2017 Under 20's

I really do see your point and I'm not sure what the best way forward is for the development of the young guys but I spend a lot of money and effort going to all the Broncos home games and would like to see the best 2 games I can. When I go to Brisbane and pay to see a concert I don't expect the support act to be a high school talent show just because that's the best training for them.
 
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Sirlee oldman said:
I really do see your point and I'm not sure what the best way forward is for the development of the young guys but I spend a lot of money and effort going to all the Broncos home games and would like to see the best 2 games I can. When I go to Brisbane and pay to see a concert I don't expect the support act to be a high school talent show just because that's the best training for them.
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True, not saying NYC has to be the curtain raiser to the NRL, but to just disband it is plain stupid. Its the best development tool going, yet for whatever reason its going to be ditched for an inferior product, and conversely inferior outcomes. Storm 20s don't play as a curtain raiser to the NRL team, they play stand alone games on the Sunny coast. Still get the development pathway and weekly competition, just don't play at AAMI park. I see no reason why the other u20s can't do something similar if need be. The idea of 20s, RG, then NRL all together would be nice, but logistically pretty hard without the will to get all those games in on Thursday and Friday nights, especially with work/study commitments required of u20s. I like the idea of a national RG as well, but I'm imagining that would be getting resistance from the QRL dinosaurs as well because it will potentially push intrust cup further down the pecking order. I like the Portoz idea of having both, but for some reason its not happening.
 
Sirlee oldman said:
It really is a shame that they didn't get the reserve grade competition up and running this year.

It would be well worth getting to games early to watch a team with Marshall, Pearson, Opacic, Moga, Dodds, Joe/Ese'ese, Sua, Fai, Funakis, Boyce and a sprinkling of our best young kids in it.

Not only would it be a better standard of football than the u/20s but it would also make it easier for fans to keep track of which players are really knocking on the door of 1st grade.
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You can achieve all those things by going to watch ISC.
 
johnny plath said:
Sure reserve grade sounds nice, but I think its short sighted by the NRL or whoever drove the culling of the NYC. People seem to forget that its a development comp, so it will have its floors, but the reality is that a lot of players in this age group aren't ready straight away for the step up to play intrust cup, but they are far too good to be playing in local comps. I see the Qld based NRL under 20 teams being at a real disadvantage when it reverts to a state based under 20s comp in 2018. The player talent will be diluted so that the four QLD based NRL clubs (include storm in under 20s - sunshine coast based) will either be spread among the feeder clubs so that 4 teams are mixed through the 16 intrust clubs, or the 4 NRL clubs will play against the intrust clubs under 20s. Either way its going to be a drop in quality of opposition from NYC 20 that will surely hinder development. For all its critics, the NYC was a great under age comp, which provided a pathway for players to prepare for a professional footy environment that got them ready for State league and then NRL if they are good enough. Not sure that QRL u20 state league is going to do that.
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It really just formalises what is happening now anyway.

Players can play Mal Meninga, State 20's,Colts, and then ISC.

The Queensland clubs place their players in that system now; not in the 20's. Storm are placed with the Falcons and under that system. The State wide 20's comp leaves guys at home and they get to play for their home region- that's good for player welfare.
 
1910 said:
It really just formalises what is happening now anyway.


Players can play Mal Meninga, State 20's,Colts, and then ISC.

The Queensland clubs place their players in that system now; not in the 20's. Storm are placed with the Falcons and under that system. The State wide 20's comp leaves guys at home and they get to play for their home region- that's good for player welfare.
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Sorry but that's not right. ..last time i looked the qld nrl teams and storm had teams in the nyc...that level is being taken away. If you think the qrl u20s comp will be as strong as nyc you're deluded. Storm u20s are not falcons. ..they are storm. ..they send players up to isc if ready or back to colts if not in nyc but they are storm contracted not falcons. This season broncos had mal meninga eligible players playing nyc during the mm comp because that's what they were ready for. . It's not formalizing what happens now. .it's taking out a step in development..players not ready for isc are stuck in qrl 20s comp. ..a weaker comp than nyc.
 
