Quote: Fred Gee "Four things are the different...
1. INTENSITY...the league that play in for the clubs are of a better standard with alot more teams than our two who can win the league.State of Origin is a of test standard in all but name and players are used to playing matches of that intensity for 80 minutes.
2. SKILL....I train under 13's and along with every other age group are training at the moment in three inches of mud in extremely poor lighting. Kids are growing up learning the basic skills in extremely poor conditions trying to do passing drills when they can not even see the ball. Aussie kids are growing up in dry daylight conditions to learn the basic skills required.When is BARLA/RFL realise that all kids rugby should be played in the spring and or summer months.
3. FITNESS...should not be an issue as they are all full time pros but after 60 mins we were really flagging.
4. IMPORTS...Too many average overseas imports in key positions stopping young talent coming through and playing.You only have to look at our club to see not many would get job back in Aus.'"
I fully agree, but to blame BARLA and the RFL is way out. The RFL have tried to implement summer rugby this year, and most of the teams involved did not show any interest at all. BARLA have tried, and even the district chairman Roger Fagge prepared a very interesting and well thought out summer rugby league plan, but again was dismissed by our clubs (local)
The problem is at club (amateur ) level. The clubs Stanley, Eastmoor, Westgate, Normanton ect, ect ect, dont give a toss about the junior sections, all they are bothered about is the open age. I can only see any change when clubs have the same respect for 7 year olds as the open age players, and IMHO that will never happen.
I know each club have people like Emma King, Aidy Flemming, Katrina Daw, and many more like these hard working people, but its at the chairman level the junior direction goes flying out of the window.
Stanley have at last a Chairman inviolved at junior level, I hope it works for that club, and every other club follow suit.
but at least we got on sky twice cos of em get in Josh 
