Should Players Move Clubs to Progress in Rugby League Pathways? The Honest Truth Parents and Players Need to Understand
- John Fadel
- Mar 14
- 6 min read
Should Players Move Clubs to Progress in Rugby League Pathways — Understanding the Real Question
Should players move clubs to progress in rugby league?
This is a really important question because many parents are now starting to ask it more and more.
The narrative has changed. If you go back to the old days, the thinking was simple: you stayed loyal to your club. You were a one-club person.
But that thinking does not work anymore.
This is a business.
The sooner everyone understands that rugby league is a business, the sooner families realise that the decision must always come back to one thing:
What is best for the player.
People say all the time:
“I owe it to the club.”
Let me make this very clear.
When a club gives you an opportunity, that is fantastic. If a club is developing you and they want to keep you and they offer you something fair to continue developing you, then I love that.
To this day, when I negotiate for players, I still speak to the club they are currently at first and last before anything is finalised.
That is respect.
But you still owe nothing to the club.
You are in that team because you were good enough to make that team.
That is the reality.
Which brings us back to the real question:
What is best for my daughter?
What is best for me?
Will moving clubs improve her chances of making representative teams?
Will she get noticed if she leaves?
Are we being held back where we are?
And the most important thing to understand is this:
Your real team is the people guiding your future.
Your parents.
Your manager.
Your mindset.
Your development.
That is your team.
Your effort, mindset and attitude will always determine where you play.
If you are good enough, the focus becomes finding the club and coach that creates the best pathway to the NRLW.
Loyalty vs Development in Rugby League Pathways
Loyalty is a great value in life.
We emphasise loyalty through attitude, respect and mindset.
But the reality is simple:
Development must come first.
Players need to ask themselves:
Where am I right now?
How much work have I actually put in?
How far do I realistically want to go?
Is the current club valuing you?
Is the club developing you?
Or are there politics involved?
Because the reality right now is that politics do exist.
Sometimes players who are nowhere near good enough are selected because clubs want to keep them inside their system.
It happens.
And I wish more people would wake up and ask themselves the hard question:
If I don't make it, is it because I'm not good enough?
Or is it because I'm not thinking the right way?
Do I need to train harder?
Do I need to change my mindset?
Do I need to do extras?
When a player is good enough, it stops being about loyalty and starts being about one thing:
Which club is the best fit to move me closer to the NRLW pathway?
That is the dream.
Aim high.
Aim to represent your country.
And remember this:
Making the NRLW should only be one part of the bigger goal.
A player cannot sacrifice development purely for loyalty.
Staying loyal to a club that is not developing you is risky.
Players get promised captaincy.
Players get promised starting positions.
But if the development is not there, you are still stuck where you are.
And the harsh truth is:
The club will move on regardless.
Sometimes being guided by an experienced manager helps.
But the final decision must always be about what is best for the player.
Sensitive Truths About Junior Rugby League Development
One of my biggest frustrations is this:
Many clubs prioritise winning junior games instead of developing players.
In reality, most clubs still do this.
However, there is now a small number of clubs starting to focus on the future by prioritising development first.
And those clubs understand something important:
Development eventually wins games.
Some players also become too comfortable in their environment.
They have friends on the team.
They have people who support them when they have a bad game.
They have a social circle.
But comfort can become dangerous.
Sometimes loyalty becomes an excuse for avoiding harder challenges.
When players move to a new environment, nobody knows them.
They have to prove themselves again.
They have to work harder.
And that is exactly what development requires.
Development environments matter far more than loyalty.
Bad Coaching Environments in Rugby League Pathways
Not every coach is a development coach.
And not every development coach is actually a good coach.
Some coaches are fantastic people but lack technical knowledge.
Some coaches are great communicators who tell people what they want to hear just to keep their job.
Others focus purely on results.
Some coaches play favourites.
In fact, almost every coach has favourites.
And that is something that I personally dislike.
