NRL's island talent

parragirl · NRL's island talent

Pacific revolution ... one in four of the NRL's players are of Pacific Island descent. No less than 100 NRL players come from Samoan, Tongan, Maori, Fijian or Cook Island backgrounds. / The Daily Telegraph

By Neil Cadigan | March 27, 2008 12:00am

WHEN all NRL playing squads gathered for the Centenary Fans Day at ANZ Stadium last month, the Pacific Islanders asked if they could gather for an historic photograph. Suddenly, the banquet room seemed half-empty.

Admittedly the indigenous players had already vacated for a similar shot but the three-wide line-up of Polynesian and Melonesian buddies down the corridor was indeed a daunting sight.

This anecdote can now be supported by hard cold statistics - one in four players in the NRL are of Pacific Island descent. That's right, no less than 100 NRL players come from Samoan, Tongan, Maori, Fijian or Cook Island backgrounds.

And don't think the home-grown Warriors players have distorted the facts. Of the 15 Australian clubs, 22.5 per cent have Islander backgrounds (86 players) with 46 born in New Zealand or the Pacific.

And it is a trend more than likely growing. One in five players in the new national under-20 competition, the Toyota Cup, are also confirmed as Island boys by birth or parentage - not including the Warriors.

The Rabbitohs have the most (of Australian clubs) with 11 - of which eight were born overseas - and a further seven in the Toyota Cup. On the other end of the scale, the Raiders have none in their top squad.

A look at the quick-maturing giants in the strongest junior representative sides and the dominant schoolboy outfits is further evidence that it is a revolution that has far-reaching effects on the game. The NSWRL Academy reports that 52 per cent of SG Ball (under-18s) and Harold Matthews (under-16s) players are of Pacific Island background.

"They are just made for rugby league,'' says Peter O'Sullivan, Sydney Roosters, and former Melbourne Storm, recruitment manager, who has been "adopting'' 16 and 17-year-olds from New Zealand for years.

"It's their pure athleticism. They are naturally bigger, stronger and faster than Australians and suited to our explosive game. I have always been a big believer too that if they're from New Zealand grab them when they are 16 and give them the right training and education as soon as possible, and improve their aerobic base.''

O'Sullivan would visit New Zealand four to six times a year when at the Storm and brought current NRL players Adam Blair, Sam Tagalatese and Sika Manu to Australia at age 16. He liked to give them at least two seasons of schooling and elite junior football before lifting them into the NRL structure.

But these days talent scouts don't need to travel far. Strong communities in Sydney's west particularly, and in southeast Queensland towns of Toowoomba and Ipswich, are producing explosive Pacific Island footballers who dominate under-age competitions and are ready-made for the NRL. Just look at state age teams.

The Parramatta junior league reports that 60 per cent of its players are of Pacific Island descent. Penrith have tracked the ethnic origin of all players this year but have not yet collated the figures.

NSWRL Academy coaching and development manager Martin Meredith says there are strong pockets of Pacific Island footballing families in Hurstville, the Manly area and South Sydney while Bulldogs juniors have extremely high percentage Arabic and Pacific Islander numbers.

Some recruitment managers and welfare officers liken it to the African-American influence in US basketball; with big, athletic kids, in many cases from low socio-economic upbringings, hell-bent on using rugby league as their meal ticket.

League's ethnic explosion has seen the NSWRL appoint its first development officer, Samoan David Lakisa, assigned purely to promote the game to the Pacific Island communities as it tries to better understand the cultural differences of the growing proportion of its players.

NRL clubs too are increasing the resources put into educating the Polynesian flood of players. South Sydney welfare manager John Hutchinson says the care and cultural understanding of clubs can "make or break these kids'', many of whom leave their homes to relocate.

Newcastle recruitment manager Keith Onslow (while working alongside David Waite) was among the first development managers to bring teenage Kiwis to Australia in the late 1980s, including a future Test player, Tony Kemp.

He admits clubs have come a long way in understanding the Islander culture since 1991 when he brought Willie Poching, Brian Laumatia and Tana Umuga to the Knights and they lasted just three weeks before heading home due to acute homesickness.

Yes, that's the same Umuga who went on to become an All Blacks captain and legend after a rugby league upbringing with Lower Hutt in Wellington.

"The game has a much better support and education system and welfare programs now,'' he said. "We have to understand their culture and the big part religion plays in their life but not make too many concessions. You can't have one rule for Islander boys and one for others.''

The hot topic in junior football is the size of some of these early-matured boys and their intimidation of the "caucasian'' kids.

The NSWRL, in conjunction with NSW Institute of Sport and Sydney University, are trialling a 5m offside rule in under-13 and under-14 competitions in the South Sydney and Canterbury junior leagues.

This reduces the space for the bigger boys have to "wind up'' against the defence. A report will be compiled by academics on the brand of football played and positive impact on injuries.

Some school inter-zone carnivals have been altered to "weight-for-age'' conditions - under-12s, 55kg; under-14s, 65kg and under-16, 75kg - with favourable responses from teachers and parents, and a drop in the injury rate.

The Pacific Revolution (Polynesian is too broad a term as Fijians and Tongans are Melonesian) is soon to have a bonus that goes past the NRL and its feeder system - on to the international scene.

Samoa and Tonga particularly will field highly competitive teams in the World Cup in October and November, increasing its appeal way beyond the tri nations.

Players like Feleti Mateo, the Paea brothers, Brent Kite, Michael Jennings and Taniela Tuiaki are eligible for Tonga. Chase Stanley, Jack Afamasaga, Setaimata Sa, Iosia Siliola and Frank-Paul Nuuausala are among emerging players eligible to join the Puletua brothers and Nigel Vagana who have already committed themselves to Samoa - along with several ex-Kiwi Test players in the English league.

http://www.news.com.au/dailyteleg.../0,26799,23441010-5012663,00.html