Rugby league is set for big change in the coming years.
This is becomes IMG are set to re-imagine the sport and in the eyes of current players this is really important.
One of those is Huddersfield Giants young star Owen Trout.
The former Leeds Rhinos forward believes longer contracts no longer happen because of the uncertainty around the sport and its future with it being on “a downward slope.”
He said on Show Me The Money UK TV: “Back in the day people started signing long contracts whereas I feel now it’s not necessarily that the clubs don’t want to give them out, but it’s more so as a player you don’t have that faith in the sport.
“Especially like if it’s going to last five or six years because it’s on a downward slope, something needs to change and someone needs to change it. We can’t all be looking around to see who is going to change it.”
He went on to say that players need to be portrayed as “elite athletes”: “We need to start being seen as elite athletes, as a sport we seem to be crammed in as just a rugby player. We need to have player profiles pushed out, that’s when the media and Super League can help.
“Obviously Prycey got it a lot last year, so you go he’s going to be the face of Huddersfield Giants this year. Then each team gets a player and you push them and if it doesn’t work out so be it. It happens in the NRL all the time.”
He believes that these problems are why players like Will Pryce are leaving to the NRL: “Surely someone at Super League should think, ‘hang on we’ve had him (Will Pryce) and pushed him and then because our game is where it’s at, he’s looked elsewhere’.
“We shouldn’t as players be looking and listening to see if there are any NRL clubs coming in, it should be a case of being happy in Super League because it’s becoming prosperous and not on the decline.”
