National Rugby Championship set to excite fans and develop elite players in 2014 and

[shasta]

Shasta, thats such a selfish insular opinion and its that type of attitude that has prevented rugby in this country growing to where it could be, there are too many people looking out for their own

Many of your points have merit. They are similar to the points raised by many on this site re Super Rugby. What you say about local player development is just what most of us here also say. BUT I'm happy for Michael Foley and the Rugby WA administration to decide how to progress that. I DON'T accept that a group of "wise" men from the east will decide for them. So they can piss off with their rigid guidelines. Just like you can do with your condecending lecturing. And I'll stick with my insular views.

[WCR]

If the same policy (even distribution of playing talent) had been applied to the Super franchises then the Rabble and the Force would have greater numbers involved in Wallaby commitments. Instead the NSW/ACT/Qld have warehoused most of the talent. Reap what you have sown ya poofy blue bastards. Want 5 teams in NSW? Fill the rosters with players from the mighty Shute Shield.

Shasta, mate. How many of your squad have been developed by the WA system at present? Where did the majority of the talent that fills your roster first get seen? They would be filling these squads with Shute Shield talent as that where 65% of all the playing talent originates from.

I think TOCC has a fair enough idea. Allow both the Vic and WA Rugby coaching staff select the 15 players they want most that haven't come through the WA system and then a number of locals (if you think about it, the likes of Godwin are local so they could scratch more than 15 of their SR squad)with the rest open to chasing more opportunity.

[shasta]

I think TOCC has a fair enough idea.

I don't. That's obvious and I can't be arsed re-running all the stuff about player development/Super Rugby contacting/ARU contracting etc. It's been thoroughly covered here over the years. Let the franchises/State Unions decide the make-up of the squads. It likely won't work out that way because
of the way the numbers stack up so us and the Vics will probably get steamrolled. Same old same old. Doesn't make it right.

[Invictus]

It isn't the rebels or the force that will be steamrolling other teams with undiluted squads. That will be the brumbies (even with a large wallabies representation). Sydney Uni would be the other steamroller.

And I'm pretty sure that they will be extremely averse to releasing players to other teams.

Lastly, the reason we are only just getting a national competition is due to the attitudes of the rugby mafia in Sydney.

[TOCC]

What needs to be remembered is that this competition is a development tool, it is there to bridge the gap to develop a higher quality of player for the Super Rugby team and the Wallabies.

If this competition is to have a standard of play and skill which is attractive to fans and broadcasters then it will need the best 150 players on the field each weekend, If it is to truly serve its purpose as a development tool then players might need to go to other clubs to get the opportunity rather then sitting on the bench or worse yet, not even in the squad.

[WCR]

I don't. That's obvious and I can't be arsed re-running all the stuff about player development/Super Rugby contacting/ARU contracting etc. It's been thoroughly covered here over the years. Let the franchises/State Unions decide the make-up of the squads. It likely won't work out that way because
of the way the numbers stack up so us and the Vics will probably get steamrolled. Same old same old. Doesn't make it right.

Funny how you only addressed a very small segment of my post and ignored my questions. Having to admit that without the Shute Shield/Premier Rugby, the Force wouldn't have a competitive team would be hard to have to admit right after your efforts to disregard its traditional role in Australian Rugby.

[shasta]

Funny how you only addressed a very small segment of my post and ignored my questions. Having to admit that without the Shute Shield/Premier Rugby, the Force wouldn't have a competitive team would be hard to have to admit right after your efforts to disregard its traditional role in Australian Rugby.

I did address that line. By stating I couldn't be arsed going over old ground
You may think you are the first to put those points to us. But they have been thoroughly done many times here since 2005. I still can't be arsed. Maybe someone else will rise to the bait for you. Failing that you can search the site.

[Sheikh]

I wouldn't mind the loss of Super Rugby players. But they should do open up all Super Rugby players to be available for all sides (will never happen), maybe as a draft or something along those lines?

A problem with a draft will be a splitting up of players who have trained together and are getting comfortable with combinations. Of course, that'll be an issue for the 5 NSW clubs, too.

[travelling_gerry]

By the time we have the Wallabies taken out of the squad (including Godwin and my tip for 2014 - Nathan Charles) plus the Foreign marquees, then the players needing rehab and the players who are going to be released then that will leave plenty of room for locals.

