Official 2024 NRL General Discussion

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5 Mil over 4 years.

He isn't worth anywhere near that imo.
I think it's 5 years. An upgrade to 600k next year and 1.1 for 4 years after that. The media just like to package it all together. I think it's alright. He's got a lot of development left but you'd prefer to pay a bit more and watch him do it at your club.
 
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I think it's 5 years. An upgrade to 600k next year and 1.1 for 4 years after that. The media just like to package it all together. I think it's alright. He's got a lot of development left but you'd prefer to pay a bit more and watch him do it at your club.
What odds for him “doing a Mamm” and have it ripped up?
 

Sevshark

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A bold plan to introduce a rookie draft to equalise talent as the competition expands will soon be delivered to the NRL and its clubs.
A Pathways Steering Committee (PSC) is finalising a list of recommendations relating to the flow of junior talent into the elite level. They include the introduction of a national under-21s competition, regulations relating to when youngsters can engage an agent, and an accreditation scheme for junior coaches.

However, the topic that will spark most interest is the prospect of implementing a rookie draft, which would signal a radical change in the way promising prospects graduate to the NRL. While the AFL has had a draft for top talent since 1986, attempts to introduce the system to rugby league were short-lived.

There hasn’t been a draft in rugby league since 1991, when Terry Hill led a successful legal action by 127 players against the NSWRL that resulted in it being abolished. However, the PSC, which includes Roosters coach Trent Robinson, NRL executive Brock Schaefer, Storm general manager Frank Ponissi, Queensland Rugby League chief executive Ben Ikin and Panthers rugby league chief Matt Cameron, is assessing how player movement is regulated at a time when the NRL is looking to eventually expand to a 20-team competition.

While the salary cap has long been hailed as a successful talent equalisation measure, the divide between the stronger and weaker clubs has never been greater. There have been only three different premiers during the past eight seasons, while Wests Tigers will next year aim to avoid a fourth consecutive wooden spoon and haven’t played a finals game since 2011.


The PSC met last week and is finalising its recommendations. It will deliver its recommendations at the next meeting of club chief executives with a view to then passing them on for the consideration of the ARL Commission before Christmas. While members of the PSC declined to be quoted while the process was ongoing, this masthead has been told a rookie draft is a key plank in the plan.
There are a number of different models being floated. Some of the solutions look at tweaks to the contracting model that could equalise talent without introducing a draft. However, a draft remains a primary consideration, one that could lead the NRL to transform it into an event that is commercialised and promoted like several major sporting organisations overseas, particularly in the US.

Given that a draft would require a teenager to potentially move interstate and overseas, the stakeholders – including the Rugby League Players Association – would want assurances that each club would provide the facilities and support required for them to successfully make the transition. The issue is more relevant than ever given the NRL is looking at introducing new franchises in Papua New Guinea and Perth.

In a bid to level out the competition, the draft would allow clubs to make a pick from the emerging talent pool: teams at the bottom of the ladder would get the first choice and so on until the premiers made their pick. In a bid to reward clubs that develop players – Penrith are considered to have the best junior nursery in the country – one option is to allow every club to quarantine their best junior from the draft process.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/th...to-parramatta-s-backline-20241030-p5kmg4.html
Another consideration in dispersing talent is putting a cap on how many players can be contracted to any club academy, as well as limiting how much juniors can be paid at each age group. The measure would prevent the strong development clubs from stockpiling players, resulting in them finishing their footballing apprenticeship at another franchise if they are surplus to requirements.
The other big-ticket item is the potential introduction of a national under-21s competition. It would mark the first such venture since the controversial National Youth Competition (NYC) for under-20s players, which began in 2018 but was disbanded a decade later.

The under-21s teams would be aligned with NRL clubs and would probably play each other once. However, to keep costs down, it would not mirror the home-and-away NRL draw or necessarily act as a curtain-raiser to first grade matches.
 

Six Again

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A bold plan to introduce a rookie draft to equalise talent as the competition expands will soon be delivered to the NRL and its clubs.
A Pathways Steering Committee (PSC) is finalising a list of recommendations relating to the flow of junior talent into the elite level. They include the introduction of a national under-21s competition, regulations relating to when youngsters can engage an agent, and an accreditation scheme for junior coaches.

However, the topic that will spark most interest is the prospect of implementing a rookie draft, which would signal a radical change in the way promising prospects graduate to the NRL. While the AFL has had a draft for top talent since 1986, attempts to introduce the system to rugby league were short-lived.

