Cashed up Europe will leave our NRL at second best

whoops I checked a few sites and realised that RL isn't as big as Football. My bad guys

Matta OK and I fell for it,just let me fight my own battles LOL.AFlers it appears consider it sacrilege for anyone within the state, to play a rugby code coming from an AFL background .The "all Kiwis" comment comes up not infrequently.We get the same comment for the fans that follw the Storm. BTW To add to my argument quoting the Storm's official website:they refer to all junior the players as Victorians.How bleeding original LOL. "At the beginning of the 2009 the Storm entered a team in the national SG ball competition (under 18) that has been running since 1963.The squad they have is PREDOMINATELY made up of Victorian born,raised,and most importantly locally coached players". According to Greg Brentall the GM of Storm Development,at the coal face not writing for a newspaper " Bringing kids into intensive programs such as those that are in place now,rather than the past where there has been no pathway for local kids,means anyone who shows promise can stay in victoria rather than look further afield to advance in the game". "We've lost kids in the past because they haven't had that opportunity to progress to the highest level,lost them to the northern states or lost to the game altogether,because it's been too big a step from here". Now I must get back and do my evening Haka,it's well past sex o'clock.

Duuude... Relax. It was just a dig.

Matta Making your usual empty comments as per usual.Laugh a minute,leave it to real comedians,and stick to your day job.

RedB A) because you claimed the word "fudged" which the registered players figures are not. B) The bulk of the players are Vic born and the nulk of the juniors are not kiwis.Plain and simple. Its like debating with Ms Wilson on the ABC.

Nope

Do any Collingwood fans?

Red - dont try to debate him. He makes no sense what so ever.

Crosscoder, So if you aware of all these real trutths about Vic kiwis playing RL why did you challenge by comment that the junior squads are predominantly kiwi origin? You RL fanatics are just like Collingwood fans. Redb

RedB Which says what all the juniors come from that background?No. I am aware of the article,I am also aware of the fact that 34,000 kids participated in rl at schools in vic last year,in various types of comps and gala events.The 94 teams that play rl in vic are not all from kiwi or polynesian backgrounds. Because seeing pictures over the last year or so of participants in carnivals and comps,there are a hell of a lot of " white" faces.Oh that is right LOL all must be Kiwis of English descent. Kids in victoria now finally have a choice to start at under 7s and go right through to NRL and if they are good enough to play for Australia in a growing intnl environment.A choice they didn't have even a few years ago,until the Vic govt woke up,and gave offiicial approval for the game into schools.. I think he is kidding himself if he talks SOO for Vic,maybe 50 years,but the 2 state SOO is unique and rates its head off. I am also aware that Victorians !get it Victorians of Kiwi background play rl in Victoria.And am also aware that Vics of Vic origin play rl in Victoria.Just as i was aware of the fact that in the early stage of the Swans coming into Sydney,the bulk of the fans were expats from the south and the kids children of those expats.The majority of fans of the Swans are from AFL backgrounds.We know full well in the early years the Swans team ,had few if any NSW players(Paul Kelly ) I made mention of the fact of the former AFL player's son who switched to rl,and a fellow by the name of Lindop as an example of a non Kiwi. I was born and bred in NSW ,but come from a European background,but follow and played rl and union.Using the typical tired cynic's argument,codes are designated as to country origin.I should be playing soccer. It really gets me ,when a permanent resident and taxpayer of Victoria comes from a certain background and play rl,they are all kiwis or polynesians ,and if they play soccer they are all Europen descent.The whole flipping country is of foreign origin originally.That is the beauty of rl,the kids can come from many backgrounds English/kiwi and Polynesian/South African you name it. When rl gets the time and head start that AFL got in NSW,get back to me.

