Three more from Nelson?

[kier]

Feeling pretty chuffed about this

After playing in my Nelson College XIII last season three of the squad have been offered the chance to play in the NRL U20 comp.

Two have deferred as they're only U17 atm and want to finish their high school education (and have the full support of the agents/clubs in doing so) - another lad is moving over in a few months.

In an interseting development though the lad whos about to leave still has the option of playing RL or RU (he recently trained with both the Eels and the Warratahs this summer). I think his preference atm is to try RL - but it does seem as if agents are now scouting in NZ for both codes.

[rus]

There are 12 NZ eligible players per NRL club.

Kiwis just keep on coming
Mark Geenty | March 9, 2008

www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/kiwis-just-keep-on-coming/2008/03/08/1204780126217.html


WHERE to start when compiling a list of Kiwis to watch in the National Rugby League this year?

New Zealand selector Darrell Williams rattles off the names: Eddie Paea, Issac Luke, Chase Stanley, Rangi Chase…

They're but a few of the youngsters who've already cracked first grade, and in Stanley's case, even debuted for the Kiwis.

Then there are the relative no-names, yet to make the big time, of which there are hundreds, such as Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart's signing Karl Filiga, who was snapped up from the Bulldogs last season on a three-year deal worth a reported $600,000.

At 19, Filiga's yet to play a first-grade match but the hulking Wellingtonian, who changed his surname from McNichol to his mother's maiden name in the off-season, has already been given the dreaded tag of "the next Sonny Bill Williams".

Young halves Sam Stewart jnr (son of the former Kiwis forward) at Gold Coast and Liam Foran at the Melbourne Storm are tipped as rising stars of the junior ranks.

Darrell Williams reckons he can't keep up with it all.

Williams says there's up to 12 New Zealand-eligible players at each of the 15 Australian NRL clubs. A few will emerge from unknowns to household names in the coming months.

A year ago, Jeff Lima and Jack Afamasaga were journeymen forwards. By October, they'd both played a grand final for Melbourne and Manly respectively, and Lima grabbed his debut Kiwis jumper.

For a New Zealand presence, Souths lead the way with Roy Asotasi, David Kidwell, David Fa'alogo, Luke, last year's Junior Kiwis captain Paea, Jeremy Smith, Eddy Pettybourne and Fetuli Talanoa in their first-grade squad.

There's also veteran Nigel Vagana, who is set to lead Samoa in this year's World Cup, and a host of juniors such as 116-kilogram Souths triallist Hala Laula.

Williams, the former New Zealand and Manly centre who monitors Kiwis aspirants from his base on Sydney's northern beaches, says the numbers are huge.

"I'm very confident the NRL playing population will be almost 50 per cent Polynesian in the next three to four years," he says. "That's something the New Zealand Rugby League really needs to take note of."

Williams is lobbying the cash-strapped NZRL to set up a Sydney office.

[rus]

Meanwhile across the straight:

www.stuff.co.nz:80/stuff/4433758a1823.html
Wellington schools embrace rugby league
By SAM WORTHINGTON - The Dominion Post | Tuesday, 11 March 2008


Rugby league has muscled into Wellington's secondary schools.


The sport, often viewed as rugby's poor cousin, will be played over a structured six-week window, starting at the end of the union season, in August, with a grand final to be held on October 1.

College Sport Wellington (CSW) will run the boys' competition in conjunction with Wellington Rugby League (WRL).

CSW executive director John Hornal said entries would be taken from schools at the end of July, but there was significant interest and he expected to settle on a competition of eight to 10 schools, probably comprising two pools.

"It's at the end of the rugby season, so there's no conflict there, which has always been an issue in the past," Hornal said. "Kids can look at their priorities and whether or not they're in rep [rugby] teams and that sort of thing."

American football will also be a new player on the secondary schools sporting calendar this year.

Hornal said there was now a more mature view toward rugby league from traditional schools and was expecting most to embrace it.

"I think schools now realise that there is a career opportunity for some kids in rugby league and this is the start of it," he said.

"You only look at kids like [Naenae College's] Mose Masoe and others that have kicked on to contracts in the NRL, virtually straight after school, so there's an opportunity there.

"Even your traditional schools I think are accepting of that. I don't know too much about Silverstream, but I know Wellington College will entertain the idea, Rongotai have in the past, and I think St Pat's Town have, too."

Hornal added that Wellington's rugby league clubs had reacted positively to the news.

"There's a win-win for clubs if they do it properly," he said. "University are wanting to associate themselves with a school so that's progressive, Harbour City have been involved with Wellington College and the town schools and I think Upper Hutt are having a go out at Upper Hutt, Heretaunga and HIBS [Hutt International Boys' School].

"So I think the clubs realise that the future of the game is in their hands."

Wellington will host the national rugby league secondary schools competition at Wainuiomata High School during Labour weekend in October.

WRL general manager Mark O'Connor said the schools breakthrough meant that the sport could be promoted within Wellington City, as well as the traditional strongholds of Hutt Valley and Porirua.

"Our playing numbers are in the Hutt and Porirua, but we've had interest from teams within the Wellington City area," O'Connor said.

"It's a positive move for rugby league in Wellington and I think that [negative image] is starting to shift. I think there is a desire for schools to provide opportunities to all their pupils and I think it's crucial that we have this relationship.

"Mose is a good example, playing through Naenae College, and rugby league provides an opportunity for these young men to progress their desires as a professional rugby league player."

O'Connor downplayed safety concerns, saying matches would be whistled by qualified WRL referees.

Games will be played after school on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.

While enthusiastic about rugby league's future, O'Connor said the code wouldn't compete with rugby head-to-head for some time.

"It's not in our objectives at the moment. We want to work in with the schools and all the other sports, but it's not our short-term objective to compete against rugby."

[kier]

Yep - bring on the 2nd NZ NRL side. It's the least we deserve here.