Western Force and Melbourne Rebels needs more ARU help - NEWS.com.au

Melbourne Rebels need more help so they can nurture players, not just rely on imported stars such as James O'Connor. Source: Getty Images

THE way rugby union and AFL have nurtured their new teams and territories is a lesson which reflects poorly on rugby.

That Melbourne Rebels (13th) and Perth's Western Force (12th) have settled near the tail of Super Rugby after seven rounds does not surprise.

The Force (2006) and Rebels (2011) hit the stage amid great fanfare but the major problem both teams face is as significant today as it was at birth.

Neither city is a player producer. They can lure a big-name players or two as the Force (Matt Giteau, Nathan Sharpe and Drew Mitchell) did and the Rebels have with their current trio (James O'Connor, Scott Higginbotham and Kurtley Beale).

So many in the supporting casts at both clubs are hopeful grabs at lesser lights, cast-offs, young hopefuls or older heads just short of influential class.

I asked a Rebels official last year why there weren't billboards of James O'Connor in Melbourne to promote the cause. No money was the reason.

You can't imagine the AFL baulking at another Gary Ablett poster on the Gold Coast. The concessions, the draft advantages to build quality player stocks, the financial support ... the input is vast from the peak body.

Good on the Gold Coast Suns for smacking St Kilda on the weekend. The vibrant, young Suns player mix is a base for ongoing success.

The Australian Rugby Union dishes out $4 million-plus annually to the Rebels and Force to fund their player contracts as they do for the big three Super Rugby sides.

But where is something meaningful as a player pipeline for the battlers like nourishing the Rebels and Force with a preferential pick of Australian under-20 players? Dare we speak the equalising "draft" word.

Don't mistake this as a rant about punting one of the poorly performing teams.

Both are vital to the health of Australian rugby when they can find or nurture players like Nick Phipps, Angus Cottrell, Paul Alo-Emile, Luke Jones, Cadeyrn Neville, Hugh Pyle, Richard Brown, David Pocock, Ben McCalman, Nick Cummins and others.

What you want to see is a play-off future for both and the ARU doing more by at least embracing the idea there is an issue that needs brainpower thrown at it.