What's the Answer for signing players a year out?

[Killer03]

WIth all of this recently with Merrin signing a year out, DCE shopping himself around etc etc. I wondered what people thought the answer to this was? Rugby League (as we all say ad nauseum) is a tribal game at its core. We need to have players that we identify with, local juniors are great, but even those brought in who buy into the culture we love. But this circus is death by a thousand cuts, when does it end? You can see in the not-too-Greenberg-Richardson-distant-future we'll have players signed for one club next year for 2years and already be signed up for another club for the 2 years after that. It's becoming ridiculous.

But how does the NRL address this?

 

[Disco]

Transfer window like the EPL

2 weeks before June 30 for mid season transfers (think Inu etc) then the summer

Would provide something to talk about in the summer too

 

[Snake]

they should never have abolished the june 30 anti-tampering deadline. I actually think they should have pushed it further back. When you're team is done for the year, your players can negotiate new deals. I don't agree with the "time to relocate" crap that gets tossed up from time to time. It is what it is, and if you don't like it, go and get a job like the rest of the population.

 

[Disco]

they should never have abolished the june 30 anti-tampering deadline. I actually think they should have pushed it further back. When you're team is done for the year, your players can negotiate new deals. I don't agree with the "time to relocate" crap that gets tossed up from time to time. It is what it is, and if you don't like it, go and get a job like the rest of the population.

Agree 100%, professional athletes the world over do it. Footballers sign one day and are at training the next in a different country

 

[Frogz]

Time to relocate is a joke...God they move quick when they get an immediate release. End of season done and dusted off you go.

 

[Brookie Brawler]

I doubt a Transfer window itself would stop people negotiating with players who are still under contract, just as the anti-tampering date itself didn't stop it. It's easy to communicate offers without actually meeting face to face.

I like the idea of the current system that a contract signed with a new club is able to be thrown out any time before June 30 - although it doesn't actually seem to achieve anything.

I would take it further:

1. Instead of the NRL giving a grant to all clubs that is equal to or greater than the salary cap, cut out the middle man and have the NRL pay players directly.

2. 3rd party payments would not just be signed of on by the NRL but would be paid through the NRL.

3. An NRL rep must be one of 3 signatories to every contract.

4. Players and clubs can negotiate and even agree to terms but no contract will be signed for a player to move to a new club until the end of the season immediately prior to the period the contract relates to.

5. Contract exemptions with the same club are exempt from Point 4 and can be signed at any time.

This would mean:

(a) No player getting paid outside the cap could ever try to claim he wasn't aware of it as any legal payments would only come directly from the NRL;

(b) Clubs would be encouraged to develop their own talent rather than poach from other teams because poaching would delay sorting out their roster until the end of each eason; and

(c) Buyer beware - agree to terms for a transfer as early as you like but don't whinge when club or player changes their mind before the contract can be signed.

No downside to any of that if I may say so myself.

 

[KOMORI]

It's not a problem until affects $ouffs or the Donkeys..

 

[Dinga]

The ANSWER is it will all be sorted once Manly has lost its two key players.. Its called the MANLY LOADING !!

 

[lurker]

Straight up not even take parts steal the entire NFL free agency system. Clubs get fined if they even talk about the contract of a player from another club while that player is not a free agent. End of discussion.