Polynesian Kids Not The Problem | Thebigtip

Debate has begun over whether children should be playing junior football alongside kids their own age or kids their own weight. The All Schools rugby league competition begins this week with officials trialling the weight-for-age format in an effort to curb the seemingly unfair size difference between some players.

It seems this is an obvious attempt at stopping the ever growing threat of Polynesian boys dominating the junior and school systems.

The fact is it doesn’t matter what colour your skin is, there is always going to be bigger than average kids in any form of football. It is part and parcel of playing rugby league.

Mark Riddell believes this new concept will work.

“Seriously through, this is a great concept that will keep youngsters interested in playing longer and attract more kids to the sport”.

“One of the under-13 sides I watch at Glenmore Park is extremely impressive. Their best player is a huge islander boy who normally scores six or seven tries a game” Riddell said in his Sydney Morning Herald article.

“The Polynesian lads are just so much bigger and more developed at the same age. This has been a challenge for league officials for a long time”.

Some sort of compromise needs to happen.

Kids between the ages of six and twelve simply play the game because its fun. They watch the Johnathan Thurston’s and Billy Slater’s on a Friday night and go out on a Saturday morning and run around just like their heroes.

If weight-for-age was to come in, it should only happen from the Under 6’s through to the Under 12’s. From then on it becomes a little more competitive and the kids are now thinking about winning premierships and their own weekly performances.

The system in place now works because it prepares these players for what could possibly be a transition into development squads, Harold Matthews and SG Ball.

Every little step moulds the future stars.

Would Thurston or Slater be the players they are today without playing against much bigger opponents in their juniors? The short answer is no.

They are the enigmatic superstars we love because of their ability to evade much bigger and stronger opponents. They thrive under the pressure of monsters breathing down on them and changing a match with a touch of brilliance. Almost always making these monsters look like fools.

Another problem which lurks in the weight-for-age format is the fact that some of these bigger kids may be stronger physically, but still haven’t development mentally.

If your son is eighty kilograms at fourteen, does that mean he has to play against eighty kilogram eighteen year olds? It makes no sense.

Ask yourself who the toughest players in the National Rugby League are and you will surprise yourself.

Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith, Thurston and Slater.

They are the toughest because they were brought up that way. They played against the big boys and they won. Don’t make our kids softer.