Quote: SmokeyTA "take Carl Ablett as an example. He played junior rl at loose forward/second rower and always looked a natural forward, at the time he came through Leeds played him in the centres to cover, the early part of his career was him filling in at centre rather than his natural ack position, this meant his training and coaching were targeted towards centre limiting abletts training for 2nd row. Under a draft LEDs wouldn't have needed a 2nd rower so wouldn't have picked a 2nd rower, they would have picked a centre, Ablett would have gone to a club needing a second rower and played fad trained there'"
That is not evidence and is what you think may have happened. I am saying the exact same compromises would be made in the draft team Ablett had played for as Leeds did if his draft team needed a centre.
Quote: SmokeyTA "there would be a higher standard on youth rugby at amateur level through the increase in funding and improvements in training I mentioned, also in coming through the championships they would be playing at a higher level than academy rugby'"
I still don't see how it follows. For a start championship sides are semi-pro outfits with semi-pro coaching set ups and semi-pro facilities. I would argue two years at one of those compared to an academy set up like Wigan's is not going to deliver top grade players. It's even worse at amateur clubs in terms of standards and facilities. We do not have a college set up like they do in American Football where the college facilities and coaching is on a par with the professional game. The amount of money required to make the coaching etc they get from 17 to 19 good enough would be an absolutely huge investment.
That is a key point. A draft system can only work if (as in US Football) the coaching and facilities while players are at the junior level are good enough. The amateur game here is nothing like that and I doubt they would want any such involvement anyway. Far too much commitment. Same goes for championship sides.
Quote: SmokeyTA "if a player is traded for by a big club, they would need to compensate the other club, that's how a trade works. If a club doesn't want to sign a player they don't have to. Just like now, they players who aren't drafted would be the players who wouldn't be signed'"
That is not how it is now. With a draft there is an absolute cut off at age 19. All players are either drafted or released. Clubs can currently take a different view and keep some on, loaning them out if needs be. In any case the U19 rules are stupid and ought to be changed so we don't risk losing players. Under a draft system clubs would have a set number of draft picks and IMO are far less likely to take a risk with such players.
Quote: SmokeyTA "you don't need need to compel anyone to do anything. The drafting team simply takes ownership of a players registration for a year, if that player doesn't want to play he doesn't he to, if another team wants him the simply have to compensate the drafting team for his registration
they can move on, but not to another Rl Side without the other team compensating the drafting side'"
So they get compensated. By how much and that still means the move on? They could be traded for lesser players, not just cash but given the money in RL monetary compensation would be peanuts anyway. It's not going to be an obstacle to it happening or a great benefit to the compensated club.
Quote: SmokeyTA " because you are likely to put more effort into you best young wing prospect than you are your 6th best.
'"
But he's not yours, he's in a draft system.
Quote: SmokeyTA "of course it does, if you have better young players you bring over fewer overseas ones, you have less need for them
'"
Not true. The vast majority of overseas players are experienced professionals who bring precisely that to the table, experience. Why do you think Wigan signed Bowen or Pettybourne? We have plenty of young players at the club and even if we got the pick of draft and he was a full back we'd still sign a player like Bowen having lost a player like Sam.
Quote: SmokeyTA "transfer request denied. You are massively overestimating the control a 19 year old kid has over his RL career, the vast vast vast majority are desperate for any kind of contract, only very very very few, probably 10 in every cohort would be in a position to demand a contract at a big club, probably one or two a year have their choice over which.'"
I was not talking about the majority here. The top draft players have just been told they are the best junior players going. If you think they and their agents won't be able to exploit this then I don't think you understand the value that draft systems bestow on the best draftees. The top draftees won't be playing for poor clubs and so just what is the point of it?
The rest of the draft will be lucky to get a contract at all. Why sign a player you know to be not of the standard you require? If suitable players aren't available in the draft, look overseas or in the transfer market.
Quote: SmokeyTA "No clubs are good enough. Wigan Leeds or saints may be good by SL standards but that doesn't mean they are perfect. They are as good as they have to be, they are nowhere near the NRL clubs.'"
I meant not good enough at developing players not, not good enough by SL standard or relative to the NRL in absolute terms. The draft system is just a cop out along the same lines as the proposed league restructure. It hides how bad the worst clubs are at developing players. The fact Leeds and Wigan are not NRL standard as teams has nothing to do with it. There is also no infrastructure to support it i.e. the equivalent of the college system in US Football that would deliver draftees as good as what comes out of the best club academies now.
