Despite a horror year of off-field blows, Karmichael Hunt’s defection to AFL was probably the last thing rugby league expected.
While 2009 has seen the NRL lurch through a series of sex scandals, alcohol-fuelled benders, positive drug tests and the resignation of four club chief executives, losing a player to Aussie rules has never really been on the radar.
But now the game has lost a player to a code preparing to challenge NRL’s dominance in the Gold Coast and western Sydney markets – and not just any player.
Despite being 22, Hunt has already won a premiership with Brisbane, played over 100 senior games, 10 State of Origin and 11 Tests for Australia.
His decision to join the new AFL franchise on the Gold Coast is a watershed for both codes.
For the past decade league has had to endure rugby union cherry-picking its top talent, but AFL poses a completely new threat.
Hunt says the switch is all about a new challenge, but the reality is money talks at contract time and the AFL has more cash to throw at players than NRL.
And it seems rugby league will have to find alternatives to money to ward off future raids by AFL scouts, with a general agreement funds just aren’t there to lift the NRL’s salary cap any further.
“I know that’s an impossible dream, the money in that regard is not in our game,” Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen said on Wednesday.
“The only compensation you could gain would be through third-party agreements.
“We can’t compete against the dollars. I don’t know what K’s contract is but I know the money in AFL that players want certainly exceeds what we can pay.”
Manly coach Des Hasler agreed with Cullen about the salary cap and suggested it was time for NRL’s powerbrokers to consider how the game will recruit new talent in the future.
He said the proposed AFL franchise in the rugby league heartland of Sydney’s western suburbs would only further heighten tensions between the two codes.
“Sydney’s only going to grow west, just the population and the number of young players that are out there, that are looking for a career path in sport,” Hasler said.
“It’s a real battle of the codes at the moment.
“People have asked me is it possible to increase the salary cap? I don’t know if that’s the answer. It’s hard to increase the salary cap when there’s no money to pay.
“I just think now … it is well and truly gloves off.”
But it’s not gloves off as far as NRL chief executive David Gallop is concerned.
Gallop issued a brief statement before heading to Singapore for a three-day meeting of international rugby league powerbrokers where he tried to play down concerns about Hunt’s defection to AFL.
“Karmichael has been looking for a change for some time and we wish him luck in finding what he is looking for,” Gallop said.
“This is an individual decision, the sky is not falling – only a week ago we had (Wallaby centre) Timana Tahu coming back to rugby league.”
While Cullen admitted losing a talent like Hunt was a blow to the Broncos, he said rugby league had shown its resilience in the past when high-profile players headed to rugby union or overseas and would do so again.
“I don’t see it as a serious threat, but it shows it could happen and we might lose one or two players over one or two years,” the Broncos boss said.
“It’s a fair whack out of our club and our code and a great coup for the AFL I suppose.”
Redb
Roar Guru
The Answer, But we all know at their height the Swans have achieved far more than the Storm In Melbourne despite them being twice as successful. You bleed support in Sydney far more than any other city. Sydney Fc win a few games in the A League and your all jumping on the bandwagon. Fickle Sydney doesnt cut it. AFL Western Sydney has you all very scared. jarryd Haynes on the wing- the nightmares begin. :-) Redb
The Answer
Guest
Grant, More people in Sydney last weekend watched a replay of a rugby league match from England than they did the Swans in a live telecast. We've had 20 years of the Swans in Sydney with their salary cap breaks and leg ups and they still don't think they are ready for a second team. Would anything from Perth be considered mainstream Australia? You live in a city which is yet to accept Sunday trading or day light savings. It shows in your post. By the way, what the hell does "boutique competition" mean? Boutique is normally a way of saying small.
Redb
Roar Guru
Crosscoder, Billo, I agree the term "mainstream Australia" may not be appropriate is probaly only reserved for cricket in this country. Although even cricket plays second fiddle to the football codes in terms of spectator interest. It has to be pointed out though that 57% of pop in NSW/QLD (Roy Masters said it was 64% of the Offsiders recently) does not mean that 57% are diehard rugby league fans. Many in NSW/QLD follow Australian Rules, rugby union and soccer. Redb
Crosscoder
Guest
Billo You got it in one. Apparently some think that 57% of the population of a country (NSW/QLd/ACT) is not mainstream.I will ignore census data from now on ,and reinvent the term mainstream as being "the lesser number/minority'.
