A fellow league-loving work colleague and I have just been sitting down on a break chewing the fat about the potential marquee system that looks increasingly likely to be proposed as the structure of salary cap come up for an official review.
We both seem to be for the idea of one player at each club being allocated a ‘marquee’ spot where their income doesn’t count against the salary cap.
To us it seems like the best way to keep the most valuable talent in the code until they hang up the boots, while also creating a bit more space under the cap for the rest of the team list to get a bit of pay rise.
While going over the idea it got us thinking: In an open market, who would be the best 16 players to take one of the marquee spots on offer?
What we decided is that it isn’t as simple as picking the best 16 players in the league.
Marketability (obviously individual talent is also an important variable when determining this) is what’s key for the marquee spot.
So there are some players that might not necessarily get near the list of the best 16 in the game (some aren’t even playing the game currently) but are there because of their value and what they can contribute to the game off the field.
So in no particular order, here’s the list we came up with. I’ve included a couple of players that were hard to leave out at the end:
1. Greg Inglis
2. Johnathan Thurston
3. Billy Slater
4. Cameron Smith
5. Cooper Cronk
6. Sonny Bill Williams
7. Israel Folau
8. Benji Marshall
9. Paul Gallen
10. Jamaal Idris
11. Ben Barba
12. Todd Carney
13. Sam Thaiday
14. Jarryd Hayne
15. Sam Burgess
16. Karmichael Hunt
Worthy mentions: Mitchell Pearce, Justin Hodges, Michael Jennings, Brett Stewart, Daly Cherry Evans, Will Hopoate, Shaun Johnson.
What do you think? Any blaring omissions? Any howlers?
And is marketability the correct way to measure a player’s marquee value or should it come down to pure skill and ability?
Andrew
Guest
Yes, Players who are juniors at your Club should get a 25% decrease in your salary cap. You were the ones who cultivated their talent and through good coaching they improved. Your coaching. This should attract some sort of a reduced salary cap impact. Coaching is just as important as talent. The 25% reduction should be back-dated till 2007. Therefore Melbourne Storm should be given back their premierships. Most of their talent is cultivated through Bellamy's coaching. Without the coaching, the players wouldn't be half as good.
peeeko
Roar Guru
Agree, a great player
turbodewd
Roar Guru
U havent been watching the Titans then. And Phil Gould had huge wraps on Idris this year...until *snap* :^(
mike
Guest
I keep seeing the name SBW popping-up. If anyone thinks that throwing a few extra K's at SBW is going to keep him away from seeking to win the RWC again or possibly compete for gold at the Rio Olympics in 7's rugby, then they are living in a fantasy world!!! Sure SBW chases money, but he only seeks to get the maximum $$$ from career paths that align with his ambitions i.e. SBW wants to play in the next RWC first and foremost and his management will then work to get the most income from that path. He doesn't chase the money as his first priority. I think he is a driven machine who wants to achieve as much as he can while he can ... hence also his boxing ambitions - no matter how much people might write him off. Once a player like SBW has had a taste of the forbidden fruit (rugby) and succeeded so well - with the opportunity to add to those successes - it will be impossible for the marquee allowance to lure them. The allowance should be there to prevent league-only superstars from having an initial bite of rugby (eg. benji), or to lure back rugby-raw stars like izzy who hasn't yet had a taste of the lure of global rugby success.
Adrien
Guest
And to be honest, i think Maloney is a fullback
Troy Mullins
Roar Rookie
FINALLY, someone who sees it true. Pearce is a HOOKER!
Devout Saint
Guest
Rob9
Guest
I think there's an argument for Fergo and even his roof top buddy Dugan. But at this stage they'd both be a bit too risky to attach to a big money marquee type contract. Lay off the girly drinks, don't get so touchy in the club, let a bit of water go under the bridge and before too long they'll have redeemed themselves like another former wayward Raider.
Devout Saint
Guest
Yeah. I rate Brett Stewart one of the best fullbacks of all time, along side Slater and Inglis. I also rate Cherry and Foran the best pair of halves ay club has. Will Hoppa has only played for Manly too. I rate Hoppa the best young talent in the game. He is a future superstar. His best position is fullback. I would take him over Hayne or Dugan for Saints and NSW. I didn't put Lyon in there. Easts are my first pick to win the comp, with Manly my second pick, then Melbourne and then Souths. I named 3 Melbourne players and 2 Souhs players. Manly, Souths and Melbourne are all in the top 4. With Easts only having one "marquee player", but they do have the strongest team across the park.
liatrevlis
Guest
A lot of Manly blokes in there !!!
Devout Saint
Guest
I was thinking about which players would worthy of being marquee players exempt from the cap. I came up with 1 Inglis 2 Sam Burgess 3 Thurston 4 Slater 5 Cronk 6 C Smith 7 Sonny Bill 8 Folau. 9 Brett Stewart 10 Foran 11 Cherry 12 Dugan 13 Farrah 14 Hayne 15 Will Hoppa 16 Josh Morris 17 Ferguson They are the only players I would consider to be marquee players exempt from the cap. The idea of signing someone from union and putting them on more money than the rest of the squad sounds like a stupid idea, unless they were an ex league such as Folau who already know is good. I definitely would not have K Hunt in the marquee players category. I
Rob9
Guest
Good call!!
Devout Saint
Guest
I would definitely take Ferguson, Will Hoppa and Josh Morris over Idris for NSW or Saints.
Rob9
Guest
SBW and Benji?? As a big union and league fan, I hate seeing good or great league players come across and be ok or flops in union. And it goes vice versa. I wouldn't blow a marquee budget on someone that's never experienced NRL football before. Surely there are 16 talented and marketable current (and former) NRL stars to fill up these spots?
JCVD
Guest
No kiwis on the list? What about Shaun Johnson? And funny you don't have any rugby union players that could play league as well...
Jay C
Guest
+1
Hughster
Guest
Jamie Lyon?
Jason
Guest
Shaun Johnson will be the next Benji Marshall (2005 Benji and not this 2013 version)
Jason
Guest
I'm sure the NRL will put exceptions in place to prevent this obvious rorting of the system.
oikee
Guest
Another idea i think really needs exploring, is juniors transfer payments., What i mean is if say club produces alot of juniors , too many to hold onto, instead of just waving goodbye to those juniors for little financial reward, i think clubs who want these juniors should be made to pay for at least costs for developments of juniors. This helps build a stronger junior system. What we have now is best in best dressed, a rape pillage and plunder juniors system that is taking its toil on clubs developing these kids. It costs alot of money to develop these kids,. Someone has to train them and teach them. They spend alot to get them prepared and ready for the NRL, just to see them wave goodbye and not even a cookie.