Darling Downs footy facing QRL Tsunami.

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Covertackle

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Jan 26, 2012
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AFL had the jump on Rugby League from about 2010 to 2014 with all the hoo-rah of the inception of the GCS. AFL slaughtered RL in QLD with growth of numbers. There was a lot of discussion in the RL world of how to counteract the AFL juggernaut in QLD. It seems the QRL did have a think tank and came up with some solutions. One of which comes into being late this year.

The Gold Coast Titans have basically copied the Lions AFL academy idea to put in place the 1st real visible pathway for young aspiring RL players in South East QLD. At the top of the pathway pyramid is the Titans. Under that, A Intrust Super Cup team (QLD cup) will be located in Toowoomba. There will be Academy Cells (Juniors) based in Toowoomba, Roma and either Warwick or Gundi. Each club from the various regions have been asked to nominate 2 players from each team (u12 through to u18) to be looked at by the academy. Players and parents are interviewed, the child must have good behaviour and attendance records at school.

The Intrust super cup team based out of Toowoomba and the academy will be called, the "Western Mustangs". The academy will not make up teams or play games. Therefore there is no need to select kids to make up team numbers. Therefore only those deemed 'elite' will be selected. Players are taken to the Titans to use facilities etc. Personalised weight training programs are give to each boy. They are educated in sports psyc, nutrition, physical health, etc.

What this does is give SEQLD kids and parents a clear view of what to aim at. The same as AFL kids have had all to themselves up to now. Had this been in place 5-6 years ago, Kids like Wylie Buzza would never have crossed codes as he would have been in the Titans academy and had a clear pathway to focus on.

QRL have just upped the anti in the already uneven struggle for top end talent between the codes in SEQLD. Competition brings out the best in everyone. I believe the Lions academy will respond, I'm just not sure how they go about it. Certainly a greater focus on the Darling Downs senior competition, with a goal of an QAFL side playing out of Toowoomba with a similar structure of juniors under it like the Titans are implementing. AFL cant afford to be drowned out by an Intrust super cup side based out of Toowoomba as the interest it will generate will be massive. They will flood Darling Downs media and make huge inroads into the available juniors numbers.

AFLQ and the Lions have to look at propping up an NEAFL or QAFL team based in Toowoomba if the currently struggling Darling Downs AFL program and competition is to avoid irrelevance and life support. The DDAFL is already struggling in all junior age groups with clubs merging sides to get a game against another merged side. AFLQ and the Lions cant just sit and do nothing while the Titans turn Toowoomba and the wider Darling Downs into a QRL showpiece. The Darling Downs is a huge area. Its a huge growth area. the AFL cant afford to sit on its hands.
 

Covertackle

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I've never understood the desperation to compete on a per sport basis.

Set up comps. Let kids play what they want.

Junior AFL on the DD is struggling already. Kids in some towns now cant play AFL as the competition in all age groups shrink. This new initiative by the QRL will impact the competitions even further. pitsworth has folded, Gundi and Chinchilla have no junior teams anymore, Warwick has merged its juniors, as have Kingaroy, Lockyer valley, Coolaroo, Highfields.

Some kids already cant play AFL in their town any longer. Soon may more wont be able to.

Now you understand..
 

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Unless there's a lot of money coming in I wouldn't be overly concerned with an ISC team returning to the downs. The only reason why a team was viable prior to the Clydesdales pulling the pin was the connection to the Broncos and the direct pathway that it could have given. Kids are also sold the dream throughout the state yet only a couple make it past the 20's (and it may be worse in 2018 when the National competition becomes purely state based) into the elite once they realise the demands of making it even at the second tier.
 

Covertackle

Premiership Player
Jan 26, 2012
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Unless there's a lot of money coming in I wouldn't be overly concerned with an ISC team returning to the downs. The only reason why a team was viable prior to the Clydesdales pulling the pin was the connection to the Broncos and the direct pathway that it could have given. Kids are also sold the dream throughout the state yet only a couple make it past the 20's (and it may be worse in 2018 when the National competition becomes purely state based) into the elite once they realise the demands of making it even at the second tier.

And that is the point. All codes sell the dream. The QRL is now selling the dream better on the Darling Downs. They already had a bigger slice of the available talent in the area and in fact QLD. They are now more effectively encouraging those talented kids to stay with the code.

The NRL is no longer attainable for most of the DD demographic. But QCup is. I see playing for the local Western Mustangs side in the QCup as an attractive, achieveable goal for talented local DD boys. And that's all that matters. They have been sold a dream..
 

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