For the past eight seasons, the NRL’s National Youth Competition (NYC) has been at the vanguard of junior player development. The new broadcast rights deal will, however, bring an end to the competition responsible for identifying and facilitating the games most promising under-20 talent.
The competition has long found censure in regards to its substandard quality. Scorelines are a case in point. Many concede that in a majority of cases the NYC leaves players ill-equipped and unprepared for the rigours of the big time in the NRL – particularly in regards to defensive structures and general toughness.
The concern is that these defensive inadequacies will filter into the first-grade arena and infect its superlative standard.
Game quality aside, the financial burden on both the NRL and its subsidiaries is arguably the greatest drawback of the NYC. Exorbitant running costs associated with interstate travel and accommodation, not to mention player and staff wages, are significant financial blows for NRL clubs to incur, particularly given that the competition offers little return on investment, monetarily speaking. Television and sponsorships are the only viable sources of income.
Finance and player development have become mutually exclusive in the NYC, effectuating a catch-22 situation for NRL clubs. In this case, without a short-term investment in the under-20s, the long-term gain of a talented youngster retained in the wings for first-grade is forfeited. This is a hefty fee to pay for an investment fraught with instability, particularly in an age of market volatility and third party agreements.
Keeping a player resolute to a club’s mantra in the face of a large pay rise is especially difficult for a club with little capital inflow. A 2015 report revealed that clubs such as the Newcastle Knights and Gold Coast Titans were ranked 12th and 13th respectively in terms of developing the greatest number of first-grade players from the NYC.
Unremunerative investments have unearthed further complications for the NYC. For a long period of time, an investment in the under-20s was nugatory and counterproductive for clubs like the Melbourne Storm. They yielded very few players directly from the NYC, as their under-20s side churned out players for the Cronulla Sharks and its NSW Cup affiliate across the opening six years of the competition. Instances of this nature have dramatically reduced over the past few seasons.
These ideologies aren’t empty platitudes, they are genuine concerns for a schismatic competition. One that appears boundless on paper, yet is frivolous and flawed in reality. One that, most importantly, is moving towards a foregone conclusion: the demise of the NRL’s most pragmatic junior rugby league pathway.
Pragmatic in the sense that imitating the NRL’s framework deals with reality, as well as the pitfalls and plateaus of being a professional rugby league player – training, travel, nutrition, media work and team camps. It just so happens that some of the perks associated with operating a competition of the NYC’s magnitude are simultaneously cracking open the nest egg of clubs which are struggling financially.
Despite the costs, we should still lend credence to a competition that has uncovered innumerable diamonds in the rough for the NRL. Throughout its eight years of operation to date, the NYC has provided us with a product that is fundamentally accessible – both for clubs and the public – and a means by which to assess the next crop of footballing maestros.
The NYC’s vastly populated alumni roll is a testament to this. In its inaugural season alone, the competition exposed some of the current day superstars – Trent Merrin, Ben Hunt, Ben Barba, Wade Graham and Gareth Widdop to name but a few. By removing the NYC, surely we are removing an essential bridge to first grade and compromising the health of the NRL over the succeeding decades.
Despite the copious amount of threads validating the pros of the NYC, any and all approbation of this competition is rapidly eroding. With every season comes further calls for its neck by the rugby league fraternity, effectively blunting the cogency of any counter argument.
I for one wholeheartedly agree that this competition, while having served as an essential breeding ground for some time, is in need of a seismic overhaul in order to address both the financial and logistical concerns that are ubiquitous under the current system.
An ostensibly enhanced nine-week competition played across state lines in lieu of the Holden Cup looms as the most likely avenue for the NRL to take following the implementation of the next broadcast rights deal.
If the NRL was to sketch up a blueprint of objectives and requirements for an ideal NYC, they would be sure to appease any criteria pertaining to the enhancement of game quality. Without this, we are left with a competition that is ultimately sterile, commercially unattractive and unproductive in readying players with the physical and mental attributes that are required in the NRL.
That’s why a nine-week competition, while addressing the financial disquietudes, will repeat the failings of the NYC in terms of player development. It’s why any future competition must be played statewide – independent of the NRL clubs – thus acting as a feeder competition for the Queensland and NSW Cups.
This will allow young players, specifically forwards, to learn the ropes and complete their rugby league apprenticeships against seasoned pros. It’s why there must also be a steady progression and perspicuous understanding of the stepping stones between each of the SG Ball, Harold Matthew’s, under-20s and Queensland/NSW Cups.