If they think we will be too strong on paper and win the competition, then so be it. But if that were the case the Waratahs would have every Super title since inception.

Remember the same argument was used with the ARC and we didn't win that!

The refs and officials even things out.

[The InnFORCEr]

And the Final of the ARC was between teams from which state??

[travelling_gerry]

See! The refs evened it all out!

[James]

What needs to be remembered is that this competition is a development tool, it is there to bridge the gap to develop a higher quality of player for the Super Rugby team and the Wallabies.

Absolutely. We need to develop players for the benefit of the Force and the Wallabies. We also need to look at how best to develop them, such as letting them go to NSW teams if they want more game time.

Personally, I would prefer we have this discussion toward the end of the Super Rugby season (or at least while the June internationals are on). At that time, we know where each of the teams is sitting with injuries, we know which players won't be with us for the following season, etc. Firstly, we should have a policy that players who want to play in NSW are welcome to. We have a handful of guys who have friends/family over there and might choose to. Secondly, we should have a policy whereby if we have too many fit players (might be a case for us in the front row) and a few promising locals are available, it is recommended to the non-WA developed players that they play in NSW. Any more than that and you get into hairy territory. The decision to have 5 NSW teams was made by NSW power brokers after all.

[shasta]

Good points James. My difficulty is in having restrictions imposed by the NSW power base. The squads should be managed from here with the best interest of the players and Rugby in WA foremost. Where Super contracted players get game time in the new comp should be a matter for the coaches in conjunction with the players and their wishes.

[GIGS20]

Good points James. My difficulty is in having restrictions imposed by the NSW power base. The squads should be managed from here with the best interest of the players and Rugby in WA foremost. Where Super contracted players get game time in the new comp should be a matter for the coaches in conjunction with the players and their wishes.

With disputes arbitrated by the Wallabies coach, it is a "development" competition after all.

[beige]

THEY have the working title of the Sydney Stars, will play at Leichhardt Oval and are considering a bold bid to sign Benji Marshall as a marquee star.

Welcome to the newest and potentially most powerful rugby club in the country.

The Sydney Stars is the child of a marriage between Sydney University and Balmain rugby clubs, who’ve created a joint venture to play in the National Rugby Championship later this year.

The Australian Rugby Union is currently deciding who will be granted the eight — or possibly ten — licences for the new third-tier competition, which will begin in August.

With no existing clubs to be considered on their own, Sydney Uni and Balmain submitted a joint proposal to the ARU.

It is the unlikeliest of alliances, despite both being among the oldest rugby clubs in the world.

The Students are recognised as Australia’s most dominant rugby establishment, boasting 23 current Super Rugby players and having won eight Shute Shield in the last ten years.

Balmain are an upstart suburban rugby club who’ve made a name for themselves in recent years by signing Test players Drew Mitchell, Sebastian Chabal and Matt Giteau for guest stints.

The club was started in 1874 but lay dormant between 1919 to 2004, after which the reborn “Muzzled Wolves” climbed up through the park footy ranks. After reaching first division subbies last year, Balmain claimed a co-premiership.

“We think the venture is a wonderful opportunity for both clubs. We are geographically aligned and the Balmain club is a terrific growth story. We are both strongly aspirational,” Sydney Uni Football Club president David Mortimer said.

The strength of the Uni rugby program and the “marketing flair, creativity and imagination” of Balmain — and the preparedness of both to tip in “significant new investment” — would make the Stars a hard proposal for the ARU to look past, Mortimer said.

Balmain is run by canny businessman and rugby nut Warren Livingstone, who founded the Fanatics supporters group and tours.

With existing club names also barred by the ARU, the new team has a working name of the Sydney Stars, and will wear a jersey with a combination of gold, blue and black colours. The club plans on running competitions among local school kids for potential new club names, and the design of the away jersey.

The team has struck a deal with Balmain Council to play home games at Leichhardt Oval, and Livingstone says the tradition of signing big stars from around the globe will continue. Rules about foreign imports in the NRC are yet to be determined by the ARU.

“The obvious character we’ll have a look at Benji Marshall, and getting him back on his turf at Leichhardt Oval,” Livingstone said.

Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1226826415299