There hasn’t been a draft in rugby league since 1991, when Terry Hill led a successful legal action by 127 players against the NSWRL that resulted in it being abolished. However, the PSC, which includes Roosters coach Trent Robinson, NRL executive Brock Schaefer, Storm general manager Frank Ponissi, Queensland Rugby League chief executive Ben Ikin and Panthers rugby league chief Matt Cameron, is assessing how player movement is regulated at a time when the NRL is looking to eventually expand to a 20-team competition.

While the salary cap has long been hailed as a successful talent equalisation measure, the divide between the stronger and weaker clubs has never been greater. There have been only three different premiers during the past eight seasons, while Wests Tigers will next year aim to avoid a fourth consecutive wooden spoon and haven’t played a finals game since 2011.


The PSC met last week and is finalising its recommendations. It will deliver its recommendations at the next meeting of club chief executives with a view to then passing them on for the consideration of the ARL Commission before Christmas. While members of the PSC declined to be quoted while the process was ongoing, this masthead has been told a rookie draft is a key plank in the plan.
There are a number of different models being floated. Some of the solutions look at tweaks to the contracting model that could equalise talent without introducing a draft. However, a draft remains a primary consideration, one that could lead the NRL to transform it into an event that is commercialised and promoted like several major sporting organisations overseas, particularly in the US.

Given that a draft would require a teenager to potentially move interstate and overseas, the stakeholders – including the Rugby League Players Association – would want assurances that each club would provide the facilities and support required for them to successfully make the transition. The issue is more relevant than ever given the NRL is looking at introducing new franchises in Papua New Guinea and Perth.

In a bid to level out the competition, the draft would allow clubs to make a pick from the emerging talent pool: teams at the bottom of the ladder would get the first choice and so on until the premiers made their pick. In a bid to reward clubs that develop players – Penrith are considered to have the best junior nursery in the country – one option is to allow every club to quarantine their best junior from the draft process.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/th...to-parramatta-s-backline-20241030-p5kmg4.html
Another consideration in dispersing talent is putting a cap on how many players can be contracted to any club academy, as well as limiting how much juniors can be paid at each age group. The measure would prevent the strong development clubs from stockpiling players, resulting in them finishing their footballing apprenticeship at another franchise if they are surplus to requirements.
The other big-ticket item is the potential introduction of a national under-21s competition. It would mark the first such venture since the controversial National Youth Competition (NYC) for under-20s players, which began in 2018 but was disbanded a decade later.

The under-21s teams would be aligned with NRL clubs and would probably play each other once. However, to keep costs down, it would not mirror the home-and-away NRL draw or necessarily act as a curtain-raiser to first grade matches.
"The issue is more relevant than ever given the NRL is looking at introducing new franchises in Papua New Guinea and Perth."

So we introduce mediocity & reduce the reward for good club management & player development.

" the divide between the stronger and weaker clubs has never been greater."

Total BS . Seem to recall a club winning 11 premierships & mostly same clubs in the GFs .

The focus should be on strengthening regional competitions & giving clubs incentives to develop junior competitions .
 

Sevshark

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"The issue is more relevant than ever given the NRL is looking at introducing new franchises in Papua New Guinea and Perth."

So we introduce mediocity & reduce the reward for good club management & player development.

" the divide between the stronger and weaker clubs has never been greater."

Total BS . Seem to recall a club winning 11 premierships & mostly same clubs in the GFs .

The focus should be on strengthening regional competitions & giving clubs incentives to develop junior competitions .

Seems more like it's being pushed so that young talent has no choice but to go to PNG.

I can see them being taken to court over it again as a result, forcing a young kid to move to a developing country isn't going to sit well with people.
 

Gal The Goat

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When teams like Sharks and Panthers for example pump so much time and money into pathways, which then sees the team reap the awards with great juniors always coming through, why would they bother anymore if they were only going to lose their best ones to other teams in a draft each year?

I can’t see a draft working here while juniors are affiliated with a NRL club (Harold Matt, SG ball etc) unless the sporting high schools form some proper competition thats funded and affiliated by the NRL, then the NRL teams can draft the best under 16-18s from that. But even then our pathways probably go backwards because I’m sure panthers juniors is set up way better than some possible highschool competition.
 

HaroldBishop

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When teams like Sharks and Panthers for example pump so much time and money into pathways, which then sees the team reap the awards with great juniors always coming through, why would they bother anymore if they were only going to lose their best ones to other teams in a draft each year?

