Why Smith is hesitant to support NYC return

Rugby league great Cameron Smith has rubbished reported plans to revive the NRL’s National Youth Competition, instead advocating for a true reserve grade across the country.

His comments come after it was reported the NRL was investigating plans to revive the extinct NYC by 2026 after it was axed at the end of the 2017 season because of concerns surrounding the cost of the under-20s league as well as other issues including player welfare.

If the NYC returns, it is believed it will return as an under-21s competition and be a curtain raiser option for NRL fixtures.

But Smith, who said it seemed like plans for the revival were a fair way down the track, was not a fan of the idea.

“I’m just not sure whether it’s the right thing to do though,” he said on The Captain’s Run with Cameron Smith.

“I must admit I didn’t think (under) 20s was the right competition to have as like a national comp below the NRL.

“I look back on the days where I was a young fella watching the NRL as a national competition and they had the reserve grad comp, the true reserve grade comp, so it was actually the players who were next in line to play first grade.

“So you go there as a curtain raiser game and you’d be watching guys who are on the fringe of playing first grade and they became regulars in your memory… and you watch their progression from reserve grade up into first grade.”

Smith’s co-host Denan Kemp said he believed the NRL needing more content for their next broadcast deal was a main factor behind the plans.

“Clearly they need as much content to go to the networks for more money,” he said.

“Rugby league has become a 24-hour thing now… you can turn on the channel and watch rugby league at anytime now, they need to fill those channels up with content.

“I really do like that because the more content in rugby league, the better but, and a big but as well, the under-21s I don’t like.

“When we were coming through and you put that jersey on for the first time, it used to mean something.

“I think sometimes with the under-20s is they would walk around and they would travel like the first grade players and they would have the jerseys and a lot of players thought they had made it before they had.

“I think it was a lot of unnecessary pressure on these young guys.

“I agree with (Cameron), if you have a reserve grade national comp, think of how much that will increase the standard of the first grade competition because you’re keeping men and women engaged in the game that usually when you get to 22-years-old you think I haven’t made it yet.”

NewsCorp revealed earlier in the week, QRL boss Ben Ikin and Roosters coach Trent Robinson are part of a nine-person committee exploring the potential return of the NYC for the 2026 season.