Rugby is way more about who you know , and what school you went to than league .
It’s the biggest reason the Wallabies are a second tier nation now .
They will only poach league talent when it’s undeniable , yet if the choice is player x has 75% skill of player Y , but X went to joeys , and Y went to Granville high school . Then Y will never get the spot .
It wasn’t as pronounced when that sport went professional in 96 because professionalism hadn’t caused the divide in skill yet . And 99 and even 03 was still much of the same . But eventually elitism took over , and now that sport is barely even financial anymore .