johnny plath said:
Sorry but that's not right. ..last time i looked the qld nrl teams and storm had teams in the nyc...that level is being taken away. If you think the qrl u20s comp will be as strong as nyc you're deluded. Storm u20s are not falcons. ..they are storm. ..they send players up to isc if ready or back to colts if not in nyc but they are storm contracted not falcons. This season broncos had mal meninga eligible players playing nyc during the mm comp because that's what they were ready for. . It's not formalizing what happens now. .it's taking out a step in development..players not ready for isc are stuck in qrl 20s comp. ..a weaker comp than nyc.
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You're the one missing the point.

I didn't say they were contracted to the Falcons although plenty do play for the Falcons- they are under that system with Trigger and Adamson. That's what I said.

Correct they do have teams in the 20's- do they put all their players that are eligible there? No they don't. Where do they put the players? in programs with the Falcons or Easts or Redcliffe- why? Because they're better for them.

So it's formalising what is happening now if they're placed in Queensland based competitions anyway and they're stronger competitions like the Storm recognise why not just do it formally?

If the 20's was as strong as you claim then no clubs would place players in the Queensland based programs.
 
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1910 said:
You're the one missing the point.

I didn't say they were contracted to the Falcons although plenty do play for the Falcons- they are under that system with Trigger and Adamson. That's what I said.

Correct they do have teams in the 20's- do they put all their players that are eligible there? No they don't. Where do they put the players? in programs with the Falcons or Easts or Redcliffe- why? Because they're better for them.

So it's formalising what is happening now if they're placed in Queensland based competitions anyway and they're stronger competitions like the Storm recognise why not just do it formally?

If the 20's was as strong as you claim then no clubs would place players in the Queensland based programs.
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No I'm not missing a point. The nrl clubs currently use the qrl comps for their excess players. ..their best are in nyc or intrust cup if ready. You can't be serious If you think norths or redcliffe colts are stronger u20s teams than any of the nyc teams. The reaaon boys play in the qrl system is some clubs contract more players than positions available so they are placed there. They're in the lower qrl system because they can't force their way into the nyc squad.... not because it's better for them. So no its not formalizing what happens now because that system has been pretty formalised for a number of years. The system is being changed to the extent that the elite u20 comp is being removed leaving a bigger jump in quality to go from the qrl u20s to in trust cup...possibly a jump to far without a step in between. That's the point and for whatever reason you don't seem able to acknowledge or comprehend that.
 
johnny plath said:
No I'm not missing a point. The nrl clubs currently use the qrl comps for their excess players. ..their best are in nyc or intrust cup if ready. You can't be serious If you think norths or redcliffe colts are stronger u20s teams than any of the nyc teams. The reaaon boys play in the qrl system is some clubs contract more players than positions available so they are placed there. They're in the lower qrl system because they can't force their way into the nyc squad.... not because it's better for them. So no its not formalizing what happens now because that system has been pretty formalised for a number of years. The system is being changed to the extent that the elite u20 comp is being removed leaving a bigger jump in quality to go from the qrl u20s to in trust cup...possibly a jump to far without a step in between. That's the point and for whatever reason you don't seem able to acknowledge or comprehend that.
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I didn't say any of that.
 
1910 said:
You're the one missing the point.

I didn't say they were contracted to the Falcons although plenty do play for the Falcons- they are under that system with Trigger and Adamson. That's what I said.

Correct they do have teams in the 20's- do they put all their players that are eligible there? No they don't. Where do they put the players? in programs with the Falcons or Easts or Redcliffe- why? Because they're better for them.

So it's formalising what is happening now if they're placed in Queensland based competitions anyway and they're stronger competitions like the Storm recognise why not just do it formally?

If the 20's was as strong as you claim then no clubs would place players in the Queensland based programs.
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Let's compare apples with apples. The NYC vs QRL Colts is as much of a mismatch as the NRL vs the ISC.

NRL clubs generally place their NYC and older reserves in QRL clubs to play in the ISC, not the Colts.
 
