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A revived NYC, changes to player agent rules and a new development program to help 'shake up' grassroots system
Nicholas Quinlan • February 7th, 2025 1:47 pm
A revived national youth competition, changes to player agent rules surrounding junior talent and a standardised national development program are just some of the plans that the NRL is planning to adopt for next season.
Speaking on SEN 1170 Breakfast, Michael Carayannis spoke on the plans for the NRL for its grassroots system.
“It’s a shake-up to the grassroots level to try and protect the players a little more with their development,” Carayannis said.
The plan from the NRL will see a ban on player agents being able to sign players to their agency until the calendar year that they turn 18 as to prevent junior players from being signed at 14 or 15.
It will also include the adoption of a nationally standardised code for development of players aged between 13 to 15 years old.
But the most important part of the plan is the re-introduction of the NRL’s national U21’s for next season after being cut in 2017.
With this extra stepping stone, Carayannis believes this could help sway highly talented juniors who play both rugby codes to stick with League.
“If I’m Rugby (Union), I’m looking at this going aww, that doesn’t help us,” Carayannis added.
“It was a bit of an attraction for players particular Rugby Union players who don’t have the pathway right there.
“They go from schoolboys to the Waratahs or Super Rugby and there’s not much in between where if you though you weren’t good enough to crack it, well there was an opportunity to play U20’s or U21’s and give yourself a chance.”
Co-host Matt Russell also spoke positively of the NRL’s plans to bring back the National Youth Competition idea.
“I’ve heard plenty of very intelligent minds in the game say that we threw out the national U20 competition too early,” Russell said.
“It was criticised that it was costing too much, it was criticised for having blowout score lines.
“But remember, these were part-time rugby league players. They were still made to pursue training, education and employment so they couldn’t apply themselves as harden professionals.”
The NRL regular season will return on March 2 with a double header in Las Vegas: Raiders v Warriors and Panthers v Sharks.
