It’s time for rugby league to have a transfer window

 
Steve Kaless Roar Guru

By , 23 Feb 2010 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru

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This is a tough time of year for a league journalist. The season has sort of started, with the All Stars game and the various Shields up for grabs. But it also hasn’t.

You are left with column inches about bad boys promising to behave and how much they are looking forward to being role-models, fringe first graders talking up their Origin chances, and players reflecting on their hardest pre-season ever.

Get the feeling you’ve been here before?

But surely what you shouldn’t be writing about is where players are heading in 2011. Let’s first get the cliches out of the way. The players in question will always say: “I’m putting my football first. I won’t be distracted.”

If you believe that line, you’ll give any of the proclaimed new tee-totallers the beer deliveries and tell them not to worry about a receipt.

It is always followed by their first interview the following year when we hear: “Yeah, my form was pretty patchy last year, but I had a lot on with my contract talks and everything.”

For as long as I can remember, people have been complaining about the way in which players have moved during the season.

Any claim to have it sorted at the end of the season is quickly stymied by managers claiming a breach of rights (I swear I’ve even heard some refer to human rights. Quick, call the Hague!)

We hear how it can’t possibly be done, as players need to find houses, organise foxtel connections and the rest.

Of course, that the majority all live in Sydney anyway seems to be lost on the naysayers, as does the fact that if they move interstate, they do so in a small window anyway.

But if football can do it across a global marketplace and factor in all manner of language and cultural differences. Why can’t we? What is holding us back.

“Yes, Willie, you can still get Corona’s in Townsville.”

As Wayne Bennett rightly pointed out, when it suits players, they are happy to resemble contestants on the Amazing Race.

Surely it would be in the best interests of the game and the fans (you know, the ones who are asked to shell out for memberships and jerseys) to bring order to the chaos.

The most successful European football clubs have relocation experts (people who help you find a house and a baker) to help players settle in.

Seeing a good chunk of transferring players these days are at the same time seemingly reintegrating themselves into civilised society with their new club, I dare say I’ve spotted a niche in the market.

They could even help them find jobs, which the Roosters Anthony Cherrington believes is an important role for the NRL to take.

Yes, Anthony, because in between negotiating TV rights and considering the cost benefit analysis of an expanded competition, or fronting the press after the latest bloke has run amok, I think David Gallop should ring a few bricklayers and see if any of them need a few ton of bricks lumped.

Or players who have the urge could DO IT THEMSELVES, and not only increase the chances of them actually turning up, but also cut the umbilical cord between themselves and the code, which many claim actually prevents them developing into mature adults.

But I digress. So let’s cut the crap.

The window opens for all uncontracted players or those seeking release one week after the Grand Final and ends on February 28th. Surely enough time for all third parties to get their cut.

I’d say that is task one for the Independent Commission right there.

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