On this week's episode of The Boardroom NRL Podcast, Ryan Hoffman and Chad Townsend dive into the current state of the NRL's junior pathways, and the challenges the league, merger clubs and the country's best young players face within them.
The boys reflect on their own experiences as juniors prior to reaching the top flight, assess how current clubs fare, and look ahead to ways the NRL can best position expansion clubs Perth and PNG.
"The two clubs I am worried about are the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Wests Tigers," Hoffman said.
"They're separated. So you have the Western Suburbs side, you have the Balmain Tigers side. At the Dragons, you have the St George Dragons and also the Illawarra Steelers. How hard is it for that club that they know they'll never play for the Steelers or Magpies?
"How hard is it for those clubs to find their identity in the junior grades? We spoke about the Penrith Panthers and how important it is to understand the system. Can the Wests Tigers and the Dragons learn those systems when they are separated at the junior level?"
Hosted by NRL premiership players Ryan Hoffman and Chad Townsend, The Boardroom NRL Podcast takes a wide lens look at the state of rugby league, delivering big picture, no nonsense views on the NRL.
Watch this week's episode on Zero Tackle's YouTube channel or listen via Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your audio.
