I’m a lifelong NRL supporter. I live and breathe the game. But the continued drain of rugby league players to rugby union is becoming a serious issue.
Players such as Sam Burgess, Benji Marshall, Sonny Bill Williams, Brad Thorn, Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau were superstars of the NRL. Their contributions to their respective teams were instrumental.These players all grew up loving rugby league and played it at a junior level.
Even players such as Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri, who returned after their success in rugby union, fell back in love with the NRL after leaving.
So why leave in the first place?
It’s because rugby union’s development as a code has transformed the lifestyle of Australian sport. High-profile athletes such as Folau now travel on a weekly basis through Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Folau can now spend time at home, before travelling to magnificent cities such as Cape Town and Wellington for away games. In the NRL, players spend time at home before driving to a different suburb in Sydney each week.
Then there’s the international perspective. We’re taught that representing your country is the highest achievement in sport.
Although, for rugby league players, it’s to represent your state.
Now, I’m not downplaying the significance of State of Origin, but when NRL players represent their country they’re only travelling to New Zealand, Australia or England.
Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and Papua New Guinea are all fantastic developing rugby league countries, but they just don’t match the talent of the Kangaroos, Kiwis and Poms.
I hope for the NRL’s sake that in the next World Cup, Samoa surprises the world and wins.
Along with the international and travelling freedom that exists in union, there is an increase in money. Players like Sonny Bill Williams, Folau and Burgess can earn millions per season when they play the other code.
While Sam Burgess and Sonny Bill Williams are leaving the NRL next year, clubs are now attempting to spend their money on prestigious talent such as Karmichael Hunt, bringing him back to the game he was brought up with.
Don’t be surprised when more players leave the NRL to go play the 15-man code. Players such as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Jared Waerea-Hargraves and Andrew Fifita have already stated that the have considered such a move.
No one wants to see any more players lost to rugby league. Can the NRL do something about this?
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