NRL NT official Nigel Roy wants a Northern Territory team to again compete in the Queensland-based under-16 Cyril Connell and under-18 Mel Meninga cups.

The Territory Titans were last involved in those rugby league competitions in 2010, leaving promising prospects without a regular opportunity since to test themselves against stronger opposition.

Roy, 41, played in the NRL for Illawarra Steelers, North Sydney Bears and Northern Eagles and is now NRL NT’s competitions co-ordinator.

“As far as developing pathways for our local talent in the Northern Territory, participation in the Cyril Connell Cup and Mal Meninga Cup would be an enormous step forward,” he said.

“We could get ourselves established over a number of years with our 16s and 18s, leading into participation into a second-tier competition (like the Queensland Cup).”

Roy said he hoped Territory rugby league’s lack of pathway options was on the mind of the NRL’s new head of game strategy and development, Shane Richardson.

He estimated annual costs of about $200,000 for each junior side in the Queensland competitions, but said they would rocket to $1 million-plus to enter a squad in the Queensland Cup.

The latter is comparable to Australian Rules football club NT Thunder’s involvement in the NEAFL, a competition that involves Queensland, New South Wales and ACT teams.

The NT Government tips in $200,000 towards Thunder’s annual fees as part of its National and International Competition Incentive program.

That dwarfs the contributions to other Territory sports in national competitions, including hockey ($75,000), netball and cricket ($50,000), and soccer ($15,000).

Territory Sports Minister Gary Higgins said funding applications were assessed based on level of competition, costs incurred, and community and sporting benefit.

“NT Thunder has proven a strong team in the NEAFL competition and is worthy of the investment into its operation,” Higgins said.

“Most noteworthy is the team is truly representative across the Territory and therefore is an aspirational goal for young footballers throughout the communities — urban, rural and remote.”

Higgins also noted the longer length of Thunder’s NEAFL campaign in comparison to the brief season or tournament of the equivalent hockey, netball, cricket and soccer competitions.

It would be the same case if the Territory again had a Cyril Connell Cup and/or Mal Meninga Cup presence.

This year’s Connell Cup ran from February 28 to May 17, with players then returning to their local clubs to play.

“I believe we’ve got sufficient talent in the Territory to be very competitive and quite successful in that competition,” Roy said.

“What it does do is it eliminates the need for those developing 16 and 18 year olds to leave the Territory to go to bigger population centres … to get exposure to a higher level of competition.”

Barry Bamford, who was the Darwin or Territory rugby league chairman — and sometimes both — between 1980 and 1995, backed Roy’s call for greater opportunity for young players.

“Rugby league has a terrific system at the NTIS here and it’s developed a lot of kids, but there is not enough opportunity to use what they learn regularly enough,” Bamford said.

“If you’re playing a competition you can see where you’re going and how you’re looking and how the guys are developing.

“They’ve got to be given more opportunities — no doubt about it.”

Originally published as Push to revive Titans on big stage