Brent Read
July 15, 2006
THE ink had barely dried on Clinton Schifcofske's contract with the Queensland Reds this week when Canberra officials began talking about next year and a young fullback from north of the border.
Just in case you missed it, his name is William Zillman and, from all accounts, he is something special. So special in fact, the Reds tried to sign him only to miss out when he agreed to stay with the Raiders for a further three years.
Schifcofske's absence will be felt in the nation's capital, for his leadership and experience as much as his ability, but time has taught Canberra officials to look forward, not back.
It's a formula the club has adopted since its inception in 1982. Over the past 24 years, the Raiders have signed few names -- Mal Meninga was a Test player when he joined Canberra in 1982 while Ricky Stuart was a rugby union international when he crossed codes in 1988. But those two aside, Canberra has traditionally relied on its local production line augmented by young players looking for an opportunity.
Generally the Raiders have failed to lure the big fish to Canberra, and it is that inability to attract players which has prompted people to question whether the club has a future. Where the Raiders were once the biggest ticket in town, they now share the limelight -- and corporate dollar -- with Super 14's ACT Brumbies.
The situation has led to Canberra chairman John McIntyre calling for dispensation for clubs such as Canberra, who rely on breeding rather than buying. Schifcofske's decision reignited those calls this week.
"I am talking about giving clubs that develop their own juniors some opportunity to keep them," McIntyre said.
"Unfortunately the emphasis seems to be placed on helping clubs that don't have juniors."
The NRL has a salary-cap exemption for players who have spent their careers at one club but McIntyre, whose father Les was the founding chairman of the club, believes it is not enough.
"For salary cap reasons, from time to time, players are let go for salary-cap reasons," he said. "If we had an allowance for players we develop we wouldn't have to let those fellows go. That's where the AFL has got it over us."
Even so, McIntyre bristles when managers and players use Canberra's weather as an excuse for not joining the club.
"They (managers) talk in one breath about everybody wanting to play along the seaboard, but if they can't get the dough they want they go to England," he said.
The weather may not be to blame but there is no escaping the fact that where once Canberra churned out representative players and premierships like politicians, the well has run dry in recent years.
It's been six years since Canberra produced an Australian international -- Jason Croker was the last in 2000 -- and 12 years since the once-mighty Green Machine won a grand final.
This year they had Schifcofske and Adam Mogg in the Queensland side and both are leaving at season's end, although Canberra officials are trying to talk Mogg out of following through on his agreement to play with Les Catalans in the south of France
Reason for concern perhaps? "It's not doom and gloom," Meninga, who is still a Raiders director, said. "It's the old adage -- one player leaves and another comes along. William Zillman is a great example."
Zillman is only one reason why Canberra officials remain confident they still have a future in the nation's capital. Halfback Todd Carney is starting to mature into a quality first-grader and Thom Learoyd-Lahrs has been an outstanding success since joining the club from Brisbane.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 40,00.html
Some interesting points.
Could you imagine the size of our playing roster if we had dispensation for producing local juniors!!!
