning a living from rugby in Australia but we don't. We have 5 professional teams (and who knows how long that might last).
What's your plan exactly? Who should be on the $65k a year or whatever it is that Jack Barrett is being paid as the 8th best prop in the team?
The reality is that it is a very rare situation where a player becomes very good in their 20s who wasn't previously on the radar. They might not have played Australian Schoolboys or Australian under 20s but it is very unusual where a player reaches a significant point professionally and weren't part of age grade state sides etc. along the way.
Who to offer contracts to is a challenge. We probably offer half the Australian under 20s side professional contracts each year. Within a year or two those players will fall away and not have a contract if they aren't improving substantially. If they don't advance through the ranks they are replaced by the next crop.
The reality is that the best players coming out of high school are being offered professional contracts by the Australian Super Rugby teams, overseas teams or NRL teams. There's no option of waiting a few years to see if they make it and then decide to sign them. They'll already be playing elsewhere.
This reality exists in every professional sport everywhere. The best young players are known and overwhelmingly become the best players once they reach maturity.
Adam84
Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Nah, i think you’ve just applied a simplistic take on a complex issue, i have zero investment in NSW or the Shute Shield to defend, but I’ve worked with Sydney NRL clubs previously.
NRL clubs absolutely recruit players with potential straight out of school en masse, just as rugby does(attempts to), what the NRL offers over rugby(besides $$) is significantly larger squad sizes(practically and relatively) so they’re able to keep these supplementary squad members playing in the QRL & NSWRL for longer then rugby does for SS & QPR.
I agree the recruitment pathways need to improve, but i think the argument your making about the NRL is wrong
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KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
Interestingly I was talking to a DO from RA the other night, he was telling me that both codes (and team sports in general) are struggling for numbers amongst school kids. They prefer to compete in things like Park Runs where they can turn up ad lib and if they feel like the morning off they don't feel like they are letting the team down.
Further, he said that there isn't really much difference in numbers between the codes once the junior players leave school - rugby tries to lure players to stay by offering them representative honours, whereas league tries to keep them by offering them a place in NSW Cup (arguably a form of representative honours), but they are all basically on 'beer money'. Ultimately league wins at this point because there are more places on offer, and more importantly, more professional contracts as the end game.
He told me some other interesting things that I don't think I should divulge here, but suffice to say that rugby RA is fully aware of the issues and making some moves to trump league.
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Pfitzy
George Gregan (70)
Hope it involves pulling everyone into alignment.
KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
'trumping league' was probably the wrong phrase now that I have reread it as its not about that. Its more about keeping more younger players in the game in general. Hopefully more players over time would lead to better alignment.
PhilClinton
Geoff Shaw (53)
No offence to whomever at RA you spoke to, but if the mindset is still us vs league it’s never a battle we are going to win back.
The NRL will have 20 professional teams within the next 5 years. We currently have 5, one is about to fold, another is taking bailouts from RA and at least one other is being threatened with a merger.
Simple maths tells me there aren’t enough spots and $$$ to offer to young players.
In terms of young players themselves, I think it also fails to address the large movement to less contact sports such as soccer (which is already popular). Rugby trials happening at my old school a few weeks ago and the director of sports there had dozens of emails from parents asking how the school was being proactive in ensuring their child would be safe from head contact at training and games. I am sure league are having those same issues.
PhilClinton
Geoff Shaw (53)
Yes but a 15yr old doesn’t give a shit about a 2nd div French team when they’ve got tangible monies thrown at them to train and trial with a league side 20mins from their house.
If by shift perspective you mean evolve Super Rugby into a quasi-feeder type competition, lean more heavily into Wallaby top ups and have those players based overseas and try to win some RWCs then yeh I reckon we are going to head down that pathway.
If by shift perspective you mean evolve Super Rugby into a quasi-feeder type competition, lean more heavily into Wallaby top ups and have those players based overseas and try to win some RWCs then yeh I reckon we are going to head down that pathway.
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
What constitutes a Professional side though is really varied in potential earnings. Are MLR teams considered this? A lot of guys there are earning what Q Cup or NSW Cup player might get who's not part of an NRL squad. Same for a number of the French League 2 and Japanese sides. They're not all raking it in. Aren't there also international player limits in some comps? Further restricts it.
Out of curiosity what would an average salary be of an Aussie Pro Rugby Player? NRL at the 420k mark with minimum at 120k going to 150k but they will have 5-10 players earning 1.5m+ with third party deals right now and that will only grow. When they are going to be adding 100 jobs in the next few years I can see how it's attractive.
Out of curiosity what would an average salary be of an Aussie Pro Rugby Player? NRL at the 420k mark with minimum at 120k going to 150k but they will have 5-10 players earning 1.5m+ with third party deals right now and that will only grow. When they are going to be adding 100 jobs in the next few years I can see how it's attractive.
Strewthcobber
Mark Ella (57)
There are far more pro league players (in the true sense of the word - accepting any money to pay) in Australia than just those playing in the NRL though.
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
I guess other chat about the side is getting to a morbid stage. DCs job, Bells injury..
Does Harrison get a start?
Does Harrison get a start?
Wilson
David Codey (61)
Not quite yet I think, Edmed played his best game all season against the Crusaders so I imagine the focus will be on repeating that. I would be planning on giving him and Wilson solid minutes off the bench again though. I'd expect Perese comes back into 13, he's probably been the tahs best this year.
Long term question for the season is whether or not the tahs look to any seasoned pros as injury replacements in the squad. At this point there's an argument to call in both a prop and a hooker from further afield. I reckon it'd be well worth their time trying to buy Cameron Orr out of his contract with Seattle, though he has been playing pretty much full games there so they might not want to let him go. Not so sure for hookers, might have to cast a wider net there.
Agent
Bill Watson (15)
I doubt the Rebels would want to part with him but Pone isn't seeing to many minutes of late. The Tahs are certainly in a bother for front rowers!
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
I think a Prop and Hooker is a must. Bell, Lambert both gone and Barrett not ready to be asked multiple times. Haven't heard anything about Porecki yet with Mahe gone as well. My mind goes to a guy like Nic Dolly at Leicester even though he seems to be playing a bit more this year so they might not be keen but he's born in Sydney and an Eastwood boy.
Have to say I was impressed with Jorgo last week. He attacks the high ball and got through a couple of seemingly non existent holes. Still so young but he's really holding his own physically. Edmed did play ok but I want to see Harrison & Jorgo up the speed on the field.
Have to say I was impressed with Jorgo last week. He attacks the high ball and got through a couple of seemingly non existent holes. Still so young but he's really holding his own physically. Edmed did play ok but I want to see Harrison & Jorgo up the speed on the field.
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
1 Test a few years ago. Gave it all of 30s thought for someone achievable.
Can't imagine a Folau Fainga'a is at Clermont...
Wilson
David Codey (61)
Andrew Ready might be the other one, currently playing pro D2 but looking to do a retirement club season with Easts this year. Playing more minutes than Dolly though, so they'd probably be less likely to let him go.
Highlander35
Andrew Slack (58)
I think he hasn't gotten a cap since November Internationals 2021: as such he's likely re-eligible to pull on the canary if he chose to do so.