The expendables

[Bismallah_Bulldogg]

It's nasheed you're talking to

Hey it’s widely reported a few weeks back.
Quotes from the top and all;

https://www.reddit.com/r/nrl/comments/1kcks8b

 

[flamebouyant]

Thanks nasheed.

 

[stevesonthebay]

All good points, th me only exception I have is expanding into the pacific islands isn’t a great idea. They only have tiny populations. Fiji could possibly work as they have a population on par with the ccentral coast, but of all the islands, Fiji is the least league. It’s Union through and through.
PNG is feral and I still can’t believe it’s a real option. Won’t work but there’s a thread on that.
There *could* be a case to make of a combined Western Samoa/Tonga/Fiji team with a token game in thd Cook Islands (population 14k so maybe not) and Hawaii but I don’t think that will work as these countries and people hate each other

I agree. Something along the lines of maybe 1 side representing the Pacific Islands. But then will they fight over which nation is most representative lol. Maybe PNG can be the pathway for the area and the NRL can focus all its efforts on this.

Something needs to be done as I think this is the richest area of potential. Maybe even a far North Qld or NT base. Though the attendence would not be very food in the NT. Then maybe they are so eager that they are willing to travel as this would be a sense of pride for them.

All I know is that the Pacific Islands, PNG, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji to a lesser extent are dominating the young players coming in. So there are probably many that are not being captured because of poor infrastructure and development. This is one area of potential growth for the game.

I think though maybe another NZ side is also due. Perth is good as its mainland and traditionally has been a potential area of growth.

 

[Berries]

I agree. Something along the lines of maybe 1 side representing the Pacific Islands. But then will they fight over which nation is most representative lol. Maybe PNG can be the pathway for the area and the NRL can focus all its efforts on this.

Something needs to be done as I think this is the richest area of potential. Maybe even a far North Qld or NT base. Though the attendence would not be very food in the NT. Then maybe they are so eager that they are willing to travel as this would be a sense of pride for them.

All I know is that the Pacific Islands, PNG, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji to a lesser extent are dominating the young players coming in. So there are probably many that are not being captured because of poor infrastructure and development. This is one area of potential growth for the game.

I think though maybe another NZ side is also due. Perth is good as its mainland and traditionally has been a potential area of growth. Maybe another old club like Newtown can back PNG lol. They would love that. From PNG to the inner city of Sydney. That would be a culture shock.

Union has the pacific side and they seem to get along well

 

[stevesonthebay]

Union has the pacific side and they seem to get along well

Yeah we can compete against Union. I think just the opportunity to be in the NRL will bring them in and they will combine and be pretty competitive. When you think there may be another Tomolo, Haas, Katoa, or Critta out there somewhere to be developed. Aussies betta watch it. Between the Kiwis and Pacific Islanders they are beginning to dominate.

 

[Bismallah_Bulldogg]

Something needs to be done as I think this is the richest area of potential. Maybe even a far North Qld or NT base. Though the attendence would not be very food in the NT. Then maybe they are so eager that they are willing to travel as this would be a sense of pride for them.

All I know is that the Pacific Islands, PNG, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji to a lesser extent are dominating the young players coming in. So there are probably many that are not being captured because of poor infrastructure and development. This is one area of potential growth for the game.

The thing is that the islands aren’t some vast landscape of untapped potential. They have scouts from three codes watching their every move. It’s no secret that Polynesians are big bodies suited to football with not a lot else going for them.
Western Samoa has a population of 200k
Tonga is 100k.
Cook Islands is 14k.

Do you really think there are players playing in competitions there that have not been seen by anyone? It’s not like Australia where you might find an Aboriginal playing a bush league away from scouts who has a bit of X factor.
Even in this scenario a scout has seen that Aussie player but admittedly might have missed their potential. However the pacific islands would be unmissable as with populations that size I think you only have a few competitions to look at and British/french/kiwi/jap/aussie scouts are all over it.

 

[JL82]

They will keep DSF for 1 more season this year. All the others will depart.