Crosscoder, Just so you do't think I was making it re Kiwi links in Victorian RL junior squads, below is a quote from Stathi Paxinos article in today's AGE. i dont think he's an AFL plant. He is speculating on a Vic SOO team. "the performance of the Melbourne Storm junior teams this year offer hope that one day it may be possible. The under-18s, made up of mostly local talent, will this weekend cap a remarkable first season in the SG Ball by playing in the grand final against Bulldogs, and the under-20s currently sit second in its competition. Given that pedigree, and with the prospect of an under-16s team being formed within the next couple of years, there is every chance that within two decades Victoria could field an origin team. The junior participation base will need to grow substantially and, importantly, must broaden its appeal to people without a rugby league background. Most of the under-20s have been imported from league heartlands while in the under-18s, even those who are Victorian born and bred have links to such league breeding grounds as Polynesia and New Zealand." Even those who Victorian born and bred have links to Polynesia and New Zealand. Redb

Michael C. They might just about all have rugby and soccer posts but most complexs have 3 or 4 fields and whatever fences there are have been put up on street frontages not along touchlines. Cricket is played north of Victoria.

Siren's Call - funny, the other day someone was telling us 99% of sports fields in West Sydney are Rugby/Soccer rectangle fields.....not much room for cricket and footy??

RedB Be thankful for the free AFL publicity,it is not like me. The NRL was dudded in the TV contract in the view of many as to TV ratings in the nthn cities and regionals taking in 57% of the area.Selling the rights to a media group where the comaony with a financial interest in pay Tv has 50% ownership of the game.We are aware of self interest.Then again they tend to stick it up rl,when an offield incident happens even it is small.Hardly assisitng a game they have a 50% stake in. Not talking about AFL fan circles, nor rl fans ,its the media being fed by some AFL types.. In fact the AFL is quite open in Sydney and Brisbane and deliberate about the money they have in their coffers eg they talked at one stage of buying the ANZ stadium,they are quite open about paying decent sums of money to promising locals far above what other codes can pay. Mike fitzpatrick brought it up,Sheedy brought it up as did AD.Therefore champ it is the AFL honchos that push the monetary strength issue,not RL fans. Participation is also up everywhere else for rl in WA/Vic/SA/NT/Qld and NSW.so its's all good.Geographic footprint in oz,well WA/SA/Vic/NT are hardly rl traditional areas,yet they have been growing the grassroots yearly with 3 not having at present a NRL team..A Perth rteam will accelerate the growth. i have no problem with kids playing any sport it keeps them out of trouble.As a matter of fact AFL could be played in NSW schools for decades before rl got official approval in Vic schools. Body shapes here we go again? in rl there are solid,thin,tall,small,nuggety,which appears to happen in other codes. Please cut the emotion jazz,every kid in every state of oz,should have a choice and exposure in all schools.It doesn't happen and has been a bugbear of mine for years. Your last para is ironic.You were the same chappie who stated the under 20 rl comp must be ordinary standard, if some Vic juniors got in.Then we get the all Kiwis and ex ru nonsense,as the reason rl is growing the game.How about some kids like to run with the ball in hand,and that every player is able to score a try,they can catch,can kick,they can have fullblooded body contact tackles,they can baffle a tight defence with footwork.All codes have their skills . Kids in western sydney have had a choice of all codes for years,please do some research. Reality check many kids in Sydney and NSW have played at least 3 of the codes at some stage,some the 4 codes.Years ago I played soccer,.union and league .Trouble is one of the schools i attended did not offer both rugby codes. NRL players such as Laurie Daley played AFL at high school,Lockyer played AFL,Luke Phillips a former NRL player now a budding ref did likewise.Greg Brentnall the Storm football mgr played AFL as a junior then rugby league for the Bulldogs.

Oh please: "these athletes will have a choice". The kids of western Sydney have had a choice of all 4 football codes since the 1950s. Just like in Melbourne?

Funny I am the first to admit AFL,has the biggest TV contract/juniors/crowds,will debate TV ratings,but I will not agree with ignorant assumptions,that I keep reading or hearing." ..... first to agree, first time for everything. :-) The RL fan and media pre-occupation with the TV contract and money in AFL is curious. It is rarely talked about in AFL fan circles. Juniors and crowds yes, you could add participation all up, geographic footprint compared to either of the rugbies outside of tradtional areas as well if you truly want to be honest. I'm not sensitive about News Ltd headlines I'm trying to point out the forest for the trees so that you lot can see News Ltd self interest. Do you really thing it is bad thing for kids in western Sydney to be exposed to another sport? One that has given joy to many Aussies and maybe more suitable for their body type or playing style. The Canadian Mike Pyke who just debuted for the Swans has generated smug commentary from rugby code fans who think Aussie Rules must be easy if you can just start playing at the elite level after 9 months. This is a unqiue situation, 200cm big athletes are rare but this kid played rugby, soccer and basketball - all skills found in Australian Rules football. His spatial abilties and pressure when kicking, running, bouncing and hand balling are yet to be tested. When he was playing rugby he preferred kicking and catching (marking) thus he felt more suited to Aussie Rules. In Canada or western Sydney for that matter, these athletes will have a choice. Redb Redb