So far the 2017 20s squad going of the Broncos website looks like:

Corey Allen - Fullback
Lachlan Barr - Prop
Gerome Burns - Halfback/Five-eight
Patrick Carrigan - Lock/Prop
Brayden Dee - Prop/Second-row
Sam Elliot - Five-eight
David Fauid - Fullback/Centre/Wing
Kalemb Hart - Centre/Wing
Keegan Hipgrave - Lock/Prop
Tristan Hope - Hooker/Five-eight
Lachlan Lanskey - Second row/Lock
Joseph McGuire - Prop/Lock
Hayden O'Hara - Halfback
Keenan Palasia - Second row/Lock
Gehamat Shibasaki - Centre/Fullback
Jaydn Su'A - Centre/Second row
Cameron Torpy - Lock/Prop/Second row
Jai Whitbread - Prop
Brent Woolf - Halfback/Hooker
 
A LOCAL BRONCO


  • Dubbo Weekender
  • 5 Aug 2016
  • BY JOHN RYAN JOURNALIST



BRISBANE BRONCO’S fans aren’t common in the central west and young footballers who want to play for that city’s only NRL franchise are thin on the ground, but one local not only has those stars in his eyes, he has a contract with the club that is signed, sealed and delivered. The Bronco’s player development manager flew into Dubbo this week to finalise the deal with 17 year-old Wellington junior Kotoni Staggs, who now lives in Dubo but has stuck with the club where his career began in the U5s.Local lawyer and league fan Luke Clarke has been looking to manage local talent in the highest grade, he spotted Kotoni as a 15 year-old and talked to him about his potential future, and while half a dozen NRL clubs were keen, Kotoni only wanted to play with one club.“It’s been a big thing ever since I was a young kid, I’ve watched the NRL growing up, watched Darren Lockyer play and it’s always been a dream to play for the Broncos,” Katoni said.“I got an opportunity when Luke (Luke Clarke, manager) scouted me and then Broncos scouted me so I’ll go up there and get in with the Broncos.”Luke Clarke played league growing up in Cowra and finished high school at Forbes Red Bend College, a noted rugby league school – football and people are his passions.“I’ve integrated that into my legal practice, I’m an accredited player manager with the NRL, it’s a bit of a process you go through, you do some study, so some tests and you renew your accreditation yearly,” Clarke said.He says it’s a sensitive issue to manage young kids with bucket-loads of talent.“Kids, they get recruited at a young age and they’re under a lot of pressure so it’s just a matter of managing all those pressures and influences and Katoni’s been a lot of fun to manage and I’m looking forward to see him go through to the Broncos,” he said.“It was very important for me to meet Luke and he’s very supportive and you couldn’t meet a better bloke and he’s a good agent,” Kotoni said.So what brought the Bronco’s to NSW’S central west, when almost all their players are developed from Queensland junior grades.“We were initially tipped off by Luke, his manager, to have a look at Kotoni so I called a number of our scouts - Kotoni was only 15 turning 16 at this stage in this region to ask about Kotoni and got really positive reports so I flew him up to a development session at the club, worked with him up there and from there made a decision to offer him a contract at the Broncos,” said Simon Scanlan, the Brisbane Bronco’s league player development manager.“We don’t usually do a lot in NSW or country NSW, mostly south east QLD and northern QLD so Kotoni’s a player we’ve had on contract for two and a half years … it’s time for him to move up now and be part of the footy side.“We’ve extended Kotoni’s contract to go into senior football and move up to Brisbane at the end of this year to join the NYC squad and beyond that into the senior football ranks into the QLD Cup competition,” he said.Kotoni won’t be alone, he understands the daily struggles of moving from the country to a strange city are real enough without having the added pressure of an NRL career on the line.“I’ve got my girlfriend (Kiera Garling) moving up with me and she’s a big support behind me,” Kotoni said.“It is very hard when you get signed with a club that if you go by yourself you’re going to struggle but I’ve got support moving up with me so I should be all fine, it’s still going to be pretty hard but after I play a couple of games I should be starting to get into the routine.“I just want to go up there and do my best, I’ve always been a fan of football and I’ve always just wanted to set a goal and play NRL and for young kids down in Wellington, I just want to show that they’ve got to believe in themselves, I just want to give a bit more confidence to younger people,” he said.“The Broncos are probably the most professional sporting organisation in the country and my first experience when I went up there just amazed me, my first feeling was that it was a prejudice-free atmosphere and it was perfect for Katoni, it was the right place for him to develop as a footballer and probably as a person too,” Clarke said.