A LOT has been said recently about the ‘drain’ of young, Super League talent to the NRL and southern hemisphere.
The likes of Dom Young, Bailey Hodgson, Will Pryce, Kai Pearce-Paul and now potentially Lewis Murphy have all made the move to Australia in the hope of a rugby league future in the NRL.
Huddersfield Giants managing director Richard Thewlis, who knows first hand about the difficulties in trying to keep young stars with Young and Pryce, believes that there is more to it than just more cash despite people claiming that is the main reason to go Down Under.
“There’s not a great deal that we can do (about the drain of young players to the NRL) which is the stark reality as I see it,” Thewlis told League Express.
“Players like any other person in any other industry should be allowed to choose where to work when given the opportunity and their contracts of employment permit.
“The media only ever talk of money it seems to me and without doubt the earnings in the NRL are higher but there is far more to making the move than just money.”
Thewlis also wanted to bring attention to the fact that more NRL players make the move to Super League rather than vice-versa.
“The reality again, despite what many think, is the movement of players to the UK is significantly higher than the other way around,” Thewlis continued.
“There are many players in Super League who have tried life Down Under and it wasn’t for them, and they return to our competition.’
Thewlis also reckons that the only way Super League will nail down the future of young stars is if “we feel strongly enough” to take the issue to a higher power.
“Every overseas player here takes a squad position away from a young UK player as every British player down undertakes an Australian’s job from them.
“When you look at it like that perhaps it becomes an immigration matter which needs government intervention if we feel strongly enough about it.”
