EXCLUSIVE: Phil Gould admits 'standard has dropped' in NSW Cup amid exiled NRL star's hot form

The form of Warriors star Te Maire Martin has shone a new light on the reserve grade competitions, as Phil Gould admits the "standard has dropped" in recent years.

Martin has been unable to crack the first grade team at the Warriors throughout the opening three rounds, but has starred at NSW Cup level.

Last weekend, the talented playmaker scored two tries and set up another four in a comprehensive 46-12 win over the Sydney Roosters.

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When asked this week if the Kiwi international was a class above at that level, Gould agreed before explaining why the Warriors would be reluctant to let him move on.

"Yeah, he is," the league expert said on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles With Gus.

"I watched a bit of the NSW Cup game the other day and Te Maire Martin scored the first couple of tries and was clearly too good for reserve grade.

"The genuine NRL player is too good for NSW Cup and the quality of that competition.

"There are probably a number of clubs that could benefit from him, but they've got no reason to let him go and if something was to happen to [Luke] Metcalf or Chanel Harris-Tavita, they've got a ready-made replacement.

"That's what a professional roster should look like."

Metcalf overcame a shaky start in Las Vegas to help orchestrate wins over the Sea Eagles and Roosters in the past fortnight, while Harris-Tavita has been solid in the No.6 jumper despite many calling for him to play the bench utility role.

Gould also examined the changing nature of the reserve grade format and explained why his own club Canterbury are utilising it for some of their future NRL players.

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"It has become a development grade," he said.

"This year at the Bulldogs, we will be using primarily for a lot of our younger players to get experience playing under-age football. Results won't matter to us, it will be about getting them time at the crease and developing future NRL players.

"It's the last testing ground and it's an important testing ground for NRL football, but the standard has dropped off appreciably over the decades.

"The gap is getting wider, which is something we've got to look at."

Heading into round four, the Bulldogs have selected very few players with first grade experience, with the likes of Jethro Rinakama and Joseph O'Neill vying for a debut.

Since taking over as coach, Cameron Ciraldo has called up the likes of Bailey Hayward and Jacob Preston, with both becoming regular NRL players after coming through the grades.

Over at the Dragons, their reserve grade line-up will include some of the best teenage players in the country, with Loko Pasifiki Tonga and Jacob Halangahu in the forwards.

Shane Flanagan has also shown his desire to reward youngsters who have earned their spot after serving an apprenticeship and biding their time below the top 17, as made evident by local juniors Hamish Stewart and Dylan Egan debuting in recent weeks.

Newtown have been the standard bearer in NSW Cup for the past half a decade and have developed a litany of players who have gone on to debut for the Sharks.

While it's a balancing act between results and development or youth and experience, Gould's comments prove that clubs are thinking long and hard about how they treat the reserve grade system, compared to how it may have been in days gone by.

The lack of a national youth competition has also muddied the waters, with Jersey Flegg now becoming a grade that most talented rookies skip on their way to the top.