“They’ve been very supportive and they’ve provided not only to Katoni but me with a fair bit of guidance how to manage my player and how to take him from a small town like Wellington and integrate him into professional sport.”Simon Scanlan said player welfare was paramount at the Broncos, with the club continuously working on a family friendly culture to prevent the common issues arising in the media all too often where young footballers get into trouble from all the money and attention.“Every club has their issues at times and we’ve had ours previously and I’m sure there’ll be some issues in the future but the club has a really good culture, it’s a very strong family feel about the club, you know it’s not just about the player it’s about the family as well that have a relationship with the club so for us,” Scanlan said.“It’s not that we bring a player to the club and if they work out they stay and if they don’t we kick ‘em out the back door, the family’s welcome as part of the club as well so we want a relationship not just with the player but their immediate family or parents or guardians, whoever’s involved there as well which then makes them feel part of our family.“We’re lucky like that, Wayne’s (Bennett) back at the club now, he’s really big on values and morals and standards, as is everyone in the club, so that’s not to say we won’t have our problems in the future, we probably will, but we have a really good feel around the club and everyone’s there for the right reasons, there to work hard so those problems are limited in our club at the moment so let’s hope it stays that way,” he said.Now it’s up to Kotoni to settle in and work hard – already he’s using his junior country career to develop as a player, this year moving from the backs, his usual positions at fullback or in the centres, to lock.“I’m playing lock at the moment, it’s a bit different from where I normally play as a back, fullback or centre but lock is a bit different, you’ve gotta get your forwards moving straight up through the pack but I do a good job at it and I’m captain at the moment over there as well,” Kotoni said, saying he relished the challenge to grow his knowledge and skills.“It is, it is, it’s a position that you’ve always got to be on the ball, always backing up, it’s like another 5/8, but I don’t take it as another 5/8, I just take my team forward to win the game,” he said. So where will he play at the Broncos? “That largely depends on Kotoni and the coach at the time so for us, for our program is getting the best young talent,” Simon Scanlan said.“At the moment he can play multiple positions which will give him the best opportunity to make the side in the U20s this year so we don’t pigeonhole players in certain positions and bring them to the club to play at that certain position, the coach will work out the strengths and weaknesses of each player and also work out what positions are available in the side so if they can play multiple positions which Kotoni can, it gives him multiple chances to make the side.”Kotoni said he’s steeling himself to give it the best shot.“I’ve just always gone to training in Wello and I’ve always put effort in and if you put effort in you always get rewarded, get a good mark off that, just putting in the effort and putting in the one percenters,” Kotoni said, saying he’ll have to put plenty of work in on both the mental and physical sides of his game.“It’s going to be both but it’s going to be more physical, it’s going to be pre-season, it’s going to be pretty hard for ‘cos I haven’t really done training like that and it’s going to you wake up, train, you go home, wake up, go to training, your mind’s going to tell you don’t have to do it but you have to tell yourself that you believe in yourself and just push extra hard.”He said he’s lucky to have been given this chance but said all his hard work through the junior grades was paying off.At this stage he’s hoping to make the first grade NRL side within three years.As for his mates who have already ribbed him about the move to Queensland.“I always know that I’m going to be a NSW boy but that’s just the team that I went for when I was a little kid and it’s a dream just to be going up there and playing with them and alongside some good athletes up there as well,” he said.I just want to go up there and do my best, I’ve always been a fan of football and I’ve always just wanted to set a goal and play NRL and for young kids down in Wellington, I just want to show that they’ve got to believe in themselves, I just want to give a bit more confidence to younger people.
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Looks like Kotoni Staggs will be joining the 20s squad in 2017.
 
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