The NRL is reportedly considering adopting a rookie draft to help lift the league’s worst performing clubs off the bottom of the table.
Speaking in an interview with News Corp’s Buzz Rothfield, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo says he wants a competition that has “balance over the long term”, believing a draft is a “great way to distribute young talent”.
While the Commission will consider a draft, it’s yet to be implemented in the NRL and The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis explained why he can’t see it happening under the current competition framework.
“They’re going to look at it, Andrew Abdo’s on the record saying he’s not happy with the blowouts,” Caryannis said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“There’s a few reasons for those blowouts, the rules, the incompetence of some clubs, how they spend the same amount of salary cap just doesn’t make any sense.
“But, the junior draft system is so interesting and so complicated on so many layers because if you’re the Penrith Panthers – tipping millions and millions of dollars into junior development, growing the game in the region and creating these opportunities for young players – do you spend the same amount of money knowing you don’t get first choice now?
“There’s a lot of things that need to go into it. I think if we do go down that path then some of the junior development, the control will need to come away from the clubs and be given to the head office.”
While Abdo admitted it’s difficult to see a draft being included in the short term, he says the league is looking at everything to ensure teams have ebbs and flows with success.