A clear-cut pathway will ensure players – primarily those that are underdeveloped – avoid falling victim to the endemic flaws of the system, particularly during years when walking away from the game appears the most rational option. Not every player that graduates from the NYC is of the same pedigree as Nathan Cleary, Tom Trbojevic and Ashley Taylor, whose natural rugby league prowess and smarts have enabled them to make a seamless, untarnished transition directly from the NYC to the NRL.
Whatever you make of the current format and its logistical deficiencies, by no means should an under-20s competition be eradicated. The NRL has not yet succumbed to its steady disillusionment with the NYC, but it’s doing everything it can to hold us to ransom over it, while simultaneously heightening our intolerance of it.
These players are the future and the lifeline of the NRL. They must be treated accordingly, through the implementation of a sustainable rugby league breeding ground that is an untiring advocate of their development.
pete bloor
Guest
Spot on with everything except I disagree with the first half of your last sentence
no one in particular
Roar Guru
College football is not a feeder league for the NRL. They have zero affiliation.
andrew
Guest
Why is college football huge in the US? Money from wealthy allumni, huge TV deals, historic passionate supporters. None of these things exist at that level of rugby league. Nice idea, but it won't happen.
turbodewd
Roar Guru
If we think the NFL-college football setup is best practise then why don't we try to copy it? Im not suggesting we link up with universities, but I am suggesting that the junior league attempt to stand on its own 2 feet and NOT be directly linked to each NRL club. Let the junior league stand on its own 2 feet and make its own money from producing a TV product...just like the American college system. College football is huge in the USA. Can we produce a similar feeder comp here? The NSW and Qld cups become effectively reserve grade...aka the B league. I think the NBA equiv is the D league.
Baracuda
Guest
The NYC has proved to be a false dawn to many players and should be scrapped, there needs to be a genuine hierarchy within Australian rugby league, something that is severely lacking. I see that as the NRL, Platimun League (reserve grade) and state based under 20s. Aspiring young talents will have a clear pathway with 16s, 18s and 20s leading to open competition.
andrew
Guest
I would agree. In addition, we ask teams like the Titans as an example, who when playing in Sydney, have to get a 6am flight from the G-Coast. That means being at the airport at 5am at the latest. So they are probably getting up at 4am on the day they are playing football and after being crammed in tight on a Jetstar flight being expected to play at the peak of their ability! - nobody can do that, certainly not a person still maturing. Generally the games can be quite entertaining and the defense has got better than it was initially, the inadequacies are more in concentration and errors. Nobody is going to complain if they can't watch an interstate u/20's team live, so link it back into the NSW/QLD Cup. That said, those clubs need improved funding and facilities if they are to be the nursery for developing and keeping young talent in the game
KnightsFan
Roar Pro
Very well said. By expanding the state cup to country areas and allowing players to "stay home longer" could really help.
KnightsFan
Roar Pro
I think the NRL needs to go in one of two directions. Option A is every NRL team has an under 20's and a reserve grade team. The QLD and NSW Cp will be indecent teams in a 3rd tier. This will give a natural pathways through the grades however it would be very expensive for clubs and severely damage the QLD and NSW Cups. Option B which I personally prefer would see the NRL takeover junior development and have NRL clubs only look after there NRL squad. The NSW Cup would see independent teams like the QLD cup and the junior pathways would see the NSW and QLD cup teams have there 16's, 18's, 20's and reserve grade. NRL teams can sign players form any team be it reserve grade or the junior grades.
ChubbzyK96
Guest
I enjoy the NYC, and followed it halfheartedly, but the reason it is being shut down is the amount of pressure that is being put on the players at such a young age! There have been 2-3 unfortunate incidents of players passing away and for me, that is 2-3 too many. If we can incorporate a similar thing for the state cups, that is the road we should go down.
pete bloor
Guest
It does feel to me that these kinds of things are an inevitable part though of the ARLC structure and the substandard front offices of NRL teams. Whilst I agree with the theme of you need to address everything I don’t think the “seismic overhaul” needs to be targeted at the cost base, it’s the player outcomes that obviously need work. Feeder comps are never really commercially viable right so it’s a bit of red herring to focus on that. Any overhaul needs to target preparing NRL players first and then look at the most financially efficient means of delivering it. It’s almost like “product development” if you had the primary focus on production cost as opposed to the actual product then there is little point in investing much in the process at all. Also for what it’s worth 2 cents of constructive criticism whilst I loved the majority of the article and the thought process I’d recommend toning back the verbosity as it changes a well thought out line of argument into a bit of a grandiloquent piece. Particularly as some of the combinations are a little off, if you’re going to go all bombastic language on us you need to absolutely nail it in order to pass off that it was done to help the reader rather than highlight your expansive vocab.
