Diary Of An Aotearoa Warriors Fan: Small Sample Of New Pathways
The 2020 rugby league season marked a cheeky shift in how the junior pathways of Aotearoa Warriors were structured and as those changes were made during 2019, I had highlighted a fair amount of intrigue as to how things would play out this year. As we all know, the rugby league season was swept up in the pando and we were only graced with one round of reserve grade (Canterbury Cup), with one team list to suss out.
In creating an SG Ball group though, led by coach Greg Boulous and featuring assistance from Slade Griffin (Storm, Knights, Kiwis), the Warrior SG Ball team did get through a fair amount of footy as their season rolls from summer into the start of the NRL season. Remember SG Ball is Under 18s and to set the scene, here is a basic layout of the Warriors pathway changes...
2019
Future Warriors - Under 16ish.
Jersey Flegg - Under 20.
Canterbury Cup - Reserve Grade.
NRL.
2020
Future Warriors - Under 16ish.
SG Ball - Under 18.
Canterbury Cup - Reserve Grade.
NRL.
The Warriors had previously relied on Under 20s to prepare players for NRL footy and there was a period - during the Warriors Under 20s dynasty - in which there was a vibe of the Warriors thinking that the best method was a hard and fast transition form Under 20s into NRL. Obviously that's bit weird and I'd suggest that this method resulted in numerous players failing to settle into the NRL with the Warriors or with Australian clubs.
Slowly this moved into a greater emphasis on reserve grade. Part of this process saw the Under 20s become a much younger group, with the best Flegg players sliding into reserve grade. This year marked a significant shift and after the last decade or so saw a slow but steady move to skew younger, the climax was deleting the Jersey Flegg team. Another factor here could be a change in ownership and/or a desire to generally invest resources more efficiently as operating an SG Ball team is a lot cheaper than a Flegg team; SG Ball season is half as long as Flegg.
I view this as a combination of both factors and a nifty decision. What I was intrigued about was the hole left my deleting the Flegg team as many players would be too old for SG Ball, but still Flegg eligible and they could either be playing Auckland club footy or in Canterbury Cup. This obviously had me low key fizzing to see the team lists for Auckland club footy as I had a feeling that there could be a bunch of notable names popping up around Auckland clubs - primarily the wealthier clubs who have cosy relationships with the Warriors.
Unfortunately, Auckland club footy ain't going to offer such insights with the whole pando situation and I can't offer insights on that. As far as SG Ball footy went prior to the lockdown, the Warriors are/finished 3rd, with a record of 4-2 and it doesn't appear as though we will get around to any Future Warriors fixtures this year although I'll keep an eye on this. It's tricky to come to any grand conclusions about the SG Ball team or players, other than highlighting the halfback Sione Moala and hooker Taniela Otukolo were consistently in the Flegg team list year and then led the SG Ball team this year.
That's a sign of the strategy with the Flegg team last year, obviously with an eye on the changes made for 2020 - the Under 20s team had players who are still Under 18 eligible the following year. Of the SG Ball footy I did see, there are some interest prospects in the SG Ball group who all look like natural ballers and we obviously have to wait and see who emerges from this group.
Strangely enough, I shared all of my annual Warriors Recruitment explorations a few days ago and the 2015 version blew up. I reckon most people didn't bother to see when it was written as most of the comments were about how shitty the Warriors are right now, which was kinda funny. Nonetheless, if I were to offer a small nugget along those lines right now, I do believe the Warriors junior recruitment and development stuff is super healthy.
The Warriors do not have first pick of the talent in Aotearoa and anyone who tells you that, is a fool. All NRL clubs pour scouts into Aotearoa and it's far more even that casual folk believe, however I do like the changes made by the Warriors and the talent they are scouting at Under 16/18 levels. I won't single out SG Ball players, I'd merely suggest that moves to cast the net wider throughout Aotearoa and establish stronger links to the regions (Rotorua for example), along with the structure and coaching of the junior ranks is a hefty improvement.
