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There is good money and life-enhancing experiences on offer for players, even if they never reach the NRL
By Gavin Willacy for No Helmets Required
Before he scored for Newcastle Knights on his NRL debut last month, you might have been wondering what had happened to Will Pryce. Or Lewis Murphy or Riley Dean. Morgan Smithies and Kai Pearce-Paul made an immediate impact when they moved to Australia, joining half a dozen or so other Brits who are competing every week in the biggest rugby league competition in the world, but other players are plugging away in Australia’s second tier, trying to claw their way through a clogged-up talent pathway to the top.
Clubs whose best players will be starring for Queensland and New South Wales in the State of Origin decider on Wednesday will be reaching into their deep pockets for replacements. The domino effect may give a life-changing opportunity to British players further down the NRL food chain in the second-tier state cups.