No I don’t. I think it’s the $-driven player drain to Europe that has made things worse for Australia. You don’t get that with NZ. Plus the really poor level of coaching at the elite level in Aus compared to Europe. Look how many Wallabies have gone to play in the UK or France and have become much better players for it. I also think the dominance and influence of Sydney and NSW rugby at a governance and selection level has negatively impacted the national game. There is too much personal and jurisdictional bias and insufficient focus on merit and current form.
And lastly, giving a few players big money and 4 or 5 year contracts does nothing but give them a sense of entitlement and send any up and comers overseas to earn big money while waiting for the incumbents to retire.