Viking
I've heard of eight boys across the three merit teams so far but that list has been growing by one each week and I don't know a lot of those kids.
They're all skill players, there aren't any props or wingers going over.
They're all skill players, there aren't any props or wingers going over.
wizards rage
Brother Faisal
Appreciate that info bro. So it’s even worst than I thought.
Five&Last
The more worrying thing is that we can’t attract even slightly elite first XV talent. Like no one with a super rugby U18 rep selection wants anything to do with this club.
Signed Siale Faeamani today who was Blues U18 last year but has been out all this year with an injury so likely wasn’t wanted by the Blues.
Canadian_WarriorFan
Again, it comes back to winning and the lack of it over the past 10 years.
Viking
Yeah and if they choose to only play rugby, they lose some of the dynamism that made them good league players and had the schools chasing them in the first place. I spoke to a NZ pathways guy for one of the NRL clubs before COVID hit and they'd just spent a year with their NZ signed boys in 1A instead of sending them to Aus. He reckoned his back rowers had come back to them as grind robots thanks to the focus on aerobic capacity in 1st XV. It took him weeks to get their dynamic speed and power back. Rugby definitely ups the league halves kicking game though.
Viking
It could just be post-Covid thing. Next year might be a better indication IMO.
The Warriors have lost some good young halves to other NRL clubs via Aussie schools though.
Blain
Unfortunately it will take a few years to even build the junior squads back up to a level to compete with other NRL clubs. There are enough good young players around to find the odd gem here and there even with poaching from the Australian clubs. It's about the club being able to get them NRL ready. Keep in mind most juniors don't get close to NRL, and it's not always the schoolboy star who makes it.
It's on the club to build these guys up, and with the new system in place from next season, hopefully it's the start of a new era of development from the club. It's the only thing that will turn us around, recruiting decent players is OK to build a squad, but unlikely to get you a premiership. You need to have 3-5 young stars making their way up on low contracts to win a comp. The club identified that when getting Gould involved, but COVID fucked that.
It's on the club to build these guys up, and with the new system in place from next season, hopefully it's the start of a new era of development from the club. It's the only thing that will turn us around, recruiting decent players is OK to build a squad, but unlikely to get you a premiership. You need to have 3-5 young stars making their way up on low contracts to win a comp. The club identified that when getting Gould involved, but COVID fucked that.
Brother Faisal
Just been following abit of the nzrl comps going on at the moment. I suppose they are developing young talent also my question though is has the nzrl helped improve the quality of junior players so that when they enter the warriors and nrl high performance pathways and academies they are more prepared as a 12-14 year old than those 12-14 year olds of previous years?
I can see they are getting increased numbers with their school comps and other regional comps I’m just wondering if we are getting more volume of players and talent yet still lacking the development pathways and programs to produce high quality 12-16 year olds.
I can see they are getting increased numbers with their school comps and other regional comps I’m just wondering if we are getting more volume of players and talent yet still lacking the development pathways and programs to produce high quality 12-16 year olds.
I think the question needs to be asked have we got the right people to create a professional development academy? And also have we got the right people to professionally run one?
Keeping in mind these young fellas wont develop well unless pro coaches and staff are bringing them through from a young age..
Keeping in mind these young fellas wont develop well unless pro coaches and staff are bringing them through from a young age..
Brother Faisal
Do we have academies setup for kids from the ages of 10 and up? I know that’s abit hard out but you look at European football all the epl teams etc have their academy kids from the age of 10 and up probably who are brought through their pathways. Do we have something similar?
Canadian_WarriorFan
Beastmode
Just another day in paradise
Contributor
This is where losing someone like Gus has knocked us back 10 years…
Viking
No. Kids get invited to camps held by the NRL clubs at around the time they've hit puberty so 13 to 14 with the odd early maturing 12 year old. It's a loose arrangement at that age so boys can be invited to multiple camps and choose who they align to later on.
The other NRL clubs have development teams from u13s onwards, I don't think they go any younger than that. There's no point because the gap physically between those boys that have hit puberty and those that haven't is so significant. Warriors start at u14s.
matiunz
There’s League clubs and ‘League Clubs’. Yes pokies are still unfortunately a big part but some of the more successful ones diversify quite well with function rooms, hiring of courts and fields to sports comps/training facilities, merch stores. Used to go to Ashfield Leagues a bit, they’ve got a couple of nice cafes and restaurants that are better than what you’d find in surrounding area- not you’re standard’pub feed’ either. Canterbury Leagues was similar, would play squash there a bit.
Pub culture is a little different in Aus where your suburbs local is utilised quite a bit by those who live nearby, League clubs being an extension of this
Auckland misses out a bit not having one as a revenue stream but the pokies aspect is obviously a huge red flag but can’t see why they couldn’t use some of the other aspects.
A decent place for a pre/post match feed and drink, place to watch if you can’t make the game, centralised merch shop etc
bruce
In football we do. Wynton Rufer runs one for example.
Viking
Soccer academies are naff, just a way of making money IMO. Basketball academies are similar.
RizNz
Viking
The club ones should be. The NRL club academies are a good starting point for talented kids in NZ. I've been watching videos on the u13 development teams from the NRL clubs in Sydney and they'd all struggle to beat the better club sides in Auckland and BOP or Waikato. There's some gun players no doubt and the structure is there but they're not the superstar development teams that you would expect from an NRL club. The Auckland merit side would wipe the floor with all of them tbh and the BOP side would too probably.
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