The current NRL transfer system needs some serious fixing. Here are some solutions.
November 1st is quickly approaching.
Rugby League’s ‘silly season’ will have already arrived by then, but that date marks the NRL’s ‘new year’ and more importantly a signing frenzy; players in the final year of their current contracts can officially put pen to paper again.
This causes fan angst and League-wide controversy every summer, without fail. Players can commit their futures to rival clubs, while then playing a full season for the side they still remain contracted to.
And in what has become an increasingly worrying trend, players are now forcing their way out of the final year of their contracts to go link up with their new clubs. This season Luciano Leuilua secured an early move to North Queensland, departing the Wests Tigers mid-season.
The Only Sports Show | Listen to our newest episode:
Players aren’t to blame; they’re acting within the constructs of the laws. But they are punished; all for acting in their best interests, in what’s a contact sport that can end seasons and careers in a heartbeat.
Ben Hunt was famously dropped to reserve grade for signing with the Dragons a year in advance, despite clearly being one of the Broncos best players at the time.
There are instances where young players sign elsewhere moving forward, leaving them in a precarious situation with their current club. Clubs are disincentivised to invest first grade games and experience into outgoing prospects.
The NRL transfer system, as currently legislated, is not just unfair on clubs and players but also fans. It’s awkward supporting players that have committed to other clubs.
There’s momentum to flip things on its head and more closely model the player movement system of the AFL or NBA. Here are some suggestions to correct how the NRL contracts and transfers.
Make an official free-agency period where players can only sign for a club when out of a contract
This is the first issue that has to be addressed, players signing for a club a whole year in advance is something that is only seen in a rare few sports around the world. The current November 1st deadline should stay, but it should signal the start of a free-agency period, where players without a contract can sign new deals.
Not only would this eliminate the year-long wait for fans to see a new player join their club, it would help stop players jumping ship mid-season and add an extra element of excitement. During the AFL and NBA free agency period, the peak of the off-season, fans are fully invested in the sport at a time where there’s no on-field action to track.
The NRL off-season is usually centred around player movement that doesn’t occur for another year, it’s an endless cycle where fans and club officials are constantly waiting to see how their team will look in 12 months time.
This rule ultimately does benefit the clubs as they are able to plan well in-advance, but essentially every sport in the world is able to re-tool their playing roster within a matter of months, so why can’t the NRL follow suit?
The NRL should open up an official free-agency period on November 1st, that would firmly take the focus off player movement heading into the early stages of the season, which is a trend that is becoming all too common in the current state of play and takes the focus away from the field.
Open a contract extension window and crack down on players dishonouring deals.
Much like the current NBA system, players can only be re-signed by their club in the final year of their current deal. This rule should be applied to the NRL and would once again keep the focus on the field throughout the season. This version of a contract extension window would shut after the final game of Origin, which would leave the focus entirely on the race to finals football. In the final rounds of the season, fans should not have to worry about the future of their playing squad. While Cameron Munster has very recently announced he’s re-signing with the Storm, he was heavily rumoured to be considering a bombshell deal with the Dolphins. This discourse and innuendo dragged on for months, despite him not being out of contract until the end of 2023.
With players reportedly in negotiations with other clubs throughout the season for the upcoming November 1st opening of player movements, the NRL has to look at rewarding club loyalty. The current headlines are too squarely focused around players that still have a year to run on their contracts.
We’ve even seen in years past players and coaches not honouring contracts as seen when Ivan Cleary signed a deal with the Panthers, despite having three years remaining on his contract with the Tigers. The Cleary situation left the Tigers’ fans with no choice but to turn on their current coach and essentially force him out the door years earlier than expected.
Players in the NBA are able to be let go of the final year of their deals, if both player and team can reach a settlement on money owed; then the player is free to leave. This would be a simple and effective rule to place in the NRL, as we’ve seen too many times where clubs are paying portions of players’ deals for years in advance just to get rid of them. It’s an ugly trend that has plagued some of the bottom sides in the league and made it tougher for them to emerge from mediocrity.
Clubs can trade players, but the players must consent to the move
Although it is not an official form of player movement, NRL clubs for years have been actively engaging in player trades; some successful. The most common form of a player trade is when a club poaches an up and coming star and sends back an older veteran player to fill in the gaps left behind.
Whether it was the James Maloney for Matt Moylan in 2016, or the most recent one between Reece Walsh and Te Marie Martin, clubs are trading players so why not make it an official part of the player movement system?
Players already have to consent to the move and agree on contractual terms, so this should stay if the NRL was to introduce a trade system. Trades are a win-win for all parties involved, as clubs can now part with players knowing they have a guaranteed replacement that wants to be at the club, which hasn’t always been the case.
Although there will be no draft picks to sweeten deals, cash considerations can be used in order to get a deal over the line. Much like the free-agency period, a trade period would take place in the off-season and should shut at the start of the season, the mid-season moves should only occur under extreme circumstances, like retirements and major injuries. Ultimately, if there is player consent to all trades, there is no reason this shouldn’t happen.
