In a bold new move to find the next superstars of rugby league, NRL talent scouts have switched their focus from the junior club scene to the nightclub scene.

“To be the best at rugby league you have to be the best at drinking, it’s as simple as that,” an NRL spokesperson said. “It makes total sense for us to flip our tactics and find the best drinkers first – we can focus on less important abilities, such as ball skills, later.”

The spokesperson added that he signed 170 future stars in just one night at the Coogee Bay Hotel and was even considering recruiting himself after realising he knocked back “60 or so rum and Cokes” in the process.