Players should earn their positions.
Some coaches also do not fully understand female athlete development.
Men's and women's rugby league are different.
Movement patterns are different.
Game speed is different.
Coaching systems must adapt.
Some environments reward size instead of skill.
But modern rugby league is changing.
Edge players must be fast enough to play centre.
Players must be lean, strong and explosive.
Fitness is now one of the most important attributes.
Skill comes after fitness.
Unfortunately, some clubs ignore proper fitness and technical training.
Some training sessions lack structure.
Some sessions are designed to look impressive rather than develop players.
I have seen players running up concrete hills thinking it improves fitness.
That kind of training damages knees and Achilles and increases injury risk.
Players should improve every year.
If players are not improving year after year, the development system is failing.
And sometimes that is when a move becomes necessary.
Does Moving Clubs Actually Help Rugby League Pathways?
Moving clubs can help if the new environment offers:
better coaching
stronger development structures
stronger competition
better training culture
better exposure to pathways
Players should look for clubs that demand standards.
Clubs where players arrive early.
Clubs where warm-ups are mandatory.
Clubs where training is competitive.
Clubs where teammates push each other.
But here is the harsh truth:
Changing clubs does not automatically improve the player.
Sometimes the problem is not the club.
Sometimes the player is the problem.
Attitude.
Effort.
Discipline.
Commitment.
Changing clubs will never fix poor habits.
When Moving Clubs Can Destroy Development
Moving clubs can actually harm development when players move for the wrong reasons.
Players move for exposure.
Players move because parents think they deserve more game time.
Players chase representative teams too early.
Players club-hop every season.
And while they are chasing opportunity, they are not fixing their habits.
They are not focused on training.
They are not building consistency.
They remain the same player.
Opportunity should come from development.
Not from chasing hype.
Culture vs Opportunity in Rugby League Pathways
Many parents chase the big club.
But the real question should be:
Is the environment right?
Does the coach develop players?
Is there discipline?
Is there accountability?
Sometimes smaller clubs produce better players because they focus more heavily on development.
Opportunity means nothing without culture.
Opportunity means nothing without standards.
Opportunity means nothing without development.
What Scouts Actually Look For in Rugby League Pathways
Scouts do not look for:
the biggest player
the player scoring the most tries
the player with the biggest social media following
Scouts look for:
work rate
effort off the ball
defensive commitment
fitness
attitude
coachability
Players who dominate weak teams often disappear against strong teams.
That is when scouts know the difference.
We always look at the quality of opposition before we judge the player.
Questions Parents Should Ask Before Moving Clubs
Parents should ask:
Is my daughter actually developing where she is?
Is the coach helping her improve?
Is the training environment structured?
Is the competition challenging her?
Sometimes the best decision is staying where you are and working harder.
Parents should be supportive, not controlling.
Parents are guides, not dictators.
Final Advice for Parents and Players
Moving clubs should always be about:
development
environment
coaching quality
long-term pathways
It should never be about:
ego
pressure
social comparison
hype
The goal is not to win junior games.
The goal is to build players capable of reaching the NRLW pathway.
My role has always been protecting players.
That means being honest.
Sometimes honesty means telling a player they need to work harder.
Fix their mindset.
Improve their training.
Build better habits.
Because the NRLW pathway requires players to earn every step.
So when you ask yourself, should players move clubs in rugby league? Think smarter in a way that would help your child rather than helping a club.
Lisa Fiola and Tasha Gale Cup pathways
female junior rugby league competitions
Most NRLW players progress through competitions like the Lisa Fiola and Tasha Gale Cup pathways.
Want to know Why I became a Player Agent? Click Here
Want to know if your getting ripped off for extra's? Click Here
Direct Links to import blogs:
NRLW PATHWAYS
Families who truly want to understand the NRLW pathway system should read our full breakdown of the NRLW pathways for female rugby league players.
CONTACT US at EXCEL Sports
Comments