NRL Mapped: Broncos Academy Boss reveals how Southeast Queensland has turned into a battleground for junior talent
Southeast Queensland has emerged as one of the fiercest battlegrounds for emerging rugby league talent, with the Broncos Academy boss revealing how NRL rivals have intensified the fight for local kids.
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Southeast Queensland has emerged as one of the fiercest battlegrounds for emerging rugby league talent and the Brisbane Broncos are under attack from NRL rivals.
Of the 375 players, 159 hail from Queensland. The Brisbane district (54) has generated the most following by North Queensland (30), Gold Coast (28), Central (21), regional south east Queensland (16) and the Sunshine Coast (10).
Despite the emergence of the Titans and Dolphins, there is a view Brisbane bask in a talent-identification monopoly and can run riot in southeast Queensland with an army of development chiefs such as Broncos Academy boss Simon Scanlan.
The reality is different.
Scanlan, a pivotal figure in luring Brisbane Academy whiz-kid Walsh back home, says the Broncos are under attack from NRL rivals for their local kids, a threat heightened by the birth of new expansion club the Dolphins.
“Every club recruits out of southeast Queensland,” Scanlan said.
“As the time goes on, the junior recruitment space is more competitive.
“A long time ago, Queensland kids were left to the Queensland clubs but there is so much competition on the ground now.
“We’re proud to have 20 guys in our NRL squad because having so many homegrown players is difficult when there’s so many clubs competing for Queensland kids.
“All the Sydney clubs have junior-representative teams and they have scouts targeting Queensland regularly to bring players to fill their teams.
“Southeast Queensland is not the domain of the Broncos anymore. It’s open to every NRL club.”
Of the threat of the Dolphins, ironically coached by Wayne Bennett, the man who has delivered all six titles to the Broncos, Scanlan said: “They are just another competitor.
“Instead of there being 15 other NRL teams recruiting out of this area, there are now 16.
“I wouldn’t call them a threat, I would say they are another option. Location-wise they are convenient for Brisbane kids who may not want to leave the area to play NRL.
“We’re a development club and the goal of any development program is to bring a batch of guys through to hopefully win a premiership.”
Runaway Bay Seagulls emerged as the most prolific provider of Queensland talent with nine current NRL players, headlined by Titans star AJ Brimson, Tigers phenom Jahream Bula, Broncos duo Jesse Arthars and Blake Mozer and former Maroons prop Jarrod Wallace.
Former Queensland Origin lock Scott Sattler warned that the Dolphins had the potential to have a similar impact on the landscape in southeast Queensland.
“I see Redcliffe as like another version of Runaway Bay,” Sattler said.
“They have a strong junior nursery and great resources in northern Brisbane. They have won a lot of Queensland Cup premierships and now having an NRL arm with links with the Norths Devils, they are definitely a club on the up.
“People always like the shiny new toy and the Dolphins are new to the NRL.”
Sattler, a former Runaway Bay junior, wasn’t surprised by the amount of talent emerging from the region.
“The Gold Coast region has been a great nursery for Queensland rugby league. We see a lot of kids go to Keebra Park or Palm Beach Currumbin so I’m not surprised by the number of Gold Coast products who make it to the NRL,” Sattler said.
“Reece Walsh, Darius Boyd and Xavier Coates are just some of the great products who have emerged from the Gold Coast. Locally, Runaway Bay was always seen as one of the stronger junior clubs.
“Once upon a time kids would have to leave home and go to Sydney to get a start in the NRL, but a lot of Sydney clubs are trying to keep their Queensland talents home and close to their families.
“There was a time when the Broncos would go all over Queensland and give any kid a Broncos shirt and development pack. It was a great marketing tool by the Broncos, but you can’t find every kid and the Dolphins and Titans are now genuine options for kids coming through. The Broncos don’t have the monopoly people think.”
Sattler joined the Gold Coast after emerging from the Runaway Bay pathways system.
“Even since I was a kid that Runaway Bay area was seen as the family postcode. You had families with two and three kids and Coombabah State High School opened, up which is on the edge of Runaway Bay. That helped kids stay in that area for rugby league. In our third year there in 1989, we won the state title and it became an automatic feeder system to the Runaway Bay Seagulls.”
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