Former Wallaby Mat Rogers has warned Australia will soon become a tier-two nation unless serious changes are made by senior officials.
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The comments come in the wake of the Wallabies shock 22-15 loss to Fiji at the World Cup on Monday morning. The side must now beat Wales next week to have any hope of progressing to the quarter-finals.
Rogers played through the nation's golden years and lamented rugby's decline in the past two decades.
While the loss to Fiji may seem like rock bottom, the retired back warned things will continue to get worse unless Rugby Australia officials overhaul the sport.
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"We'll be a tier-two nation [if nothing changes]," Rogers said. "That's what will happen. We're different to South Africa or New Zealand, rugby isn't the main sport. We're the third poor cousin of two monster sports in this country that take all the talent.
"To think we should have more [Super Rugby] teams and we'll get the players, you won't get the players. There's not enough good players at this level. They need to go back to three teams and they need to develop a better grassroots program that can bring players through.
"They need a better retention policy to stop losing the good juniors to rugby league. There's plenty of us, if the pathway was right, we would never have left."
![Wallabies lock Nick Frost is dejected following Australia's loss to Fiji. Picture Getty Images Wallabies lock Nick Frost is dejected following Australia's loss to Fiji. Picture Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/8aa8a729-4a13-4fe8-9d70-d1052444e36b.jpg/r0_105_3925_2312_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The future of professional rugby became a contentious topic last month when Rugby Australia unveiled plans to centralise the elite game and take control of the five Super Rugby franchises.
The move instantly triggered fears the Brumbies could be relocated or disbanded, reopening old wounds from the axing of the Western Force in 2017.
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has previously said Australia's talent is spread too thin. The issues, however, are not confined to the elite level and there is acceptance the grassroots and pathways require an overhaul.
RA has sold centralisation as a way to free the states to focus on grassroots and participation, thus broadening the player base and ensuring those coming through are nurtured at a young age.
As a rugby league and union player agent, Rogers sees firsthand the way the two sports attract junior talent and is not shocked most teenagers choose the NRL.
So while luring Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i back to rugby on a multi-million dollar contract is a great headline, it's not a sustainable model. Instead, RA officials must focus on retaining the teenagers before rugby league clubs pounce.
"They need a centralised program that identifies talent," Rogers said. "It's going to cost money and they've got to be prepared to spend it to get the model right.
"You're not going to pick the right kids all the time, you've got to be prepared to burn cash doing it, but if you can hold on to kids coming through you at least have the chance to see what they can do."
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