What we got in the only Canterbury Cup team list, was to be expected as the reserve grade team looked far younger than in previous years. Most, if not all of the older fringe/NRL players from previous years were gone with Leivaha Pulu the only legit experienced player and he ended up earning Canterbury Cup Team of the Week selection for round one as an edge forward. Although, the Warriors NRL stocks were depleted and a few reserve grade lads moved up to the NRL group.
Selestino Ravutaumada, Paul Turner, Temple Kalepo, Tom Ale, Tyler Slade, Sean Mullany, Jyris Glamuzina and Isaiah Vagana were all named in Canterbury Cup after being part of the Jersey Flegg team last year. Guys like Turner, Slade and Mullany spent much of the season in reserve grade last year as well, but all of that group played Flegg at some point in 2019.
The depth at hooker has seen an early shift for Slade as he was named to start at lock, with Kalepo and Mullany sharing the hooking duties after Slade appeared to be groomed for a future hooking role. Slade is super similar to Jazz Tevaga, maybe less funky with how he runs the footy and with such dynamic dummy half runners in Kalepo and Otukolo, with Mullany's all-round game, there isn't much need for Slade or Tevaga to be operating as hookers moving forward.
Glamuzina and Vagana offer more middle forward depth, named alongside Adam Tuimavave-Gerrard and Preston Riki who were both Canterbury Cup soldiers last year. If you ask any Warriors fan what kinda player they want, a sexy middle forward is the go-to option and this is understandable given the lack of oomph up the guts in recent times. We did however see Eliesa Katoa emerge as the Warriors 2020 MVP and his development should offer encouragement when pondering the potential of Glamuzina, Vagana, Tuimavave-Gerrard and Riki.
Regardless what you want to believe, the Warriors have enticing talent at Mt Smart and while I believe the Warriors NRL team was as bad as they've ever been in the two games of 2020, that came with some development players making good impressions. That leaves me eager to see how those middle forwards development, especially with a powerful runner like Tom Ale named as well. The Warriors website also lists Michael Lemafa and Neyla Masima as part of the wider Canterbury Cup squad, both of whom played Flegg last year and have similar pedigree to Glamuzina and Vagana.
All of which leaves me optimistic about what will emerge from the lower ranks in the coming seasons. I've documented how the Warriors have moved away from signing all sorts of players to being a development club and that's already happened, yet there is more wiggle room here as well considering that the club may pivot towards this younger group soon-ish. There are forwards in the Warriors who can be factors moving forward, they just can't help the NRL team right now.
The other notable selection was Rocco Berry at fullback and this was Berry's first taste of Warriors footy haivng being recruited out of St Patrick's Silverstream 1st 15 in Wellington. Berry was signed last year and was a point of interest considering what usually happens when the Warriors sign a 1st 15 player is that they'll roll through the grades; can play Flegg straight out of high school. With no Flegg team, players like Berry who are plucked from 1st 15 rugby can either play Auckland club footy or straight into Canterbury Cup.
Straight into Canterbury Cup is a big jump and that's a minor downside to deleting the Flegg team, although diving into the deep end is always a good way of learning. This highlights something else as the Warriors tend to have league players in their lower ranks who also play 1st 15 rugby (because 1st 15 rugby schools scout league talent) and any players who strictly play union will probably move to the Warriors after school.
Berry and Masima were both recruited from St Pat's Silverstream. This isn't quite at the extent of the Rotorua Boys High School connection (Hayze Perham, Ravutaumada, Ale and a few Future Warriors/SG Ball lads), but it is some level of connection to a school. Other school connections are more by coincidence as the wealthy schools in Auckland generally have the best talent, the non-Auckland links reinforce the idea of the Warriors spreading their tentacles further and deeper.
From that small sample size of 2020, it's clear the Warriors have skewed their focus at a younger age-group. That was clear last year with how the system was being built and getting certain coaches involved, then reinforced with the players involved in Canterbury Cup footy this year. None of which helps the Warriors NRL team right now, yet I'm still of the belief that this pivot to establish development pathways will snow-ball soon enough.
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Peace and love 27.