Would an NRL draft work to overhaul transfer problems?

I'll start off by saying I'm a huge Storm fan. Over the years my club more so than others has seen the Salary Cap destroy our squad. Whilst I don't condone cheating the salary cap, I don't see how it's any worse than any of the ridiculous Third Party Payments some players get across the league. The hardest thing for me to accept is that it takes a good 3-4 years for any club to develop a player worthy of playing First Grade. As soon as they have one good season, one of our northern neighbours put ridiculous $$$ up for grabs and 5 years of hard work nurturing talent is lost. Israel Folau, after his second season gets a 4 year $2mil deal with the Bronco's, so somebody explain to me how that is fair ... I definitely support concessions for your own juniors and players from your Toyota Cup sides. If we can nurture our own talent here in Melbourne, no reason why the NSW and QLD sides can't do it. Should be a fixed percentage not included in the cap to encourage players to be loyal and allow their junior sides to offer them the most attractive package.

You don't gather the interests of juniors unless you have a squad worth following, hence the need for drafting in decent players...

As opposed to the other 11% of AFL players who are indigenous and have no problems whatsoever? Actually from what I understand NRL has 11% Indigenous list across the leagu as well so it's a misleading comment. I will concede oikee that the AFL does not have anywhere near the number of polynesians although the ones who do play Nic Nat, Rodan etc don't seem to have any dramas....

A Draft is like the Centrall Coast Bears wont happen for the same reasons. Been there done that.

I like your kind of Draught lol, thats been in league since 1908

Ian. I guarantee you with in 2 years someone will challenge a draft.

Sorry Gaz but I think you missed the point my friend. I am trying to explain the virtues of a draft system over a transfer system which would overcome the conditions you are describing because then a club cant just go out and plunder another teams stars. And if you read a later item of mine in this forum you will see that I would exclude players yet to play first grade from the draft structure so they remain free agents and so the club raising the juniors retains a good chance of retention. The point about players coming from Brisbane as juniors to other sides is of course the outcome of the very issue I described, that being that Brisbane have had a free ride for a time with players they have been able to access from across their state, as if that's their breeding ground. Of course there is an overspill with so many potential first grade players avialbale. They just try to get the cream and that is why they were until recently so successful because they could ensure they held onto Miles, Langer, Lewis, Lockyer etc. In fact just before Brisbane came into the League, Manly signed up both Lewis and Miles, but the league blocked it for political reasons to allow a Queensland side to have a strong side to start in the competition, so special clauses were made for the Brisbane side from the start to ensure it was successful. My point about social geography was made because if all clubs want to be equitable and continue the present transfer system then that is the only way its going to be successful by dividing the potential junior population centres in NSW and QLD evenly between the clubs as resourse locations. A draft system would make this less necessary.....you have noticed that the struggling Cronulla side is yet to win a premiership and has played only one grandfinal in the past 15 years. Easts of course have played five (equal most with Melbourne), but then they buy their teams and juniors. A draft system would create a more equitable arrangement. And of course the old spectre of Arthurson's 'Silvertails' is again raised despite it being now twenty years out of date. But if you are using that example as a failed effort to buy a team you're way off the mark. During that period Manly were the most successful team in the League, or did you forget the four premierships in the 70's, the 1987 premiership and two other grandfinal appearances that decade. As a Manly supporter I was happy, but the reality was that they plundered less financial teams like Souths, Norths and Wests to achieve that. Other teams have continued to do that to the present day, including Brisbane. That's the flaw in the present system even though the monies spent have been limited (yeh).

I think some of the comments are missing the point of the draft system vs the transfer sysetm. Raising the issue of players going to other codes and overseas for example, is a problem whether its a draft system or transfer system. That's an irrelevant comment. What you're trying to stop is players being offered huge paymernts (and perhaps questionable extras) by the richer clubs and being signed a year before they have completed their contract obligations with another club. While you have a direct transfer arrangement, this cant be remedied because whether the player signs now or has to wait for a transfer window to sign, he is still being coaxed into leaving a club for a bigger salary usually with a richer club elsewhere. Secondly you dont have to use the same draft system used by AFL. They have an external draft for all new players coming into the game. But there's no reason we have to follow suit. We could still say that a player who has never played first garde is a free agent until he signs his first contract to play first grade. That way juniors retain their choice, agents still get their cut and teams can raise their juniors with a fair chance they will be able to retain them. A combined draft and salary cap would ensure greater chance of equity and yes even the clause to be able to pay long term players in a club extra so they can ensure retention, can be included The big issue is stopping big clubs from poaching other clubs contracted stars by creating a situation where a player must enter a draft if they choose or have to leave a club. This would probably slow the price war on players and make players more likely to remain loyal to a club. If they chooose to avoid the draft by going to another code or country, the understanding is that they retain draft status for 2 years, after which if they want they can then come back as a free agent again....like a SBW. They'll do it anyway so why not make it official But most importantly the concerns people are expressing about the draft system can be addressed.There are no fixed set of fast rules as to how you implement it. We design it to suit the needs of our code.

