It’s probably fair to say that since the Dragons won the 2010 Grand Final with basically an all-anglo team, that there has been something of a kick-back against the trend of Polynesian and Pacific Island players increasingly filling places on NRL rosters.
If you listen to the critics of Polynesian players, they will often break out the old stereotypes and cliches that they’re not motivated enough, lazy and don’t have the mental toughness required for sustained success at NRL level. Just look at those Dragons, they will say.
If those critics are right, Parramatta’s in a fairly tough position. You only have to look through our junior ranks to see the domination of Polynesian players in our Harold Matthews and SG Ball ranks. Hang on, here come the critics again. See, that’s our point, they will say, those big kids may be good in the juniors but how many of them really go on to be stand-out NRL players.
And it follows if Parramatta is going to stop just picking big kids who dominate their age level because of their size and focus more on developing NRL players, does this mean we’ll see a change in the make-up of our junior squads?
It was an issue I probed with Peter Nolan during my recent discussion with him. I admit to doing so a little gingerly because I have a pet hate for people making assumptions about anybody, based on these kinds of generalisations and stereotypes. However, it’s fair to say that in many sports we’ve seen certain athletes from particular backgrounds dominate due to genetic suitability so in terms of developing longer-term strategy it is an important one.
One of my key reasons for my early support of Stephen Kearney even before his appointment was made official, was that I thought that given our junior base was so prolific in producing talented Polynesia athletes, that it would be beneficial for the club to have a head coach as a role model to those players. And from everything I’ve been able to glean, that’s still very much part of the bigger picture plan.
So don’t expect us to back away from that wealth of talented Polynesian athletes we naturally produce. However, do expect us to give far more strategic consideration into which juniors are brought into the system and what it is going to be required from us to ensure more of them fulfill their potential as Rugby League players. That’s likely to include more mentoring and working more closely with the families of our elite juniors to make sure they stick with the programs put in place.
If there is one thing I’ve learned running businesses, it’s that the easiest way to succeed is to identify where your inherent competitive advantage lies. That is, what part of your organisational DNA truly makes you stand apart from the crowd. When you know what that is, and you can put in the structures and processes that maximise that competitive edge, and you’re well on the way to succeeding.
Our junior base is our inherent competitive advantage, and our Polynesian athletes are central to that. We just need to do a better job of turning those boys into elite NRL athletes and hopefully through the Academy we can do a better job of it than we’ve done in the past.
Because if you ever wanted an example of the difference a good Rugby League program makes, look at the player that Tony Williams has become since joining Des Hasler’s highly-respected regime. Williams left the Eels as a player who was strongly criticised for not getting involved and not applying himself to making the most of his undoubted natural ability. In just a couple of years Hasler has transformed that same player into a Kangaroo forward. For anyone who follows our juniors, that’s just gut wrenching and how well we stop that from re-occuring in the future will go along way to determining the success of our junior program and the flow-on success we achieve with out NRL side.
Replies
good article 1eyed
didnt they just buy a few juniors from other clubs that were not of islander backround.
Just saying they have already focused on a future halves with the recent signings.
Key positions we need key players and Matt Keating is in a position of power but he lacks the smarts or has the skills to be a top line hooker send him to Wenty for fucks sake.
We need a top line hooker like the kid from the dogs over at Parra.
Not big but very tough and smart and willing to test the line.
Why is it that we dont offer this kid more money to jump ship since he will be playing NSW cup for most of the year.
Are you thinking of Adam Reynolds? At the moment we don't have anyone better than MK so we'll have to persevere. I don't know why Dean Blackman was let go but he would have been a very good player in the NRL but we have signed a good young player in Luke Vescio for the 20's and Nathan Smith also looks fairly promising
Joel Romelo..... you could stick him in frontrow
So it sounds like we are going to monitor them much more closely from a young age in terms of training, diet etc rather than just throw them into a rep season for 10 weeks a year.
Did anyone else glean much?
Yep - I got
Good better best
we will never rest
until our good is better
and our better (the) best.
And about time too.
You've introduced this subject very well Phil - with no false political correctness or any obvious invitation for the usual rednecks to come out with their 'theories'. You're dead right about our natural advantage with the large junior base, and it's one we should embrace, nurture, develop and retain far better than what we've managed do.
Great read. @Muttman, good post.
Dead set MuttMan will you stop trying to drag the level of intelligent discussion points out of the Quagmire.
Thanks by the way.
Here Here.
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