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Follow league's lead: Jones's remedy
Adrian Proszenko
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Former Queensland coach Eddie Jones says rugby needs to follow league if the code is to pull itself out of the doldrums in Australia.
Jones ended speculation about his future at the Reds during the week by resigning and intends to move his family to England.
The former Wallabies coach said league was far better at cultivating talent, particularly in Queensland.
"There is plenty to learn from rugby league," he said. "You can learn from all sports and the position of league and union have changed considerably in the last three years.
"The NRL is a very healthy competition that is attracting good crowds and a good standard of play.
"League has had a head start [in cultivating talent] and they're doing it extremely well. You only have to look up in Brisbane.
"Basically, we've got the Raiders, Storm, the Titans, the Cowboys, the Bulldogs and obviously the Broncos, all objectively pursuing kids between the ages of 15 and 18.
"In rugby, we're relying on those kids coming through of their own volition. That's not going to happen any more.
"Kids are being offered scholarships, first-year-out-of-school contracts. Rugby has to compete in that area so it can maintain the best players. We need to be doing that.
"In the last league grand final, 27 of the 34 players were born in Queensland. There's plenty of talent up here so what Queensland [rugby] needs to do is get the right talent ID and development programs in place.
"If we can cultivate those players, I can see a very successful future for Queensland. That would also be a good result for Australian rugby."
Jones has been a vocal critic of the ARU and of Australian rugby. But he believes better times are ahead.
"Everyone acknowledges we've gone through a down period, but for every down period there's an up period," he said. "You can see that happening now. There's a nice generation of young players and coaches coming through, which will get an opportunity in the next cycle.
"There's going to be a new coach and new CEO after the World Cup, so there's a nice process of change happening in Australian rugby."
Despite his running feud with national coach John Connolly and the patchy form of the national side, Jones believes the Wallabies can be a force at the World Cup.
"If we field our best 22 to 25 players, if they are fit and ready to go, we'll go well," he said.
"You always want to get to the semi-finals, then you're into the money end of the tournament and you're a chance to make the final. It's important to get there in the best form."
Jones, who has consultancy contracts with English club Saracens and Suntory in Japan, has been sounded out by a Six Nations side.
Samoa, Fiji and Tonga have also approached him about helping them at the World Cup, but he won't make a decision about his future until he finishes commitments with the Reds on July 19 and won't let speculation about his future unnerve him.
"It is part of the job," he said. "That's coaching."
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
For once i have to agree with Eddie, (i am finding this hard to say)...
the ARU has had the blinkers on regarding the grooming of our youth and have been seen to be concentrating on the importing of ageing, out of contract league players, who are untested in union...
Proudly bought to you by a brewery somewhere....
OMG - Frontrow agreeing with Eddie - the world will soon come to an end
61 years between Grand SlamsWas the wait worth it - Ya betta baby
eddie makes a good point. there are alot more opportunities in league than union for young talent...
Eddie makes a valid point but Front row agreeing with him what is the world of forwards coming to???????????
It wasn't easy let me tell you 's...But he made a valid point, and for once i have no objection to his verbal tirade...It doesn't mean that he isn't a tosser, that is still the case...With so much sh*t coming out of his mouth for so long he had to finally say something intelligent...
Proudly bought to you by a brewery somewhere....
Get enough monkeys bashing on enough typewriters for long enough and they will produce something intelligent as well right?Originally Posted by frontrow
I guess eddie's quantity of monkey dribblings has finally reached critical mass, coz I tend to agree as well.
C'mon the![]()
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Pretty much the principles TWF is run onOriginally Posted by GiteauIsGunnaScoreTwenty
A generalised joke people, not aimed at anyone![]()
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Follow League? No thanks Eddie
We, in the west, will just keep developing youth at specialist school, more development officers on the ground and a force academy for supporting potential talent.
We just need selectors who look at talent rather than carry a big cheque book.
I think what Eddie is really talking about is talent retention. In much of the East, Union develops a player and then League steps in and poaches them with a clear path to professionalism in addition to developing their own players. We are perhaps a bit insulated here for the moment, but with NRL is talking about a return to WA how sure are we that the talented kids will choose ARC over NRL?
This to me is really what the ARC competition needs to be about - it has to develop to the point where it is fully professional and competitive with the NRL. We have the unusual situation in WA where profession rugby is essentially new regardless of code, but with Union having the head start. With or without strategic direction from the ARU, the aim has to be to make Union the first choice for talented youngsters.
Agreed Andy, for example in WA, you would assume the trickle of Aranmore players to the East to play League of various levels will now give very strong consideration to a Union career with the Force.
Likewise the handful of Union Club players that traditionally head East or overseas now have an option at home.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
I have always thought Eddie has been speaking sense and so is John!
Adam Ashley-Cooper is a great player, unfortunately he is not an inside centre.
But we didn't know that for certain until he played there, however I think Ryan Cross could be after his performance on Friday.
The fog is beginning to clear and we will be able to see the road ahead!
Brother Gallagher I hear you
I don't think many of us have issue with a little experimenting #8, it's more the timing of it and the doing of it at Test Cap level, despite S14 evidence or form, and not at Australia A level first (as they have successfully with Cross).
Australia does have a World Class first pick XV IF selected (and once a couple of long term injuries return).
We also have enough form players from S14 to fill out the Squad and fill any potential injury holes.
It just seems that the current National group wish to re-invent the wheel rather than taking the good bits from the S14 and continuing with it into the Test arena.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
I didn't see enough of the match Friday to get a feel for Cross at 12, but it just doesn't feel right somehow - they won't play Staniforth there 'cos his style is (apparently) too similar to Mortlock, but Cross' isn't? Staniforth would have to be the better playmaker from what we saw this year.
Haven't yet seen the match either Andy but by all accounts it seems he did a good job.
However, I wasn't suggesting he should play Wallabies, I was saying that he was tried out in a new position in the appropriate forum, ie Australia A.
I would definately rate Stanners as the back up to Gits at #12, he has everything any other player has plus more of his own skills too.
If Larkham does get injured I would be having Gits at #10 and Stanners at #12.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.