2026 they will keep Hayward Hayes Todd & Hopoi

 

[stevesonthebay]

The thing is that the islands aren’t some vast landscape of untapped potential. They have scouts from three codes watching their every move. It’s no secret that Polynesians are big bodies suited to football with not a lot else going for them.
Western Samoa has a population of 200k
Tonga is 100k.
Cook Islands is 14k.

Do you really think there are players playing in competitions there that have not been seen by anyone? It’s not like Australia where you might find an Aboriginal playing a bush league away from scouts who has a bit of X factor.
Even in this scenario a scout has seen that Aussie player but admittedly might have missed their potential. However the pacific islands would be unmissable as with populations that size I think you only have a few competitions to look at and British/french/kiwi/jap/aussie scouts are all over it.

I could have sworn I seen a doco with some young kids playing footy in the bush and a couple looked like Katoa lol.

Fair enough then. So we are already scouting to the point where most of these kids will be signed up by current NRL teams into their pathways. That majes sense and even at school level they can put programs in.

It seems a bit like when the Sydney sides were setting up pathways in Qld when Qld was only a one or two team State. Like we have been doing with bush footy.

All I know is that for a small population they are beginning to dominate and will continue. I guess thats why they need to sort out the rep criteria as soon a lot of players for Australia will have heritage in the Pacific Islands and NZ.

 

[Bismallah_Bulldogg]

I could have sworn I seen a doco with some young kids playing footy in the bush and a couple looked like Katoa lol.

Fair enough then. So we are already scouting to the point where most of these kids will be signed up by current NRL teams into their pathways. That majes sense and even at school level they can put programs in.

It seems a bit like when the Sydney sides were setting up pathways in Qld when Qld was only a one or two team State. Like we have been doing with bush footy.

All I know is that for a small population they are beginning to dominate and will continue. I guess thats why they need to sort out the rep criteria as soon a lot of players for Australia will have heritage in the Pacific Islands and NZ.

PNG might produce a few players because of no infrastructure (that’s what Aus gov should do, set up a png nrl ) and there I think is some hidden potential to get some Fijians still but I think the Fijians have to decide between low money nz RU, big money union in Europe or big money nrl

You know where no one looks?
Hawaii.
They are a similar race to Samoans but obviously NFL oriented but I genuinely think the smart and creative play among your line of thinking is to go to Hawaii and identify who could adapt to the nrl and I think there is a goldmine there.
Surely they are connected enough with Samoans to know about the game.
I’d go to that island and look for players built like SBW or Kai Pearce Paul (the black Sonny bill) and go from there.
KPP himself is from London and that’s not league area at all so that’s a clue to the prototype.

 

[stevesonthebay]

PNG might produce a few players because of no infrastructure (that’s what Aus gov should do, set up a png nrl ) and there I think is some hidden potential to get some Fijians still but I think the Fijians have to decide between low money nz RU, big money union in Europe or big money nrl

You know where no one looks?
Hawaii.
They are a similar race to Samoans but obviously NFL oriented but I genuinely think the smart and creative play among your line of thinking is to go to Hawaii and identify who could adapt to the nrl and I think there is a goldmine there.
Surely they are connected enough with Samoans to know about the game.
I’d go to that island and look for players built like SBW or Kai Pearce Paul (the black Sonny bill) and go from there.
KPP himself is from London and that’s not league area at all so that’s a clue to the prototype.

I lived in the north of England in the 90's when the kangaroos were still dominating and Lamb played every game I think. But rugby league wasn't big. There was no super league and it was mostly played in the north around Leeds and Yorkshire. I lived near Sheffield which was about as south as league went.

But I remember there was a lot of hard traditional type players a bit like what Ricky has been trying to tap into like Whitehead and Nicholson and Bulldogs James Graham. But I think the Islanders and Kiwis outdo them now and its rare to find a good British forward.

I reckon there would be some mighty Hawaiian players. They seem to have similar DNA to Samoans and Tongans. I think Fiji and PNG would have smaller and nugetty elusive forwards but then Civoniceva and Kikau aren't small. They have solid and strong backs like Semi, Sivo and Olam.