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Tim Horan (67)
You leave Drew Mitchell alone.or outside back to overweight slob.
You leave Drew Mitchell alone.or outside back to overweight slob.
I’m more of the view that we should stop trying to poach current league players.For example, here is a quote from the article: "Rugby has become so specialised, and so different from league (never mind AFL), that you could probably count on one hand the number of NRL players who would make any sort of the difference to the Wallabies."
Say this is true (although I'm certain it isn't). Tino and David Fifita may not have a transferable skillset. The problem is that the next-gen equivalents never even play Union in the first place because it doesn't register in the hearts and minds of youngsters and as such never become Wallabies. Is Paul Cully seriously naive enough to suggest if Payne Haas hadn't played as a number 8 from 10-18 he wouldn't have anything to offer Rugby Union?
Yes, it's the young teenage group where we really struggle to compete with league - they can afford to throw a bit of money at a lot of teenagers, and keep them in their systems for years. Rugby can't afford to try to pick winners at that stage, especially for props.This again is the wrong thinking. There is plenty of guys 14-15 that are elite athletes that could train to become a prop. This means different strength and conditioning, etc. a guy identified at that age for rugby league of course isn’t going to be a 130kg bohemian because the program he’s been on for 4-5 years won’t allow that to happen. Just have a look at the amount of ex rugby pros once they stop their strength and conditioning turn from massive prop to skinny rake or outside back to overweight slob. What is happening at this age is any kids with relative talent to excel at a lot of sports is pushed to a specialized program generally towards the program that’s offering the most cash and incentives to join them. Just have to look around the world of sport and the amount of elite talent that were national level stars of multiple sports but at 14-15-16yrs chose one over the rest.
The rugby community has really struggled to get their heads around this. Most American athletes are on their path the success from an extremely young age, football is signing kids up at 6yrs old, NRL is chatting to kids at 12-13 getting them in a system for school, etc.
Agreed, this article really got my goat. No one talking about the challenges League poses to Union is under the impression that our problems aren't of our own making. But to just handwave them away is ignorant of reality.
It also reflects an arrogance towards League in certain sections of the Union community that I think is unfairly used to beat our game as a collective. I don't believe the vast majority of Union fans think this way. Most are reasonable, normal people who are capable of appreciating two sports at once, even if they have a preference. The simple fact is League has been professional for 100+ years, Union for 28. It stands to reason that there is a professionalisation gap between the games as a sheer result of this fact and burying your head in the sand and saying we have nothing to learn is pretty stupid. I think we have a lot to learn, especially on the development side of things.
Regarding coaching and ideas, the notion that Union doesn't have anything to learn off League is pretty moronic. Strip away the contest and set piece and the two games are incredibly similar. I bet my bottom dollar the the ABs and Springboks coaches take inspiration from League as well. Just as I'm sure League coaches take a look at Union for inspiration. It doesn't have to be a zero-sum game.
They didn’t lose a gameRemind me how the US have been going in the RWC this year?
You’ve been preaching MLR for about a week now.The Wallabies and the rugby league myth
The players most crucial to any potential resurgence of rugby in this country would be of no interest whatsoever to the 13-man game.www.smh.com.au
This article demonstrates IMO part of our current issues, in that it talks about the best competition, nothing to learn etc. For the love of Mary we should look to learn.
The US franchise system, the EPL in England, Tennis majors etc. all these models work well, Super Rugby does not work well for Australia
Actually the NRL & AFL system structures work reasonably well, abet, they have no internationals. In its own way so does the A-League as they have internationals matches.
One day Mr Cully and his type, may take a look at MLR [Major League Rugby] in the US, modelled off the MLS, which in itself had small changes to other US franchises systems.
OK and HHHHmmmmm anyone who has not should spend a little time looking at MLR in the US what and how they are doing. So much we could have done but when leaders and key journalists seem so intent on defending the status que its just frustrating.
Status....One day Mr Cully and his type, may take a look at MLR [Major League Rugby] in the US, modelled off the MLS, which in itself had small changes to other US franchises systems.
OK and HHHHmmmmm anyone who has not should spend a little time looking at MLR in the US what and how they are doing. So much we could have done but when leaders and key journalists seem so intent on defending the status que its just frustrating.
I cannot even picture Clarke.Nearly twice as many CEO's in the past decade as the next sport:
Not sure if it's part of the problem or just symptomatic of it, but either way it's not great.
Of that set he probably has the most memorable picture to his nameI cannot even picture Clarke.
Yes..This again is the wrong thinking. There is plenty of guys 14-15 that are elite athletes that could train to become a prop. This means different strength and conditioning, etc. a guy identified at that age for rugby league of course isn’t going to be a 130kg bohemian because the program he’s been on for 4-5 years won’t allow that to happen. Just have a look at the amount of ex rugby pros once they stop their strength and conditioning turn from massive prop to skinny rake or outside back to overweight slob. What is happening at this age is any kids with relative talent to excel at a lot of sports is pushed to a specialized program generally towards the program that’s offering the most cash and incentives to join them. Just have to look around the world of sport and the amount of elite talent that were national level stars of multiple sports but at 14-15-16yrs chose one over the rest.
The rugby community has really struggled to get their heads around this. Most American athletes are on their path the success from an extremely young age, football is signing kids up at 6yrs old, NRL is chatting to kids at 12-13 getting them in a system for school, etc.
What ‘elite athletes’ are gonna train to be props? The elite athletes all want to be backs and maybe back-rowers.This again is the wrong thinking. There is plenty of guys 14-15 that are elite athletes that could train to become a prop. This means different strength and conditioning, etc. a guy identified at that age for rugby league of course isn’t going to be a 130kg bohemian because the program he’s been on for 4-5 years won’t allow that to happen. Just have a look at the amount of ex rugby pros once they stop their strength and conditioning turn from massive prop to skinny rake or outside back to overweight slob. What is happening at this age is any kids with relative talent to excel at a lot of sports is pushed to a specialized program generally towards the program that’s offering the most cash and incentives to join them. Just have to look around the world of sport and the amount of elite talent that were national level stars of multiple sports but at 14-15-16yrs chose one over the rest.
The rugby community has really struggled to get their heads around this. Most American athletes are on their path the success from an extremely young age, football is signing kids up at 6yrs old, NRL is chatting to kids at 12-13 getting them in a system for school, etc.
To be fair, that's not a bad take.Cully’s article reads like a forum post…
”Man watches U18 tournament, discovers answers to Australia’s woes”
Agree completely.What is happening at this age is any kids with relative talent to excel at a lot of sports is pushed to a specialized program generally towards the program that’s offering the most cash and incentives to join them. Just have to look around the world of sport and the amount of elite talent that were national level stars of multiple sports but at 14-15-16yrs chose one over the rest.
Most American athletes are on their path the success from an extremely young age, football is signing kids up at 6yrs old, NRL is chatting to kids at 12-13 getting them in a system for school, etc.