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It appears someone is listening, or at least seeing the smoke and wanting to put out the fire. An article was published by the Rugby Australia media department on Thursday that pointed to a need to make the NRC seem like a more viable pathway to Super rugby.
Apparently there has been “some criticism over a lack of opportunity for older players from the provincial competition to win a Super Rugby chance with Waratahs spots often locked up before the tournament begins.”
The Waratahs football manager Tim Rapp commented that “I don’t think the NRC is a finished product yet and for us we’ve got to continuously look at ways to improve the quality of football that’s coming through to it”.
Rapp added “We’ve got to look at different ways which we can give that guy an opportunity and he’s got to see it as an opportunity to potentially play Super Rugby in time,” referring to players seeing the NRC as a pathway to Super Rugby.
Well Tim I’m here to help. So, I chatted with some of my ex-teammates. Club players, NRC players, Super players. I asked them what would give them incentive to play NRC.
Adam Korczyk of Brisbane City takes on the Sydney Rays defence. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Sidenote, were you aware that Super Rugby players are not meant to be remunerated for their time in the NRC? The tournament is included as part of their Super franchise contract.
Why should they? You might say. Well just like club players, Super players need an incentive. If I’m a Super player and I play well in the NRC, will it be forgotten by the time pre-season is over? Will the Wallabies actually notice? Or will I be playing simply because I have to? It’s hard to say.
Take notice of the quantity of Super players opting out of the NRC to go to Japan or England on a short-term contract. The numbers are rapidly rising. Pay attention to how many Super players are out injured during the NRC period. It’s not a conspiracy theory, it’s reality.
So, what can we do to actually fix these issues? Easy. Scrap the NRC. As conceded by the Waratahs, it isn’t providing an actual pathway for players to Super rugby and the players aren’t being paid enough to make it worth their time. Inject some money back into the heavily followed club rugby. No more complaints from anyone.
Well unfortunately they can’t. The ARU needs a third tier to secure a decent portion of the broadcast deal from SANZAAR. I hesitate to say that this was the reason for creating the NRC. The NRC will survive until at least 2020, so we need to fix.
Short of terminating the NRC, the system needs an overhaul. I have suggested that reverting back to a professional academy structure may increase the depth of talent across NSW rugby, with younger players being slotted in these systems rather than occupying a contract that should be with a more senior player.
By creating a prospect of gaining a contract from clubland, second-tier players will be more likely remain in the Shute Shield. But this only partially fixes our incentive issues, and we can’t reasonably expect a system overhaul overnight. In foreseeing the ARU/NSW rugby crying poor, I will refrain from suggesting a base pay increase for all NRC players to $10,000 (despite the fact that this would go a long way to solving the depth crisis).
Now, in a scenario completely void of opportunity, even the smallest carrot can provide an incentive. In 2015, an all-star side comprised entirely of uncontracted players was selected at the end of the NRC to tour New Zealand under the Australian Barbarians banner.
For a New-South-Welshman staring down the barrel of eight or nine thrashings in a row, something as simple as this tour selection may be the difference between playing and not playing.
I recall great excitement amongst the club players that the tour was taking place, and I can tell you that it provided incentive. Do it again, right now. Pick a Barbarians to play a Televised game against the Wallabies, select a side of uncontracted players to tour, invite 10 players from across the NRC to join the Wallabies for pre-spring tour preparation. The standards of incentive are so low that anything helps.
Quade Cooper of Brisbane City (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
In an ideal world I would love to see a majority of the EPS contracts and one or two full contracts remain available at each franchise until the end of the NRC. When I say available, all the franchises have to do is not sign anyone to these contracts until the NRC is over. Make it known that there are spots up for grabs.
Watch the players you have an eye on play in the tournament, they might struggle, they might excel. Paint a picture that you’re watching. It would be amazing to have a few contracts up for grabs, but if you can’t deliver this, then the allusion of opportunity will suffice.
The fact that the Tahs put the aforementioned media release out on Thursday and didn’t mention any contractual vacancies suggests that unfortunately the 2019 roster is all but tied up….
For the Super rugby lads who haven’t managed to get a hold of some Japanese yen or English Pound, there needs to be a real chance that consistent NRC performances will lead to a gold jersey.
I suppose you could allocate three spots on the end of year tour that are reserved for uncapped NRC breakout talent. Would this cheapen the jersey? Possibly, but it’s hard to find answers here. Although I said I would steer clear of financial solutions, it may be worth considering NRC specific KPIs included in the Super rugby contracts. Encourage playing minutes and playing well.
Joe Powell for the Canberra Vikings. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Put simply, if you pay the players something reasonable then most of your issues will disappear. Given that the Wallabies get match payments of $10,000 and upwards per test, you would think that $2000 for an entire NRC campaign seems slightly inequitable. But alas, the ARU’s miraculous trickle up, steal from the poor and give to the rich flow of revenue will not likely change anytime soon.
In place of increased payments, workshop some incentives for both the club and super players in the NRC. They are so sorely needed. I’ve suggested a few possibilities, I am sure there are more out there.
This is one man’s opinion. Feel free to have your own.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.