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The Roar

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The NRL's player movement system has to change, but can it actually be fixed?

19th December, 2017
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Angus Crichton. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
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19th December, 2017
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This column pretty much has to be about Angus Crichton moving from South Sydney to Sydney Roosters, doesn’t it?

I’ve had a look around for other topics. There’s some interesting stuff going on in England, with RFL chief executive Nigel Wood saying four North American franchises have now shown interest in joining their competition.

Nigel has also done his best to downplay the clubs taking over Super League and removing him from the board, saying the development is of “no consequence” and refusing to say if he is interested in the RLIF CEO’s post.

He even chided a reporter for having the temerity to ask.

But given that many commentators appear to be away for Christmas, the normal tsk-tsking over players changing clubs before a ball has been kicked in their final season with their current club is a bit thin on the ground.

In fact, we seem to be relying on Waleed Aly for the required amount of indignation.

“The constant rumours around player movement that meant no one seemed to care what was happening in the season in front of them and only cared about what was to come,” Aly said, quite reasonably, on Offsiders.

Let me say something from the outset: I don’t follow an NRL club so this trend of guys announcing they will be at another team in 12 months does not personally offend me at all.

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I didn’t even care when Craig Wing and Gorden Tallis were paraded in their new colours eons in advance.

So let’s go over all the standard suggested solutions.

One, let’s have a trade period mid-season. Two, let’s have a trade period at the end of the year. Three, let’s publish all salaries. Four, let’s do away with third-party agreements.

Even though I don’t particularly care when players switch clubs, I agree all these ideas are better than what we have now.

Angus Crichton

(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Now let’s discuss why we don’t have these things.

For one and two, it’s because players allegedly need time to change cities. I call BS on that. Angus Crichton will hardly use any more petrol moving from one training venue to another, let alone have to involve a removalist.

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These guys can be called into a rep team at an hour’s notice, and they’re paid beyond the wildest dreams of their predecessors – the ‘inconvenience’ argument no longer holds water.

Let them change clubs at the end of the season.

For three, it’s considered ‘unAustralian’ to publish salaries. Sorry, I call BS on that too. Other businesses don’t rely on the marketplace believing in parity between their different franchises – sport does. Publish the salaries.

And before you say ‘why don’t you publish yours’ – sure. In 2015-16 I earned $94,711.22 before tax. Haven’t done this year’s return yet.

Four, the argument against getting rid of TPAs is that there is money that would escape the game completely if they didn’t exist.

Fine, let the money go.

The game needs more money but the NRL doesn’t. The bush needs more money. Grassroots need more money. International footy needs more money. The English game needs more money.

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But if it means making the comp uneven, the NRL does not need more money. Let the providers who cough up for TPAs go to rugby union or soccer. Whatever.

These are the same old solutions for the same old problems. But the reasons for not employing the solutions are disappearing.

What won’t disappear is distrust and suspicion.

Just as I can leave something out of my stated salary if I want to, the measures above won’t stop the social media references to brown paper bags.

If we know – rather than suspect – Angus Crichton turned down more money from Souths to join the Roosters, will trust in the system really be upheld/restored?

Things can be improved. I’m not sure they can be fixed.

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