By Jonathan B Geddes

BRETT Papworth, one of rugby’s most respected voices, says Australia’s current development programs aren’t working and that our rising stars should be playing in club competitions like the Shute Shield and Hospital Cup.

He said Shute Shield coaches like John Manenti, Ben Batger, Josh Holmes and Zak Beer are well equipped to develop the next generation of stars. And, in fact, they are already doing that.

“I think there is plenty of evidence that the way we have structured our player development over 20 years plus is flawed because our world ranking in that time has gradually slipped,” Papworth told Rugby News. “I would argue that our system doesn’t work and I have been saying so for a long time.

“We have these development academies, and we don’t develop players.

“The Waratahs, Reds and Brumbies pick these kids in training academies, and that’s all they do.”

THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH

NOBODY has a better understanding of the Australian rugby landscape than Papworth, the former Wallaby, ABC commentator and Eastwood president since 2007 who was recently made a life member of the Sydney Rugby Union.

He said club competitions like the Shute Shield and Hospital Cup are where young players gain their confidence as elite footballers.

“Players learn and develop best by doing things that are difficult – like cold nights at training where you’ve got to pack down in second grade against first grade,” he said.

“You think you are a half-decent player and you go to Rat Park or Woollahra and get beaten by 40 – and you think, ‘hold on a minute’. 

“We don’t put them through that – we put them on pristine ovals at nine o’clock on a Monday morning and make them go to the gym and do the fitness work.”

Rugby News has been told one story of a promising player who has been gaining experience playing a lot of minutes for his Shute Shield club this season. But he was called “selfish” when he turned up to academy training on Monday morning because he was battered and bruised from his weekend game.

What an invaluable lesson it would be for a young forward playing against a West Harbour side that included Pete Samu or taking on a Manly pack with Cadeyrn Neville.

“Before a kid’s got his confidence dominating first grade, he’s playing for the Waratahs,” Papworth said. 

“Our goal has to be that we can compete with South Africa and New Zealand again. Well, I am telling you now that you are not winning the Bledisloe with a bunch of gifted 19-year-olds.

“You need guys who have had 10 years of grade footy or state footy and been bashed around, learnt their lessons and are resilient. They are the guys who are confident that no matter what comes at them, they can physically and mentally stand up.”           

NO RING OF CONFIDENCE AROUND N0.10

THE former Test No.10 expressed his frustration at the treatment of up-and-coming Australian five-eighths in the wake of Scott Bowen’s imminent departure overseas after his contentious release from the Waratahs.

Papworth said the Wallabies have churned through players over the past four or five years in “their endless search for a quality 10”.

“The Waratahs have to a degree been the same, they have not been able to settle on someone and build confidence,” he said.

He said the greatest thing a key position player can have is that confidence.

“They can’t go out on the field every week feeling on edge, that if they make an error they will not be in the team next week,” he said. “That is not development, that just hinders development.

“You cannot beat the All Blacks in a Bledisloe if you are worried about your spot next week.”

Papworth said Bowen was a brilliant young player and at Woollahra Oval he and Easts halves partner Teddy Wilson carve teams up.

“His confidence at that level is enormous,” he said.

“So, what we do is pick him some weeks, not pick him other weeks; we tell him he’s got to work on this, tell him he’s got to work on that, send him back to Woollahra, pick him on the bench and then tell him we don’t want him.”

He said decisions should be taken in the best long-term interests of the game.

“Let’s develop him (Bowen), we said we’d develop him when we signed him,” Papworth said.

“You know what will happen with Jack Bowen? He will go and become a star wherever he is and we will pick him from overseas.”