Why are the Junior Rugby League Clubs so political?

Question

especially the Canterbury & Parramatta districts in Sydney

Answer 1

All sporting clubs are political - my three kids have all represented the ACT in different sports (AFL, soccer and athletics) and I have seen how parents get into the clubs to get their kids "Best and Fairest Awards"  and get them into representative sporting teams.

The best we had in Canberra was an AFL junior rep coach who coached the rep team to get his son in. He was really ordinary (couldn't catch, kick or run). In the end the coach was successful becauise he got the rep kids to come and play for his club team - Tuggeranong.

His son is 19 and doesn't play anymore.

Answer 2

If it is in reference to picking players for rep teames, it is who you know that matters in most cases.  I am in the Illawarra district, and they always select players from clubs who are subsidised by their leagues club or who are brown noses.  The bigger wealthier clubs seek out favouritism, and expect to get it, with generous "donations" to the league. Also, these junior clubs, if they have a wealthy leagues club behind them, offer players from other teams free this and that to get them to play for them.  It is a culture that is hard to change!

Answer 3

Join Blacktown City or Cambridge Park!!

City were an awesome club, when i played we only had 9 or 10 players most games and only won 1 game that year, we wouldnt get relegated bc the club was so strong in every other grade which  is the kind of club ur son needs to be in if getting recognised.

Cambridge park has alot of history, they are always competitive and have a past junior by the name of Brad Fittler.

They should all be in the Panthers Junior Division, its really tough competition out there and your son will play against some absolute monsters, but to be the best u gotta play the best!!

Answer 4

My grandson, now 19, has played in the Parra district since he was 6, & his father tells me it's the same everywhere. If you aren't already in or have someone involved, no matter how good you are you have little chance of being recognised.

It was the same in the rural town I came from, my older son couldn't get in the juniors because of officials pushing their kids ahead of others. His school coach told us he was way above most of the others, but selfish officials kept him out. When he left school, he was immediately selected in the town union & league teams & did well, with many trophies to prove it. He also went on to excel in golf, cricket & lawn bowls.

Answer 5

i play in the parra district and have several friends playing in this years toyota cup and as said before, who you know is very important. while there is every chance you can get through on your own merits, western sydney has such good junior leagues that they can pick and choose whoever they want. there is so much junior talent around here (especially amongst islanders) that they honestly dont care about those few players who fall through those 'political cracks'

Answer 6

Rugby League is a very social game.  You play and make mates for life, anywhere in the world.  I feel grateful to the game for the mates I've made.

This social fabric is often the cause of the "politicism" you speak about.

The selectors are often ex-players.  People rarely move out of their area.  So the kids that you're choosing are kids of your mates that you played with or against.  OR they are kids that the selectors have coached themselves at some point.

When selecting it's easy for them to pick at points from other kids and gloss over points from their mates' kids to justify in their minds why they made the selections.

Of course not every player is selected because of friendships.  At the end of the day you may need to come to the realisation that your son was out played, and may not have deserved a spot in the squad.  I have had parents come up to me accusing me of deliberately leaving their son out of a squad, only to sit down with them and go through the DVD.  They soon change their tune, when the mistakes that they "missed" start adding up.  It may something as simple as missed tackles, or constantly playing out of position.

Brings me to another point.  I have often seen kids that play halfback for example, trial in a position like hooker, because some bright spark has told them that they'll have a better chance of making the squad!  If you're a halfback, trial as one.

That's all I have to say about that..........

Cheers

Bronco