TOUCH football has long been a breeding ground for NRL stars such as Benji Marshall, Jamie Soward, Scott Prince and Matt Bowen.
Now Touch Football Australia has further strengthened its connection with the NRL with an exciting partnership that will bring the two bodies under a joint NRL-TFA banner.
Mackay Cutters fullback and touch player Liam Taylor said the partnership was huge for touch football and it would offer a new doorway into the NRL for talented young players.
"There are a lot of good touch players out there," Taylor said. "If they just get a chance they could turn out to be great rugby league players as well."
Taylor played touch football before he started rugby league and before long he was playing in the National Touch League.
He said the reason so many touch players had gone on to become NRL stars was because of the skills touch taught them.
"I represented my state, which was ACT at the time, from under-12s to open men's in the NTL," Taylor said. "That was the same league Benji Marshall, Jamie Soward and a few others played in and they've gone on to play in the NRL.
"It improves everything - your speed, your agility, ball handling, basic skills.
"And it helps with your decision-making in attack, the three against twos, drawing players and putting guys through gaps."
Touch expert Matt Geiger said the amalgamation would be hugely beneficial and attract greater support for touch football.
"The new exposure that this agreement brings with it can only benefit the sport," he said.
"Increased opportunities to showcase the sport at the elite level, increased marketing opportunities, a more valuable product for potential sponsors, therefore bringing more resources into the sport.
Geiger also said the new partnership was expected to include elite-level touch games as curtain raisers for select NRL, State of Origin and Test matches.
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