NRL delays plans to revive National Youth Competition in favour of current dual-league format

The NRL will stick with the current two-league format of Jersey Flegg and NRLQ after plans to launch a national under-21s competition were delayed despite a strong push from the community.

The much-hyped introduction of an under-21s National Pathways Competition has been delayed in a blow to the hopes of reviving a countrywide league for the game’s best up-and-coming talent.

The under-21s proposal was seen as a way by the NRL to revive the defunct National Youth Competition, which was run as an under-20s format.

It comes as the Perth Bears look set to enter an outfit in a beefed-up NRLQ competition - which will move from an under 20s to an under 21s format next year - as the new franchise expands its footprint in Queensland.

Code Sports understands plans for the revival of a fully-fledged national competition have been shelved for 2026 in favour of two separate competitions - Jersey Flegg (under-21s) in NSW and the NRLQ in Queensland.

The NRL has not made a final decision and remains committed to getting a national youth league operational, possibly in time for the code’s next TV rights deal in 2028.

A Pathways Steering Committee (PSC) had initially recommended the return of the NRL’s youth league, which was originally founded in 2008 and ran for a decade as an under-20s national competition.

The original NYC produced a slew of future NRL superstars, including Kalyn Ponga, Shaun Johnson, Jarome Luai, Victor Radley, Pat Carrigan, Jason Taumalolo, Jake and Tom Trbojevic and Viliame Kikau.

The star-making youth league will not return.

It was axed at the end of 2017 amid budgetary concerns, with many NRL clubs forking out up to an extra $1 million to fund their NYC teams.

There was a fresh push earlier this year for the NRL to bring back a national competition for the 2026 Telstra Premiership as part of the ARL Commission’s grassroots strategy for “vertical integration” with player development.

But well-placed sources say a 17-team national competition for 2026 is dead and buried and unlikely to be revisited during the current broadcast cycle, which ends in 2027.

“It won’t happen for at least two years,” an NRL club official told Code Sports of the NPC proposal.

“There is talk reserve grade and a youth league is dead.

“But from 2028 onwards it might happen until the NRL’s TV rights deal.

“I don’t think there will be any movement on the current structure until the new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) is sorted out.”

Instead, the NSW clubs will continue with their Jersey Flegg competition, with Melbourne also set to join the NSW Cup next season to give the Storm a reserve-grade outfit bolstered by their Academy system.

With the Broncos, Titans, Cowboys and Dolphins facing being left out in the cold, the four Queensland clubs set up a mini-league - called NRLQ - earlier this year to help develop their next generation of stars.

It’s understood the NRLQ will feature on expanded competition next season of up to 15 rounds following the decision to put an under-21s National Youth Competition on the backburner.

With Perth to join the NRL in 2027, the Bears have established feeder-club ties with Brisbane Tigers and the expansion newcomers are keen to field a team in the NRLQ.

“Our ambition would be to have a team in the NRLQ,” said Bears recruitment boss Dane Campbell.

“We would love to have a team in the NRLQ series, but there’s some reality around what it could cost to service as well.”

Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie added: “We would definitely be interested to be involved into the future (with the NRLQ) but it will be too difficult to organise initially next year.

“We believe as we become more sophisticated with our elite programs it will be an important part of our plans.

“This can lead into having our own teams playing out of Perth.”

Earlier this week, the club announced it would join forces with the North Sydney Bears in the NSWRL, where a NSW Cup, SG Ball (under-19s) and Harold Matthews Cup (under-17s) sides are already established.

The current youth leagues are split by state, with NSW teams playing in the Jersey Flegg competition. Picture: Wests Tigers

The only missing piece is at the under-21s level, and joining the NRLQ will help fill the void.

Cowboys football boss Micheal Luck said in July the NRLQ has been a handy development tool for the Queensland clubs.

“We’re really happy with the opportunity it’s given our young players,” he said.

“It’s been amazing for us up here to be able to play our emerging kids together in a Cowboys jersey against good quality opposition every week.

“It lets them play our patterns and our structures and gives our NRL coaching staff a look at those guys in a Cowboys jersey, rather than going back to local park football.”

Asked if the NRLQ will continue next year, Luck said: “Without speaking for the other three clubs involved, we’re very happy with it and very hopeful that it will continue.

“Hopefully it will be in an extended format so they get to play more games.”

As well as the Perth Bears, its expected fledgling franchise PNG Chiefs, who will join the NRL in 2028, will also have an under-21s side in the NRLQ as part of its pathways. Adding a Fijian side has also been discussed.

It’s understood running Jersey Flegg and NRLQ as two separate competitions is the favoured approach by clubs, as it is seen as far more cost effective than a national under-21s system.

The future viability of a national under-21s competition, however, will ultimately depend on the success of the NRLQ.

ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has also been a strident fan of bringing back an NRL reserve grade, but any notion of a three-grade system may not be realised until the code’s new TV rights deal for 2028 and beyond.

Originally published as NRL delays plans to revive National Youth Competition in favour of current dual-league format