The start of the Toyota Cup shone a new light in he NRL’s face. As years have progressed, the number of young, talented players who ‘graduate’ through the Under 20s competition to play in the NRL has boomed.
In 2008, the inaugural year of the Toyota Cup, 45 players had played in the NRL. In 2009, 54 players had played in the NRL; while last year, in 2010, 58 players had played in the NRL.
From last year’s Toyota Cup Team of the Year, five players had already played first grade.
Now, in the upcoming first round of the NRL, 82 of the 272 players playing on the weekend have played in the Toyota Cup.
Every side has at least two past players playing for them.
Here are the big named players:
Broncos: Josh Hoffman and Jharl Yow Yeh
Bulldogs: Ben Barba and Jamal Idris
Cowboys: James Tamou and Ray Thompson
Dragons: Trent Merrin and Kyle Stanley
Eels: Mitchell Allgood and Etu Uaisele
Knights: Beau Henry and Joel Edwards
Panthers: Lachlan Coote and Sandor Earl
Rabbitohs: Dylan Farrell and Chris Sandow
Raiders: Josh Dugan and Jarrod Croker
Roosters: Kane Linnett and Martin Kennedy
Sea Eagles: Tony Williams, Jamie Buhrer
Sharks: Nathan Gardner and Wade Graham
Storm: Matt Duffie and Gareth Widdop
Titans: Kevin Gordon and Bodene Thompson
Warriors: Ben Matulino and Steve Rapira
West Tigers: Robert Lui and Blake Ayshford
This shows how successful the Toyota Cup has become in just its fourth season.
It brings new hope for the participants who will take part every Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday, pushing themselves to reach the first grade squad.
bilbo
Guest
Toyota cup is a good system. The games are very exciting and fast paced, and it is no surprise the amount of publicity it receives (larger viewer numbers than the Super Rugby season last year). The only danger is the lack of a worthwhile reserve grade - not all players are superstars before they are 20, and the standard of reserve grade has decreased dramatically - some teams (including the premiers) cant even afford to have a second tier team.
oikee
Guest
NF, know the feeling, but if you look, all clubs lose juniors, not just the Cowbpys. The warriors young guns have been raided. :) hhahaha, you have to laugh. Look, they might cry, but hey, it happens to all the clubs, except maybe the Roosters and Storm. You can't keep them all. If you look at a Wayne Bennett side, he picks experience over youth 9 times out of 10. The cowboys have plenty of experience, same as the titans. The Bronc's. i am still not convinced just yet. Yes they might win a few like they did last year. Injuries might stop them again this year. Good luck this year.
therookie
Roar Pro
Well NF, I think Ray Thompson knows he has to perform to his best every match because the Cowboys do have back-up in Matt Bowen, Aaron Payne, Michael Morgan and Ben Jones so I don't think he will play out the full 24 games (that answers half of question). The other part is that they pick all these great talented players who can play every other position except in the halves and they lost Grant Rovelli, but honestly he played terrible for the Cowboys, so I guess to stop underachieving they have to find players who can't suit the role of five-eighth. As you said about how we lost talent from the U20's well we still have players who survived through the whole thing like: James Segeyaro, Will Tupou, Michael Morgan and James Tamou, but you going to have to remind me of what talented U20's players we lost because I can't recall. And to answer the last statement. This season we have the two Aussie Test wingers who played in the last 4 nations and, including those two, 7 players all up have experienced and played representative footy. So if they don't make the 8, there will be only one excuse, and the selectors will have noted down, get a talented player who can back Thurston in the halves because pulls his hair out every match because his halves mate just can't listen or perform to Thursty's impression. So if you get anything out of this whole comment is that we, the Cowboys, can win the comp if they have a proper talented five-eighth by Thurston's side.
NF
Guest
Being a follow Cowboys supporter therookie how did you think Ray Thompson will go with JT this will be first full season and there expectations of success after years of underachieving. Looking at the Cowboys' Under-20 squad there alot of future Cowboys providing they same with us and don't get sign to other clubs, for far too long NQ has let some of it's best talent slip through it fingers to other clubs who benefit it from it. But we still got the likes of Matt Bowen, Aaron Payne,Matt Scott, Scott Bolton and others who are pure NQ through and through and have proven there worth on the field.
therookie
Roar Pro
Oikee your right Toyota Cup is a great pre-match entertainer
M1tch
Roar Guru
Young Raiders will good to watch too :)
oikee
Guest
Toyota cup is brillaint. Only youth comp in Australia you would pay to watch, nothing else needs to be said. Warriors Eels Saturday. Should be a cracker. Footie show back on, take me home. :) Life is good again.
peeeko
Roar Guru
is it any more successful than its predeccessors? i doubt it