Idea for an NRL Draft

[Sart0ri]

What do you think about NFL style draft combine testing for Fiji, PNG, Tonga and Samoa.

It would help the NRL find standout young players and provide a pathway into the NRL. It may increase interest in NRL in the 4 countries and it provides a fair way of allocating new talent to NRL teams.

Local registered rugby league clubs would nominate a number of their best prospects under a certain age, clubs could receive some funding or equipment for each drafted player. Players all meet at a single location for each country for a few days of testing

Examples
Measurements - Height, weight, body fat
Strength - Bench Press, vertical jump, broad jump
Speed - Sprint times over various distances
Agility - 20 meter shuttle, 3 cone drill (from NFL)
Skills - kicking accuracy, passing distance and accuracy
Vision - game simulation, pass to a player in a hole in a 3v2 situation

The best 32 players get picked for a medical, 16 players then get chosen to go into a draft. A suggestion to avoid tanking would be to give last years bottom 8 NRL teams a random top 8 draft pick, the top 8 teams would get a random bottom 8 pick.

As a prize, the 16 drafted players could get a 12 month development contract, accommodation, pre-season training with the first grade team and a guaranteed number of reserve grade games.

You could even make it into a reality TV show to recoup the costs.

 

[TSupps05]

I would expand it to maybe all young players wanting to come through? More pathways and hopefully more popularity...

 

[Sart0ri]

@TSupps05 Apparently a full draft will not work for the NRL as the clubs already pay for junior development, it must be different in the AFL. In the US the NFL teams have no affiliation with the schools that develop the players.

 

[happy_tiger]

Terry Hill says gday

 

[yeti]

Terry Hill says gday

It's ridiculous really. A draft would without doubt be the fairest way to run the game. Won't happen, but it should.

 

[happy_tiger]

Terry Hill says gday

It's ridiculous really. A draft would without doubt be the fairest way to run the game. Won't happen, but it should.

Yep the tail certainly wags the dog in the NRL

As Kent said last night , in whatever game do you know that the minute the chief body implements rule changes that coaches and their staff are working out how to undermine it ......its ridiculous

 

[The_Patriot]

What do you think about NFL style draft combine testing for Fiji, PNG, Tonga and Samoa.

It would help the NRL find standout young players and provide a pathway into the NRL. It may increase interest in NRL in the 4 countries and it provides a fair way of allocating new talent to NRL teams.

Local registered rugby league clubs would nominate a number of their best prospects under a certain age, clubs could receive some funding or equipment for each drafted player. Players all meet at a single location for each country for a few days of testing

Examples
Measurements - Height, weight, body fat
Strength - Bench Press, vertical jump, broad jump
Speed - Sprint times over various distances
Agility - 20 meter shuttle, 3 cone drill (from NFL)
Skills - kicking accuracy, passing distance and accuracy
Vision - game simulation, pass to a player in a hole in a 3v2 situation

The best 32 players get picked for a medical, 16 players then get chosen to go into a draft. A suggestion to avoid tanking would be to give last years bottom 8 NRL teams a random top 8 draft pick, the top 8 teams would get a random bottom 8 pick.

As a prize, the 16 drafted players could get a 12 month development contract, accommodation, pre-season training with the first grade team and a guaranteed number of reserve grade games.

You could even make it into a reality TV show to recoup the costs.

Love the idea. Its one of many we could adapt from the NFL.