I can’t see a draft working here while juniors are affiliated with a NRL club (Harold Matt, SG ball etc) unless the sporting high schools form some proper competition thats funded and affiliated by the NRL, then the NRL teams can draft the best under 16-18s from that. But even then our pathways probably go backwards because I’m sure panthers juniors is set up way better than some possible highschool competition.
The NRL would have to fund development otherwise agree, you wouldn't bother if Penrith or Cronulla.
 

Gal The Goat

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The NRL would have to fund development otherwise agree, you wouldn't bother if Penrith or Cronulla.
I actually didn’t think of that option. Would have to be every single cost too probably like pathways councillor, all coaches, travel fees, food bills etc because how much would you really care for a under 16s competition where you don’t get first pick of your players.

They would have to pour more into grassroots too probably because I’m sure Panthers and Sharks do a lot off their own back for their local juniors area too
 

bort

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The NRL would have to fund development otherwise agree, you wouldn't bother if Penrith or Cronulla.
Yep they’d have to come in with a big big bag of cash and take it all on

I like the nfl draft, as the other main sport I follow, but I don’t really want it in the NRL - even if they are fun in the lead up and when they are on to see who you get.

Better to spend the money to make sure new teams have a fair crack at having suitable buying power to get decent squads off the ground - even if that means poaching some RU talent partially at NRLs expense
Or NRL chipping in a small amount to help those teams get, for example, a good & experienced SL prop instead of the best prop from Cup who can’t get past a train and trial with a 17 club comp

Maybe nrl gives them like an extra 500k or something that can only be spent at nrls discretion and where bringing talent into NRL
 

CrazyMatt

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Better to spend the money to make sure new teams have a fair crack at having suitable buying power to get decent squads off the ground - even if that means poaching some RU talent partially at NRLs expense
Or NRL chipping in a small amount to help those teams get, for example, a good & experienced SL prop instead of the best prop from Cup who can’t get past a train and trial with a 17 club comp

Maybe nrl gives them like an extra 500k or something that can only be spent at nrls discretion and where bringing talent into NRL

I’m firmly against any salary cap dispensation for new clubs after watching the Giants and Suns get a massive leg up in the AFL. I remember a bunch of people on here claiming the Dolphins needed it as they’d be bottom of the ladder without it, well that didn’t happen. The Dolphins coped just fine without it, so can the other new clubs.

The NRL would have to fund development otherwise agree, you wouldn't bother if Penrith or Cronulla.

This is how I feel as well. Why are there people within the game that seem intent on punishing teams for doing the right thing and rewarding teams for mediocre administration? It does my head in.
 

bort

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I’m firmly against any salary cap dispensation for new clubs after watching the Giants and Suns get a massive leg up in the AFL. I remember a bunch of people on here claiming the Dolphins needed it as they’d be bottom of the ladder without it, well that didn’t happen. The Dolphins coped just fine without it, so can the other new clubs.
Dolphins were a bit better placed to attract talent, including an elite level coach

Broadly speaking I’m against salary handouts but (obviously, because I said it) I can see value in NRL supporting more talent to come in from external especially going out towards 20 teams.
Quality of comp should be higher if teams 18/19/20 can bring in 6-10 blokes who are starter (or at least bench) quality rather than digging deeper into Cup depth. If we call squads 34 (30+4 supp) that’s 680 NRL players. The lowest few of them are gunna be pretty low quality.

We’re asking for 51 players outside current best 17s to come up to that level (spread between clubs obviously). I see value in attracting external talent in.
 

Flanno

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It’s a crap idea, the salary cap exists to spread the talent around.

Just because there are crap teams at the bottom continuously making crap decisions it doesn’t mean we need to bring in a rule for it

Also I don’t like the idea of forcing a player to move somewhere else. Sounds rotten
 
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From a fans perspective, I love the idea of a draft. It's awesome off season content, and something for the teams in a rebuild to be excited for. I get the arguments against from a player and club perspective, but I'd absolutely be for it if we could find a way to make it work.
 

apezza

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It’s a crap idea, the salary cap exists to spread the talent around.

Just because there are crap teams at the bottom continuously making crap decisions it doesn’t mean we need to bring in a rule for it

Also I don’t like the idea of forcing a player to move somewhere else. Sounds rotten
The one good thing is that it will avoid this stupid 1 Nov rule where you have to be worried about losing a player 12 months away.
 
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