The Sydney Roosters will oppose the introduction of a rookie draft in its current proposed form after the NRL came out in support of a move towards a new system to distribute young talent amongst clubs.
NRL boss David Smith is one of those behind a push for the introduction of an entry rookie draft in the NRL ahead of the 2017 NRL season that would be aimed at rewarding clubs for developing juniors and provide an equalisation of talent across the 16 teams.
Respected South Sydney administrator Shane Richardson has called for such a draft to be fast-tracked for the 2016 season.
But Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan has urged caution, arguing that the player market already self regulates, using the examples of mid-season moves of Tautau Moga and Daniel Mortimer from the premiers to North Queensland and the Gold Coast respectively.
One proposal on the table would be to allow the game’s bigger nurseries such as Penrith, Canberra and New Zealand to select five players who would be exempt from the draft.
But Canavan said the Roosters couldn’t support that.
“In the absence of any further information, we would be opposed to that draft in its current form,” Canavan told AAP.
“What are the terms of reference? Does it include under-18s, does it include under 20s?
“There are 16 extremely different backyards; what is the Warriors backyard? What is Melbourne Storm’s backyard?
“Talent identification and talent development is crucial, it is not about hoarding players.
“There needs to be in-depth discussion and a collection and collation of statistics before any serious decisions are made.
“It is a topic and a half.
“What is vital is good coaching, good sports science and good sports medicine.
“Under the current proposal the clubs will decrease their spend on player development and the NRL will need to pick up the tab.”
The Roosters, who have only 768 registered players in their catchment, and other clubs such as Melbourne have plenty to lose under such a proposal.
Conversely, Penrith have 9000 registered players, Parramatta around 7,500 and Souths around 3,500.
An NRL spokesman confirmed to AAP on Sunday the proposal had been floated at a meeting of club chief executives several months ago, but was very much in its infancy and wouldn’t come into operation – if it was approved – until 2017.
“It is very much in the concept stage, and it would only come about after extensive consultation with the clubs, the Rugby League Players Association and in conjunction with the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement),” the spokesman said.
The spokesman said the game’s governing body was only considering implementing a entry-level draft and there would not be one covering experienced players, as was the case when Terry Hill successful challenged the NSWRL draft in court in 1991.
Canavan said the Roosters’ new link to the Central Coast is proof of their commitment to nurturing junior rugby league.
“That is one of the reasons but not the only reason why we have partnered up,” he said.
“So those players can realise their dream of playing NRL and they will do that with the Roosters and only do that with the Roosters.”
Third-placed Penrith coach Ivan Cleary, whose injury-hit side claimed another tough 16-4 win over St George Illawarra at Wollongong on Sunday with James Segeyaro starring, said he thought the draft proposal was a good idea.
In Sunday’s other game, the sixth-placed Warriors held off a spirited Cronulla 16-12 in Auckland with Ngani Laumape scoring two tries.
On Saturday night in Townsville, the fourth-placed North Queensland enjoyed their biggest-ever win, a 64-6 thumping of the Wests Tigers.
Jarryd Hayne scored two tries, including his 100th NRL four-pointer, in Parramatta’s 18-10 victory over Canberra in Darwin.
A post-siren sideline conversion from captain Kurt Gidley gave Newcastle a 32-20 win over Melbourne at Hunter Stadium.
On Friday night, Sam Burgess was at his bullocking best in South Sydney’s 23-4 win over competition leaders Manly at the SCG.
In Brisbane, the Broncos flogged Canterbury 41-10 with Bulldogs playmaker Josh Reynolds set to face scrutiny from the match review panel for a number of incidents.
On Monday night, the fifth-placed Sydney Roosters host the Gold Coast at Allianz Stadium in coach John Cartwright’s final game in charge of the Titans following his mid-week resignation.
Pot Stirrer
Guest
The Raiders are a basket case based in a miserable boring SH. Stop running to "mummy" to fix your problems.
Pot Stirrer
Guest
Clubs dont put any money into Juniors, its a load of nonsense. All Junior Clubs money comes from Chook Raffles (pardon the pun) and THE NSWRL. Unless your refering to just the SG Ball sides ? Which if you are take a closer look at the players and see where they are really from.
Clint
Guest
I can't blame them for opposing it in its present form, Muzz. How can they spread their local catchment? They are boxed in by Souths (who took most of their local teams in the 50s), Manly, Balmain and Canterbury. Newcastle (where I live) can keep adding teams to its catchment as quickly as subdivisions get built. It's not a level playing field.
Clint
Guest
It seems good in concept but limits teams landlocked by other team's districts. Penrith, Brisbane, Newcastle etc. can keep adding suburbs to their district as the subdivisions get tacked on, whereas Souths, Easts and Canterbury are boxed in and can't expand as easily.
