{ ...lots of stuff in post #1239.....a fair bit about the value in NZ sides other than AW and FF }
Despite what Declan might say (and he's also said many times how good he was for producing lots of age group reps in the past), many of our current Ferns are playing overseas because of that experience they gained. If you think they have stepped up to that level by playing games against dannivrke wanderers you need to think again. The benefit here is seeing what the rest of the world is like and knowing what needs to be done to step up to that.
I jus had a look at the 2013 U20 WC squad....Tuiloma, Howieson, Boyd, Payne, Watson, Fenton, Gulley, Thomas, (and Jesse Edge coincidentally). It's a regular who's who of both this Kiwis overseas section and the Nix transfer speculation threads. They didn't all turn up in these forums by playing Cap 1.
And while some Ole kids (and Phoenix Academy and others) are getting gigs overseas, there are plenty that get those gigs on the back of age group WC performances.
Like who?
Payne, Brotherton, Dyer, Musa, Tuiloma, Woud, Mitchell, Bevan, etc etc in recent years alone
Payne - pretty sure it was an association with Ryan Nelsen (family connection?) that got him to Blackburn.
Brotherton - went to a USA college. Some contact there got him a trial at Sunderland. Those US connections I'm sure got him back stateside into USL.
Dyer - 3rd division Norway. If underage NZ representation helped with that fair enough.
Musa - Nelsen helped him get to Fulham (Olympics team mates?). Can't remember how he got to the USL. May have been through U20's but don't think so.
Tuiloma - yipe definitely spotted at U20 WC by someone. Had trialled with QPR, post that, and Joey Barton of all people recommended him to OM.
Woud - signed by Sunderland in 2016. Had been at U17 WC in 2015. So yes seems reasonable signed off that.
Mitchell - I thought it was some family or Central United connection, that got him to Serbia for his first pro gig.
Bevan - nah, it was Nike Academy that set him on the pro path. He signed with Vancouver before 2017 U20 WC. Where is he now?
So a real mixed bag. Some for sure spotted at an underage WC, but most having other channels.
So is it worth NZF spending millions on all these underage teams & tourneys - draining the coffers at the detriment of a quality AWs programme?
I don't know. But to me it deserves some debate.
Chris Wood has been banging in goals in the world's most high profile football league, for the last two seasons. But it all happens about 2-5am NZ time. Over that same period he's played 20 mins of football in NZ. Think about that. Fudgeing sharkhouse really. A huge missed opportunity for football to grow it's profile in NZ.
It's sort of the 1980's all over again, and that complete failure to build on 1982.
Again hopefully an AFC/OFC Nations League happens - but unless it does.....................it's sharkhouse forever.
