Why the NRC is going nowhere.....

An interesting article in the The Roar from a disgruntled Sydney-based rugby player.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/09/1...d-tier-player/

(There are some comments from Sam Figg about his brief sojourn West. I reckon there's 2 sides to that story)

The NRC is run (or should that be not run?) by RA yet it seems that they have little interest in its success.
This year no major sponsor, promotion is non-existent and they can't even get the fixture right with head-to-head game clashes.

Yet the NRC was presented to WA as the only logical pathway for WA based rugby players.
RA you have to be joking!! There was no way we were going to keep up-and-coming players in WA!

Thank you once again for Andrew Forrest and the Minderoo team for presenting the only ray of hope for Rugby in WA through the World Series Rugby initiatives.

May your efforts to get the competition going in 2019 be successful. (Move out of the way RA!).
Looking forward to the go-ahead and announcements soon.

What exactly was Sam Figg’s story? i remember him being over here, but never saw him play.

Unsure what the issue was with Sam Figg - but wasn't that when we offered a position in the squad to Alex Newsome??
Sam was considered the next best thing but wasn't picked up by anybody.
He's been playing League in Glendale Colorado and tuned up for the Aussie 7s earlier this year.
Attitude, application or ?? - don't know.

I think I recall the Force were trialling both of them at the time, maybe that's what is was - Alex got the spot instead. Still Sam is a good player and that was the OLD Force / Wessells choices.

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Originally Posted by valzc

I think I recall the Force were trialling both of them at the time, maybe that's what is was - Alex got the spot instead. Still Sam is a good player and that was the OLD Force / Wessells choices.

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It's my recollection that Figg and Nasairani were both prospects at about the same time. I think it's a far better comparison to say Isi was picked over Sam and it's pretty hard to criticise that decision given the cult status that Isi built up last year.

Figg was brilliant in that final, and I thought he would be a great pick up. However the Force had Hodgo and Hardwick at 7, DHP and Angus at 6, Big Dog and Isi at 8 it was a hard back row to break into

What is apparent from the article and Figg is that the system is broken and all players know it and aren't happy. All except maybe a few entitled Tags that is

Trouble is, it is only really RA and perhaps RUPA that can really do something about making it work as it should, and even then it would require the Shute Shield clubs to pull their heads out of their arses and understand how the NRC is actually their best path back to relevance. So good luck with any of that!

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Originally Posted by AndyS

Trouble is, it is only really RA and perhaps RUPA that can really do something about making it work as it should, and even then it would require the Shute Shield clubs to pull their heads out of their arses and understand how the NRC is actually their best path back to relevance. So good luck with any of that!

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Can RUPA though? Ever since Ross Xenos threw WA under a bus I havent heard a single word from the guy, nothing supporting World Series Rugby, nothing supporting the Force and their right to play pro rugby, he just jumped at the opportunity to join the Rebels after Clyne most likely came to an arrangement to win over the guys support during the stronger as 4 fiasco where a few words were uttered before deafening silence for months and months and then complete utter silence with the Force never spoken of again. I am pretty certain he had this arrangement/deal made up well before the Force axe was swung and was in negotiations to save his career with an exorbitant pay check and probably some cushy kickbacks hidden away as bonuses in his contract which pretty much says just do as Clyne says and you are one of the boys and can leech of Australian Rugby's grassroots and supporters generosity. Can't wait to see what the Rebels spend on staff and compare it to those RA figures published recently where all the boys are on those sweet deals whilst they drive Australian Rugby deeper and deeper into the ground.

The RA are probably the only ones that can do anything but they are more interested in exiling us into a comp they couldn't give two shits about, and tell us that they are apparently "supporting" us when it's all just lip service and its worn really really thin... That incident with the fan is only the beginning, RugbyAustralia totally underestimates the bitter hatred and resentment we all have for them, and by all I dont mean WA fans I mean Australian rugby fans, In fact I mean all Rugby fans everywhere, almost every global forum is not taking any delight in what our governing body has done to our sport here. They have destroyed it and instead of walking away they are just shredding the dead sport to pieces. A terribly sad state for rugby and even sadder for what was suspose to be the next tier down from super and World series rugby, the NRC

RUPA could absolutely do something...they could recognise NRC players as professional and therefore part of the Gross Player Revenue pool. In fact, could easily have done that in the last CBA, but didn't. Will be interesting to see if anything changes when they go again in 2020.

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Originally Posted by AndyS

RUPA could absolutely do something...they could recognise NRC players as professional and therefore part of the Gross Player Revenue pool. In fact, could easily have done that in the last CBA, but didn't. Will be interesting to see if anything changes when they go again in 2020.

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They didn't do a single thing during the Force axeing debacle so I wouldn't expect RUPA to really care about a competition that provides very little funding for themselves. Ross Xenos left his tenure with RUPA in disgrace, he stayed silent and literally did nothing and watched the Force get unfairly taken for a ride through the courts and administration before jumping ship to the very organisation caught up in all these murky back hand deals.. the Rebels.

I wouldnt know who even leads RUPA anymore, has Ross Xenos even left yet? Who is his replacement or are they now a fractured organisation with no leadership going through the motions of finding another mate from Sydneys north shore to vill the void?

I wouldnt expect RUPA to do anything good for rugby in this country other than toe the party line (RA's line). Their track record under Ross Xenos proved this and after his disgraceful tenure he gets a promotion into the Rebels, where there is smoke there is...

You are obviously struggling with the difference between what they can't do, and what they probably won't do. Doesn't change the fact that it is probably only them that can make meaningful change to a system that isn't working the way it should.