One of the reasons the afl draught works is that there is no competing organisations looking at their players, only afl clubs within Australia. No super league clubs, no cashed up French rugby clubs, and so on. Afl players have no choice but to cooperate with the established system. Rugby league players have a plethora of options by comparison, so any draught system would be open to challenge, whether the players union agrees or not. I don't know what the solution is, but a draught ain't it. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.

It just can't work in League cause of how we develop our juniors. Why pour money into Toyota Cup players, if they are just going to go into a draft? Do we do it earlier than that? At say 18? So then clubs stop funding those lower age group players. So who picks up that slack? It would take a total overhaul of how the pathways to the top grade are currently configured, and it just doesn't see that happening. Especially given we have natural competition with Rugby Union (and see a crossover both ways between the codes), that means it just isn't feasible. Really just fix how player transfers work at this point. Make the penalties for being caught out talking to players from other teams outside of the nominated trading windows something like 4 competition points and $100K or so off your salary cap. Only one team needs to be caught for all the clubs to know that the risk is just too much. A trading window lets say between the first 2 origins for 2 weeks, and a 4 week one after the grand final should be more than enough time for clubs to work out deals.

Fair enough Matt. All I was trying point out is that in business, morals often have a secondary role only. What is important is the game and winning. Many hgih flyers are in it for the challenge and often have dfferent value structures than the average person. To many of them, you do what you have to to win using any methods legal or illicit that will ensure success and not being exposed. The real 'no no' in their world is getting caught and that's when you get ostracised. Spartan soldiers used the same method in their training by stealing from farmers to live off the land. They were commended for getting away with it, but disgraced for being caught. A different moral code and I've met this many times in higher management and super rich circles.

Which is exactly why I said that I don't believe that all the clubs are playing by the rules........ I'm not sure where the disagreement is on this issue?

Players are open to offers and can sign a contract with another club at any time, as long as the new contract commences after their current one expires. Beau Scott has already signed with Newcastle but that contract doesn't commence until after the completion of his current one with the Dragons. The Dragons had no say in whether or not he could sign the contract with Newcastle because it comes into effect after his current one expires. The only way they could have a say on when he speaks with another club is if there is a clause in his existing contract forbidding the player (or a representative on his behalf) from doing so. I The agent is there to do the right thing by their client. If the player wants to take less money to stay at his current club, or even to move to a new club (which some do) then the agent will make it happen. Agents will however always try to get as many options as possible for their client, which in general, means the most money. If a player finds out that their agent got them a deal for less then they could have received, all because the agent wanted to get another of their clients into that club on decent money as well, then the agent is in serious trouble.

I suggest you look at the number of large respected businesses that come undone each time there is a recession, and are shown to have been acting unscrupulously. When there is money to be made and power to be gained, there will always be the high rollers prepared to take the gamble in the bielef that 'this time we wont be caught'. And most of the time thery arent so the gamble seems worth it.

Considering that Cloke wouldn't have survived up against great CHFs of 5/10/15/20 years ago, that is one indication that thr position is incredibly thin. Good quality big men are worth their weight in gold, and IMO Clark is a good qualiy big man. You don't think highly of him? Fine, but I do. As for Melbourne being 'weak, gutless and bruise-free', not only is it offensive but it is complete nonsense.

Yes Ryan but I was thinking more along the lines of the AFL where they seem to draft or trade in the young guys. Most AFL clubs appear to be rich in this talent that is not so in the NRL. Point in question, wouldn't most clubs want to get into a trade off with either the Warriors or Broncos at the minute.

Paul, Not if you square the players up first, the way the AFL does.

Souths 56. Parramatta 6. What was your point again ? http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl-premiership/south-sydney-host-parramatta-in-round-22-monday-night-football-nrl-clash-at-anz-stadium/story-fn2mcuj6-1226111207007 Amazonfan, Im glad the weak, gutless and bruise-free Melbourne Football Club went after Clark, as it means less competition for the out-of-contract Cloke, who *is* worth $800k a year.

I have no problem with that at all, oikee. It all depends on your motivations behind the exemption. If you want to see players stay with the same club, you need incentives. Perhaps 100% of the salary being exempt is being a touch generous. But 25% to 50%? I have zero problem with that.

Nobody's arguing, we're discussing. The NRL doesn't have any thrashings? Anyway, that 8 AFL clubs won flags, and every club made a preliminary final, indicates that the AFL is indeed an even competition. I have no problem putting it up against the NRL.