KB
Guest
You dont know anything..so typical of a Souths supporter who has probably NEVER seen your team win a comp. In the fifties a "Souths" affiliated politician was instrumental in having a large area of the Eastern Suburbs rezoned into South Sydney Council areas. As a result it depleted the Eastern Suburbs Juniors...I mean if Maroubra isnt in the Eastern Suburbs then my compass is wrong. Rusty didnt write about a lot of real history in the Book of Feuds only what he heard from uninformed Souths supporters...after all he's a Kiwi. One of the main reasons for the intense dislike by Chooks fans of Souths stems from the aforementioned. The main reason for the intense dislike by Souths fans of Easts is our success and longevity. CHOOKSback2back
Pot Stirrer
Guest
Im so sick of these dumb proposals trying to fix basket case clubs. It goes from wanting to expand to WA,SA, where there are no Juniors to wanting to implement a draft to keep the juniors at the existing clubs. Is there any other Professional code in the world that the squads are made up of Juniors ? Its just absolutley nonsecal, It will end up driving the Financialy succesful clubs out of the game as they see there is no potential to build the buisiness, and all professional sport is Buisiness which will then result in low wages for players who will then end up playing other codes as they try to make a living out of there athletic ability.
Muzz
Guest
The Roosters are just 1, of a number of clubs that appose the draft.The media, puts them at the end of the hook knowing very well what the general consensus is regarding Roosters junior development.They then sit back and count the clicks. Some clubs, spend up to a $1 million a year on their juniors so it's in their best interest to oppose the draft.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Eden - and how many "juniors" do the Broncos have...strictly speaking in the Penrith sense of the word zero.in terms of how many kids in Greater Metropolitan Brisbane and surrounds play Rugby League and are indirectly Bronco "juniors" well they are going to have a very big salary cap indeed. Which brings another interesting question how are they going to define a local junior. If it ain't broke don't fix it the system what we have now works fine look how tight the ladder is.No team has one back to back premierships since the nineties.the Roosters won last year but the year before they were crap and it was their first since 2002t,The Broncos have won one premiership since 2000 so if those two clubs are cheating the cap the cap they are not very good at it.
Glenn Innes
Guest
But what is to stop The Roosters (or anyone else) simply offering kids money to come and play for their elite junior teams,that is where this is going to head, clubs competing for thirteen year olds to come play in their junior league. I absolutely despise the idea because it denies people a right to choose their employer,it is illegal and if challenged in court will be laughed at by the courts and lets hope it is.
George Walton
Guest
The Roosters offer guys $300,000 under the salary cap, but the player earns so much more. How can they afford their roster. If the Raiders bought their top 5 players, they would have to fill the rest of the positions with amateurs.
Renegade
Guest
That is what it's about fiver.
fiver
Guest
I thought the draft was more about centralizing junior development than trying to further even the competition? Didn't the Raiders threaten the NRL earlier in the year that they would stop investing in junior development because they are not benefiting from it? That would effectively hand over the Riverina area to the AFL. I think this is more about the NRL making sure this doesn't happen.
fiver
Guest
Exactly, the only clubs that could have possibly lured SBW are the Roosters, Broncos, Rabbitohs and maybe Bulldogs, but the Dogs wouldn't take him back.
Elma Dudd
Guest
Both have or have had rubbish coaches this year ... Or maybe it's the roosters fault they are crap.
Freddy from Bondi
Guest
Which again, is exactly what happens at the moment. I'm failing to see any positive effects of the draft here.
Freddy from Bondi
Guest
Do you think the draft will fix this?
Eden
Guest
Would a simpler solution be to give salary cap concessions based on juniors in your area? e.g Penrith with 9,000 juniors get $1m extra in the cap, Souths with 3,500 get ~400K; Roosters get <$100K Clubs could be given the option to adopt other areas, but it only counts if they have a met a certain criteria set by the NRL in terms of commitment.
Renegade
Guest
That's a fair idea max and i wouldn't oppose that either.... issue I see with it, is that the Raiders would become a feeder club and remain that way forever.
Renegade
Guest
"The whole purpose of a draft is to spread the talent across the teams that need it. Do we at least agree on this?" Yes, agree. My point and looks like the NRL's as well is that it needs to be fair as well by rewarding the clubs who make up the bulk of juniors. How will it stop clubs from developing juniors and only focussing on elite.... are they able to identify who is going to be the best at Under 8's or something? I really don't know where your coming from mate...
Renegade
Guest
They'll get first dibs at the kids.... there is nothing stopping the Roosters from stealing them by offering $1m a season (within the salary cap) three years down the track when they are 22 or 23.