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Tedesco-less Wests Tigers threaten to stop rugby league junior production line
Date May 27, 2014 - 9:24PM
Adrian Proszenko
Chief Rugby League Reporter
Wests Tigers have threatened to stop developing players if the NRL will not compensate them for the loss of home-grown talent like Canberra-bound fullback James Tedesco.
Tedesco will earn almost as much in three years in the nation's capital as he could if he had accepted a four-year deal to stay put after signing a deal worth about $2 million.
Canberra's spending spree may not be over, with the Green Machine also chasing Canterbury skipper Michael Ennis. However the Raiders missed out on another of their targets when New Zealand forward Kevin Proctor re-signed with the Melbourne Storm on a four-year deal.
Ironically, Camden junior Tedesco has been picked up by a club that has complained vocally about rivals plundering its best home-grown products.
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The Tigers have some of the best young junior talent in the game but chief executive Grant Mayer warned they could not afford to keep investing in grassroots football if they were simply developing players for rivals to pick off.
"The reality is James will play against us next year and when he makes his Canberra debut we get nothing from that after spending money on him for eight years," Mayer said.
"For us, that's not sustainable. If we're going to continue being one of four or five clubs developing players over many years, the NRL has to seriously consider how they assist those developing clubs. At the end of the day, if 25 per cent of the 16 teams are doing all the development, we are the ones losing that money.
"Development costs could be anywhere between $600,000 and a million a year, and we don't get any return for that apart from feeling nice about the fact we develop players."
Mayer said it was not a case of "sour grapes" and pointed to the fact the joint-venture outfit recently retained seven of the eight local juniors it had produced on long-term contracts. Rather than asking for salary cap dispensation, the premiership-winning administrator said the NRL should offer a club that loses a player it developed to a rival a fee – say, $50,000 if he plays first grade, $75,000 for Origin and $100,000 for Test representation. That money would then be reinvested into grassroots and development, which could benefit the game as a whole.
"Canberra have been bitten by this a number of times in the past decade; this is not us against Canberra," he said.
"We need to address it because 12 other clubs are looking at our juniors, Canberra's juniors and Penrith's juniors, and saying, 'I want to have a crack at that.'
"Canberra, Wests Tigers and the other developing clubs need to go into the NRL as a group and get their development thoughts going forward.
"Otherwise we, like Canberra, may decide to stop doing it. If clubs stop doing that altogether, the game as a whole will suffer."
Tedesco has been plagued by a series of injuries, but has emerged as a game-breaker after forging a strong partnership with halfback Luke Brooks. After missing out on Anthony Milford, the Raiders now have another rising No.1.
Tedesco broke the news to his teammates on Tuesday morning.
''It wasn't easy to tell the guys, they are a great group of players, and close friends of mine,'' Tedesco said.
''I'm fully committed to Wests Tigers for the remainder of the 2014 season and can't wait to get back onto the field and join my teammates."
Date May 27, 2014 - 9:24PM
Adrian Proszenko
Chief Rugby League Reporter
Wests Tigers have threatened to stop developing players if the NRL will not compensate them for the loss of home-grown talent like Canberra-bound fullback James Tedesco.
Tedesco will earn almost as much in three years in the nation's capital as he could if he had accepted a four-year deal to stay put after signing a deal worth about $2 million.
Canberra's spending spree may not be over, with the Green Machine also chasing Canterbury skipper Michael Ennis. However the Raiders missed out on another of their targets when New Zealand forward Kevin Proctor re-signed with the Melbourne Storm on a four-year deal.
Ironically, Camden junior Tedesco has been picked up by a club that has complained vocally about rivals plundering its best home-grown products.
Advertisement
The Tigers have some of the best young junior talent in the game but chief executive Grant Mayer warned they could not afford to keep investing in grassroots football if they were simply developing players for rivals to pick off.
"The reality is James will play against us next year and when he makes his Canberra debut we get nothing from that after spending money on him for eight years," Mayer said.
"For us, that's not sustainable. If we're going to continue being one of four or five clubs developing players over many years, the NRL has to seriously consider how they assist those developing clubs. At the end of the day, if 25 per cent of the 16 teams are doing all the development, we are the ones losing that money.
"Development costs could be anywhere between $600,000 and a million a year, and we don't get any return for that apart from feeling nice about the fact we develop players."
Mayer said it was not a case of "sour grapes" and pointed to the fact the joint-venture outfit recently retained seven of the eight local juniors it had produced on long-term contracts. Rather than asking for salary cap dispensation, the premiership-winning administrator said the NRL should offer a club that loses a player it developed to a rival a fee – say, $50,000 if he plays first grade, $75,000 for Origin and $100,000 for Test representation. That money would then be reinvested into grassroots and development, which could benefit the game as a whole.
"Canberra have been bitten by this a number of times in the past decade; this is not us against Canberra," he said.
"We need to address it because 12 other clubs are looking at our juniors, Canberra's juniors and Penrith's juniors, and saying, 'I want to have a crack at that.'
"Canberra, Wests Tigers and the other developing clubs need to go into the NRL as a group and get their development thoughts going forward.
"Otherwise we, like Canberra, may decide to stop doing it. If clubs stop doing that altogether, the game as a whole will suffer."
Tedesco has been plagued by a series of injuries, but has emerged as a game-breaker after forging a strong partnership with halfback Luke Brooks. After missing out on Anthony Milford, the Raiders now have another rising No.1.
Tedesco broke the news to his teammates on Tuesday morning.
''It wasn't easy to tell the guys, they are a great group of players, and close friends of mine,'' Tedesco said.
''I'm fully committed to Wests Tigers for the remainder of the 2014 season and can't wait to get back onto the field and join my teammates."