Dave
Guest
The NRL has a huge profile in main-stream Australia. It does not have a larger profile in New Zealand.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Actually, there is one other point that may not be well known to non-AFL people, and in fact, even I don't have the full details. But there's some sort of scholarship scheme whereby any AFL club can nominate one or more NSW kids for a scholarship from age 15. It might be something like $40,000 per year, or something similar. It occurs to me that if you are a talented athlete playing a number of sports (as can happen when you're 15), and someone offers you $40,000 per annum to focus on one sport - you are going to find it might attractive at that age. But I don't actually know the ins and outs of how it works, what it means, how it exists wtihin the draft system, etc.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
I agree with Gallop that it's an individual decision (even if somewhat surprising). I've said on a few threads already that a lot of things coincided in signing up Hunt - things that are unlikely to happen again, if ever.
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
With AFL getting up to 3 games free to air a week. when the Swans/Lions play Saturday nights in the Northern States, you would think they would get more viewers. They have had at least 1 game a week for the last 25 years up this way on free to air. If NRL got that sort of exposure each week in the other states, I am sure we would be in a lot better position. Hopefully Gallop at least organises Perth into the comp after the next round of TV rights.
Billo
Guest
Grant from Perth: "The NRL does not have much of a profile in main-stream Australia!" That's the first time I've ever seen the states of NSW and Queensland described as not being in mainstream Australia. Incidentally the viewing figures for league in Melbourne, when it's shown live, are far higher than the figures for AFL in Sydney and Brisbane.
oikee
Guest
News headlines toomoorow, AFL cant afford to send a international team to Ireland,? Now for AFL supporters thats something to worry about. League has a pacific cup and 4 nations at years end. Also has a 10 year plan for internationals. I would be more concerned for the other codes if the Kangaroos start getting beaten by England or France, thats how you grow the international game. The kiwis have already beaten us .
Grant from Perth
Guest
To Mick from Giralang: You make some good points Mick, but if you step back and look at the big picture there are some concrete milestones that the AFL have achieved, or are achieving, that have made the landscape fundamentally diffenrent to three decades ago. The Swans' crowds are healthy by Sydney standards (when they are going well) given the fickle nature of the sporting public, and the crowds, profile and TV ratings of the Lions in Brisbane show, for the first time, main - stream penetration of AFL into the second largest League city in the world. Two AFL teams in each of NSW and QLD will present many marketing opportunities for Australasia's largest sporting competitons and one of the world's great boutique competitions. The NRL does not have much of a profile in main-stream Australia apart from some remnant support in a couple of Australian states; it has a larger profile in New Zealand ironically.
Crosscoder
Guest
Rugby league survived a super league war,and is in a better state than for decades,crowdwise,ratingswise and merchandise wise.It has achieved this growth despite defections to ru/super league and off field incidents(which are hardly the exclusive domain of rugby league,ask John Elliot).We were told when Tuqiri,Sailor,Rogers went to ru,it was the beginning of the end,fair crack of the whip,the game continued to prosper. People have been predicting rugby league would wither J O"neill,Bob Dwyer and many within the AFL media for yonks. Funny there are more people playing the game both here in Oz and the rest of the world ,than at any time in its history.the number of talented youngsters in the junior ranks contiue to grow and amaze with their talent. Even the Storm have been developing locals from Victoria,and will soon be embarking on a trip to attract Sth African junior rugby union talent . The game has room to and enquiries to expand to Perth,PNG,another Brisbane side,CC,Central Qld,PNG and another NZ.If that is a sign of a code dying,then dying will be a healthy act.
Mick from Giralang
Guest
Far from "lurching" through the season the NRL crowds, ratings and merchandise sales are all up. It's sad when a player as good as Hunt leaves, but this sort of thing has been happening for decades. As usual, another wave of brilliant young players is already lining up to take his place. I'll never forget the gloating and predictions of doom for our great game when basketball hit it's giddy heights in the 80s...it was coming to get us. Then it was the Swans 30 years ago sweeping into Sydney via an armchair ride from the media that our game has never received in Melbourne. That, acording to the experts, was the beginning of the end for rugby league. And now it's soccer....I'll be back here in 10 years time to pick over the carcass of rugby league because, after all, the experts are assuring it will soon take over as Sydney's number one sport....