New pro comps : Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:17 pm  

http://www.nrl.com/new-state-based-c...4/default.aspx So the NRL is getting rid of the national under 20s and expanding the NSW and Qld cups to up to a maximum of 32 sides (16 in each comp). Each NRL side is hoped to have 2 feeder sides in these expanded comps. NSW cup and Queensland cup teams have been coming closer and closer to being fully professional for years, and many under 20s players are basically full time professionals, so folding the two grades into each other should very quickly lead to fully professional teams playing at a standard very close to ESL standard IMO. PNG and Fiji will field sides as well, and I believe Samoa and Tonga are looking at how Fiji go and will consider joining too.

http://www.nrl.com/new-state-based-c...4/default.aspx So the NRL is getting rid of the national under 20s and expanding the NSW and Qld cups to up to a maximum of 32 sides (16 in each comp). Each NRL side is hoped to have 2 feeder sides in these expanded comps. NSW cup and Queensland cup teams have been coming closer and closer to being fully professional for years, and many under 20s players are basically full time professionals, so folding the two grades into each other should very quickly lead to fully professional teams playing at a standard very close to ESL standard IMO. PNG and Fiji will field sides as well, and I believe Samoa and Tonga are looking at how Fiji go and will consider joining too.

Re: New pro comps : Sat Nov 19, 2016 10:55 am  

Interesting the Aussies think the best way of developing players is to have more teams at under 20 level (2 leagues worth NSW and QLD). The players will then move from under 20's to play in the NSW or QLD cup (barring the odd 18/19Year old Inglis type freak of a player) before moving upto the NRL.

Super League clubs are sticking with the get shut of players who are not good enough at 19 idea (if they even run an academy).

Re: New pro comps : Sat Nov 19, 2016 11:24 am  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

Interesting the Aussies think the best way of developing players is to have more teams at under 20 level (2 leagues worth NSW and QLD). The players will then move from under 20's to play in the NSW or QLD cup (barring the odd 18/19Year old Inglis type freak of a player) before moving upto the NRL.

Super League clubs are sticking with the get shut of players who are not good enough at 19 idea (if they even run an academy).

I thought they were doing the opposite of this, ie now scrapping the 20's?

Re: New pro comps : Sat Nov 19, 2016 12:48 pm  

Baxendale wrote:

I thought they were doing the opposite of this, ie now scrapping the 20's?

My understanding is they are scrapping their national under 20's comp, instead the players will play in either the NSW or QLD cup under 20's, before playing open age NSW or QLD cup.

Re: New pro comps : Sat Nov 19, 2016 1:12 pm  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

My understanding is they are scrapping their national under 20's comp, instead the players will play in either the NSW or QLD cup under 20's, before playing open age NSW or QLD cup.

You may well be right, I thought that they were going to be playing the U20s players in open age State Cup instead

Re: New pro comps : Sat Nov 19, 2016 4:27 pm  

The current national under 20s is funded to allow players to be semi professional and there are requirements in place that players should be either studying or in employment.
The new state based under 20s will have very little funding and just be similar to current under 16s and under 18s - amateur comps.
All the good players aged 18 to 20 will be playing as semi professionals or fulltime professionals in the expanded NSW and Qld cups, and all the club funding will go into those comps.
The theory behind the under 20s was to give kids every chance to develop their football skills, whilst making sure the 90% who didn't go on to be professional players kept up their education or employment skills, so you didn't get large groups of guys in their early 20s with nothing on their resume except failed footy player.
The problem with the under 20s is that the standards of defence and physicality are way below NRL standard, so good players at that level are often exposed as pretenders when they have to play against men.
The well funded under 20s was a good idea for the welfare of young players, especially the majority who weren't go to make the grade, but it's been next to useless for developing good players, the majority of whom are already playing in the seniors by age 19 or 20.

Re: New pro comps : Sat Nov 19, 2016 8:18 pm  

One of the key aims from this change is to try and leave kids in their home environment for longer. At the moment, kids of 16 and 17 from the bush or more remote areas are having to leave home to go and live near the NRL team that has signed them - they reckon this is impacting on the kids mental wellbeing. Plus, once they're signed by a pro-club, their level of pressure and expectation increases and again is causing some kids to crack, particularly those that are no longer living with their families and as such don't have that day to day support network.
There's very much a push down under to increase the age that kids can be signed or even have managers. There's a minimum age restriction of 18 in the NRL, which they are looking to increase to 19. Which makes the current stance over here even more ridiculous - as in general, if a kid ain't a first team regular by 20 over here, they're on the scrap heap.

Re: New pro comps : Sun Nov 20, 2016 9:58 pm  

Can't understand why they aren't following the British model. Don't run academies, reserve teams or have anything to do with local teams. The results are there for all to see.

Re: New pro comps : Fri Nov 25, 2016 2:47 pm  

Leaguefan wrote:

Can't understand why they aren't following the British model. Don't run academies, reserve teams or have anything to do with local teams. The results are there for all to see.

God change the record we do have academy's we do have reserve teams and clubs do have something to do with local clubs and schools

Re: New pro comps : Fri Nov 25, 2016 3:35 pm  

Leaguefan wrote:

Can't understand why they aren't following the British model. Don't run academies, reserve teams or have anything to do with local teams. The results are there for all to see.

Dont know why you bother with rugby leauge or posting on here, everything you put is negative or a sarcastic put down.