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Opinion
As many Roar writers have highlighted, the idea of a draft is rapidly gaining momentum. This would be revolutionary and a first in the history of the premier competition in Oceania. Like the draft in the AFL, I can see why there is an appetite for a similar operation in Super Rugby.
In theory, it would diversify rosters and would allow for a more even spread of players across all teams and allows for tapping into powerhouse structures like the Crusaders and Brumbies who are so renowned for their production line of talent and development of players.
These are the core positives that generally anyone can take from a drafting structure. However, I am sceptical and want to voice some concerns that I think need to be more heavily considered before a decision is made.
Opening up eligibility: The (not so) quick fix to Super Rugby’s inequity?
As I list off the concerns I have, they can all be equally applied to each of the participating nations in Super Rugby Pacific, but I will be focussing on Australia due to my own allegiance, to voice the issues I can see arising for our nation.
I also want to note that I will mainly be comparing NZ and Australian teams seeing they currently make up the bulk of the SRP competition. Again, you can extrapolate my thoughts and apply to both the Drua and Moana.
The first and most risky counter to a draft is an influx of foreign players filling out rosters for another country’s team. This could be a massive, short term positive but over the long term could be crippling.
A policy allowing Australian players to play for the Crusaders (as has happened with Pete Samu and Nick Frost) or NZ/Fiji players to the Brumbies etc is attractive for individual player development.
My worry is that choosing a foreign marquee player to play in another country team would likely have an instant impact in terms of performance. But what happens to players like Carter Gordon?
We can probably agree that picking one or the other right now you’d want DMac, so if the Rebels took him, would the Chiefs want Gordon?
Or would they prefer to stick with the “next man up” mentality and promote the homegrown Chiefs development player coming through the ranks? If that happens where does Gordon’s development come from?
Not playing for the rebels anymore, not playing in the Chiefs system, going from playing 80mins in a high-level comp to going back to play for West’s Bulldogs in the Hospital Cup and eventually going abroad to France or wherever to play topflight footy again.
The outcome would be that the Rebels improve a bit (as much as one player can impact a team) whilst the Chiefs begin to develop the next generation. Our next generation however is hindered and eventually lost overseas.
Hardly an attractive outcome for Australia in the long run. Plenty of positives for NZ who free up a roster spot while DMac keeps playing to maintain current skill levels.
You can expand this thought to any player from any nation really. Would Harry Wilson make a kiwi super Rugby side? Absolutely. Would they want to bring him in to hypothetically replace the outgoing Hoskins Sotutu or would they rather look after their own backyard and future players and bring someone up instead?
Another point that I have been extremely vocal that Australian rugby is not up to scratch when measured against the Kiwi teams. That is an Australian problem.
Why would the NZ teams want to lose their best players out of their home teams to bolster Australian teams to make the game more exciting back here in Australia? I don’t believe lowering the high standards of the kiwi sides that they have carefully, and overtime developed purely to prop up Australian side is a reasonable solution.
I can’t see this as a positive for the competition at all.
Another issue that may result of a diversification of players is the cohesion factor. If you follow Ben Darwin and Gainline Analytics you can see clear historical data that shows how important cohesion is. By expanding the eligibility to other nations this cohesion factor (which has been dropping overtime already within Australia) would fall even further down.
The Brumbies are constant finals contenders and it’s not hard to see why. They play and train together week in week out. Same combos, same players knowing their roles. Imagine a back line of an Australian 9, Kiwi 10 and 12, and a Fijian 13. Where’s the cohesion that will benefit any of those nations?
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Only benefit might be the Kiwi 10-12 pair but even that is small factor given when they link up with the rest of the All Blacks, the surrounding players might be from different systems and don’t work together as well throughout the team.
I can’t see a positive at all from expanding selection from a team cohesion perspective for any team or country. Might be good for individual growth but in a team sport that doesn’t get you all that far.
Finally I worry about the tribalism. I can’t speak for anyone other than myself but I really really enjoy the undertones of competitiveness between each of the nations that make up the competition.
The entrenched fans of every nation can’t stand losing to one another, deep down we all love it (despite results frustratingly going one way most of the time). If a draft was implemented, I feel the tribalism between NZ and Australia in particular (everyone loves the Drua and Pacifica they’re many people’s second/third team to cheer for if your favourite Hurricanes or Reds aren’t playing) would greatly diminish.
Passion and tribalism need to be considered as this is part of what makes the game exciting. A mixed league really diminishes the feelings.
I am by no means an expert and if a draft was to be implemented it could very well be the greatest decision to happen to the competition.
All this article was intended for is to highlight things that I feel aren’t being scrutinised enough or aren’t clearly defined at this current moment.
If there was more clarity of safeguards, regulations, and structure these changes might have, it might clarify and resolve any concern.
From an Australian perspective the game is on its knees already and we are on the precipice of a potential economic boost in the next 10 years. Don’t make any hasty decisions, it could cause long term damage that takes decades to repair, particularly in Australia but given enough time might affect all Super Rugby Pacific nations.
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.