QConners
Roar Pro
Although its been rather successful in breeding new talent, it hasn't been more so than it was 20 years ago. I would either create an U/20s competition for the NSW and QLD cup sides, or, and this would be preferred, we scrap NSW & QLD Cup and NYC, and we have and every NRL club has a Reserve Grade and U/20s(or 18s) side that also play on the same day before the first grade game. You'll probably find that you could potentially have a 17th, and 18th team with the amount of quality players there are in NSW & QLD cup at the moment, as well as the exiled players in ESL. But As you stated, it creates a clear cut pathway to first grade, as well as readies them for what the NRL is like.
peeeko
Guest
"By removing the NYC, surely we are removing an essential bridge to first grade and compromising the health of the NRL over the succeeding decades" who is to say that the new comp wont provide the same bridge for those players you mentioned?
James
Guest
The NYC has been successful at keeping young talented players in Rugby League who may have otherwise played Rugby Union. One reason is due to the matches being televised and the fact that the competition mirrors the elite NRL. But in terms of the standard, the NYC is definitely a stepping stone to the State Leagues.
Rellum
Roar Guru
The success of the QRL as a comp and a path way to the NRL is working just fine right now. I see no need for a national reserve grade comp at all. It says a lot that the Cowboys Broncs and Melbourne all have strong links with the QRL and they the better teams in the comp. On the NYC, it could go or stay. It really is just a stepping stone to the QRL.
Jacko
Guest
It has been very successful so not sure why it should change. The main difference between now and before the U20 is the amount of Kiwi's playing in the competition (35% of NRL) which has of course led to NZ having far greater success at test level and NZ are now no 1. It would appear that clubs are going to get far more money allocated to them from the new tv deal and all they want to do is pay people who are currently getting 500k a season, another 300k. Why dont the clubs spread the money across their complete operation and keep the current system in place or perhaps they could limit even further the wages a U20 player can recieve as already there are rumours of promising juniors on big money at clubs just to ensure they dont go elsewhere
MikeTV
Guest
The NSWRL intends to create a new "Platinum League" with more regional representation, but with some of the old heritage Clubs. A neat solution would be to mirror this State League competition at an U'20s (Jersey Flegg), U'18's (SG Ball), U'16's (Harold Matthews) level and also remove the NRL Clubs from the State League. The State League Clubs would be "full members" in the NSWRL Organisation, while the NRL Clubs would have their membership downgraded to "observer" status Of course, each NRL Club would be affiliated with a State League Club.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Removing the NYC doesn't burn a bridge, if anything it should allow the creation of multiple bridges from having a couple of U20s competitions at a NSW/QLD cup type level, and crucially this doesn't raise the expectations of these young men putting their names up in lights so early only to dash them when they fail to make reserve grade in the seniors let alone NRL (which will be the case for the majority of the NYC players).
McNaulty
Guest
The NRL clubs should just have one team with a squad of 25 players. I'd like the NRL clubs to have less to do with junior player development. Junior player development should be done at the NSW cup and Qld cup level (and the NRL clubs should have nothing to do with this level). There should be a junior draft from the NSW & Qld cup into the NRL. The NRL should sell the tv rights to the NSW & Qld cup to Fox so that Fox shows all the games live (even if that means getting less $$$.
Mark
Guest
Does not seem to be a problem for 50% of Clubs Lets not forget a FG RL club used to have FG RG 3G at the top tier for 100 years With U21 U19 U17 U15 playing in a 9 week competition with top junior comp running for 106 years Clubs that complain about airfares still fly players for their QLD or NSW Cup clashes We now have twice as much money as before Every NRL should be able to field a team in a National RG and National U20 competition Plus Adelaide Perth Riverina Coffs and Tamworth should replace NRL clubs in a revamped NSW Cup Then let NZ Clubs play in a NZ Cup no need to fly players in and out of NZ The Mellinesia Cup between PNG and Fiji club was a step forward
Cadfael
Roar Guru
The ideal set up was that each NRL side has a reserve grade team and an under 20s team. This system would and did work well for the eleven NSW (including Canberra) sides. The Warriors need assistance more than any other side due to travel but this had to be expected in having a national competition. One change may be to drop the U 2 competition and replace it with an under 18 comp such as the existing SG Ball Cup in NSW (the Ball Cup has 15 teams, add in Melbourne for for the 16th). In Qld play a similar competition including the Warriors.Still expensive but far less so than against an U 20s for the rest of the NRL sides.