Mailbox: Introduce a Super League player draft to find new talent
Mailbox gives you the chance to get your voice heard and start the debate with the rugby league audience. Want to be featured? Email the editor: james@loverugbyleague.com
Hi there,
I’m a 14 year old rugby player currently trying to get scouted by a Super League team and I’d like to propose a few changes I’d like to see.
As an amateur player myself, I find it hard to get noticed despite showing all the skills that Super League players do.
There needs to be other ways to enter the league as an up and coming player. Therefore I’d like to see a Super League draft brought in. I’ve seen this happen in the NFL and NBA and it has worked quite well for both respected leagues.
This in my opinion would bring another route through college and university where players can play in front of people watching at the venue and possibly on the OurLeague app.
This also brings publicity to universities as they are noticed through these sources.
For example, college basketball and American Football is watched just as much as the NBA and NFL if not more.
Finally this would inspire more people to continue playing after 16.
It seems right now that you have to sign for scholarship or you get subjected to playing open age which don’t get me wrong is very entertaining at times.
Many more routes into pro rugby league have to be introduced in my opinion.
Kind regards
Chris Eaves
Editor’s comment: A draft-style system would be interesting, particularly when you consider the criticism faced by the likes of Toronto for not bringing through their own players. A draft system would enable them to sign some promising UK-based youngsters, and develop them alongside any Canadian players that they may have too. Whether the likes of Wigan, St Helens and Leeds would buy in to this system remains to be seen. Why would they? But there’s no reason there couldn’t be a central draft pool for clubs who wanted to take part.
Mailbox gives you the chance to get your voice heard and start the debate with the rugby league audience. Want to be featured? Email the editor: james@loverugbyleague.com