RedB You brought up the fudged Kiwi numbers ,you reap what you sow. AFL in existence in NSW for 100 years 35 AFL players,NRL in Victoria for 10 yet first 7 wasted.So nil ATM from 3 years. "Unlike you I will agree a point".your comment.Funny I am the first to admit AFL,has the biggest TV contract/juniors/crowds,will debate TV ratings,but I will not agree with ignorant assumptions,that I keep reading or hearing. I was brought up not to be a yes man. The Paul Kelly cup in NSW has been running longer than 2-3 years,and the AFL have been in schools longer than 2-3 years geez. The Swans were propped up by the AFL/Edelsten/Willessee/Just Jeans(Kimberly) ,just like the Storm are propped up by News.Oh there is a slight difference LOL the Swans never had a SL war to contend with and got a nice leg up by disillusioned supporters and opposition media to News. Fortress-definition is a stronghold.Victoria is a stronghold of AFL.The fact rl is there,is in the schools and has increased its junior base can be described as storming/attacking/moving against/making a small impact.A play on words ,talk about sensitive.You can storm a fort and get thrown back and crushed. The AFL's Mike Fitzpatrick stated the AFL has a huge warchest which can be put to good use ,whilst the GFC is on and the opposition codes are more vulnerable.The Sydney papers on many occasion have described AFL moves into West Sydney/Sydney/NSW as being an asssault on the home/power base of rl.Not once ,not twice but monotonously.Sydney paper repeat Sydney papers.And he is not the first AFL honcho to sprout off. The Terrorgraph suddenly does it with AFL,and the drawbridge is pulled up by the fans,oooh you can't say that,they are only Kiwis blah ..... Garry Jack is indeed a well known RL player,he also has another son Rhys who plays with the Bulldogs under 20 side,wouldn't know he existed.Garry was still a rl player as was the AFL guy in Melbourne whose son switched to rl.The point being made,that a player in NSW going to AFL,is much less a rarety than a Vic player going to rl. Rod Reddy a former rl great has a son who also plays A League,the papers don't go on and on about him. As far as the under 2o Toyota cup is concerned ,it has a fully funded sponsorship/ 6 figure TV contract and is shown and commented upon on Pay TV 2-3 times every week prior to each NRL game.The under 20 players,are immediately promoted to the NRL team should an NRL player be injured.Players eg from Canberra (Dugan/Carney J/Picker/McCrone) now playing NRL are under 20 direct promotions.The competiton has excellent Tv ratings. When the AFL has a similar setup get back to me. It is a no brainer all codes have junior comps with pathways,it is how directly the pathways work. Auskick plenty of money spent big impression,joey league and league tag less money spent big impression.Don't know who is envious of whom.I would suggest the rl are more than happy with their development work.the only envy would come fom the amount of money the AFL has available. To compare apples with apples you compare Vic with NSW,not conveniently pieces of Sydney with the whole of Vic.

Redb, Just so you can tick the box. Former Storm winger Jake Webster was Melbourne born and is now playing for Hull in the UK Super League. The Storm are also competing in their first SG Ball and Jersey Flegg competitions, (under 16 and 18 reps) using their own talent...and very successfully I might add. Aus kick is certainly a tremendous development tool for your game, it is very similar to mini and mod league and the kids to kangaroos program the league runs. However, I'll admit I'm envious of the funding you have. For all your doomsday predictions, Melbourne league juniors are actually coming along just nicely.

sam You are correct the youth league started only recently.Missed that one.My...

Sirens Call. That is a bit of a quandary although a nice one to be in. IMO they can't represent either NSW or Qld,but would still be eligible for the Kangaroos.If Slater was a vic junior he would still qualify for the Roos.