Let’s be clear. Nothing should stand in the way of a young Australian rugby player taking up the offer of a professional contract overseas – particularly in light of yesterday’s confirmation from the ARU that they are ‘discontinuing’ the Super Rugby licence held by the Western Force.

With the regular season over and finals footy kicking-off this weekend, Behind the Ruck took the chance to look back across the 18 rounds that got us to this point, and wondered how a team’s discipline, or lack of it, affected it’s ladder position – if at all. While there are some anomalies, the results do seem to indicate a

You’re 24-years-old. You’re enjoying your best and most consistent season of footy so far. You’ve just played a pivotal role in helping your club side lift their first Shute Shield Premiership in 41 years, and your new NRC team – coached by the same guy that orchestrated said Premiership – are flying high at the top of the 2016 competition after three rounds.