Watch: GPS and private school talent scouts headhunting junior league stars

Some of the state’s best up-and-coming rugby league stars have been headhunted to play rugby for prestigious private schools. See our exclusive highlights package of the schoolboys destined for the NRL.

Local junior rugby league games and schoolboy tournaments are now a rich breeding ground for GPS and elite private schools that are scouting talent directly at the source.

Some of the NRL’s best rising prospects are being recruited, and offered scholarships, by prestigious independent schools to join rugby union programs.

Fees at some of the top schools can run close to $45,000 per year for senior students, and boarding fees can be as high as $30,000 per year on top of tuition fees.

At the Wests Tigers, rising powerhouse centre Heamasi Makasini, talented playmaker Onitoni Large and his younger brother and Ashton are enrolled into Newington College and Scots College, respectively.

Ashton and Onitoni were offered the chance to attend the GPS school on scholarships after being identified by rugby scouts playing for their local junior rugby league club, Campbelltown City Kangaroos.

Tigers development manager Shannon Gallant said the growing trend was a testament to the strength of rugby league talent, particularly in Sydney’s west.

“The best talent is in rugby league,” Gallant said.

“We are blessed with quite a bit of talent in our game, especially out west. And those schools are starting to identify that talent.

“The schools want to build successful and competitive rugby programs, so it makes sense to be shifting some of their focus to league players.”

It has been a long held view that NRL clubs had been actively placing its junior representative pathways talent into prestigious private schools as part of contract arrangements.

And that the recruitment of young talent was heavily skewed to rugby league scouts poaching GPS talent to NRL clubs.

One CEO of a western Sydney club said that was no longer the case.

“There was a time when league scouts were identifying NRL talent through GPS and other rugby tournaments,” he said.

Some of rugby league's hottest young stars are learning their trade at private schools.

“But now, yes, there is a growing trend of rugby union scouts identifying league players for their own programs. It’s happening the other way now.

“So the perceived influx of league players into the GPS system is not necessarily happening because NRL clubs are helping get players into those schools.

“It’s because the schools want the league talent.”

NRL clubs are aware of the growing trend of GPS, and other elite private schools, recruiting league talent in a bid to bolster their First XV credentials.

But it is not seen as a threat to junior representative pathways in the NRL, which begin at the Harold Matthews (under-17s) level.

NRL clubs remain confident the development opportunities in rugby league far outweigh those in Super Rugby, and that students recruited into these schools harbour the same view.

The most recent class of rugby union schoolboys to graduate into the NRL, rather than Super Rugby, include Isaiya Kotoa (Barker College), Panthers brothers Jesse and Casey McLean (Newington) and Roosters rookie Blake Steep (Scots College).

“Obviously, the priority for prestigious private schools is to build a successful and competitive rugby union program,” Gallant said.

“I do still believe they are trying to give rugby union the best opportunity to develop talent and it’s on rugby union pathways beyond schooling to take advantage of that.

“But if we, and other NRL clubs, do our job early enough and good enough, the players know that rugby league is a more viable option.”

While most NRL clubs are not seeking out scholarships for its players, other clubs like the Sydney Roosters have had to build relationships with GPS and elite private schools out of necessity, and geography.

The Bondi club’s local nursery is small in comparison to other NRL powerhouse clubs like Penrith and consists only of three junior clubs – Bondi United, Paddington Colts and Clovelly Crocodiles.

But it is also home to elite independent schools like Scots College, Cranbrook School and Waverley College.

Steep, who made his NRL debut this year, is one of around 30 junior representative players contracted to the Roosters who either attended, or still attends, private rugby union schools.

Roosters general manager of football programs Craig Walker said the club’s relationship with rugby schools has been mutually beneficial.

“I do think some private schools are now prolific in identifying league talent, they are working hard in that space,” Walker said.

“But unlike other clubs, we only have rugby union schools in our region. There aren’t any league schools like Patrician Brothers Blacktown or De La Salle College.

“So for the Roosters, we have worked hard to build relationships with rugby schools.”

Gallant, and the Tigers, also work closely with both Newington and Scots College and believe the scholarships transcend the sporting field, giving the players access to a world-class education.

“We’re in constant contact, to manage their work and training loads to ensure we do the best by their development in terms of league and union,” Gallant said.

“Both the clubs and the schools are investing a lot of time and resources into the players.

“Parents also see it as an opportunity to give their kids the chance of a great education, and to have a school like Newington or Scots College on their resume is invaluable.

“That’s why the club will always support a player’s choice to play rugby at one of these schools.”

But both Gallant and Walker agree that while players might be playing schoolboy rugby in GPS and other elite tournaments, the youngsters are league players first.

“These are league kids going to rugby schools,” Walker said.

“They might play rugby union for a while, but they are rugby league kids first.”

Originally published as Watch: GPS and private school talent scouts headhunting junior league stars