The NRL headlines over the weekend – Geoff Toovey’s epic whinging aside – were dominated by the news that Ben Barba has asked the Bulldogs for a release from the final two years of his contract on compassionate grounds.
Barba’s former partner, Ainslie Currie, and the pair’s two daughters are looking to settle in Brisbane, and Barba has expressed his desire to move with them.
The Brisbane Broncos are naturally keen to sign Barba, with reports the club has a four-year contract ready to offer the fullback should the Bulldogs grant him a release. In fact, in an intriguing development, Brisbane are willing to pay the Bulldogs compensation in return for allowing Barba to sign with them.
The financial agreement between the two clubs would essentially be a transfer fee, common in many other sports around the globe, most notably European football.
However, the story took an interesting twist with the notion that a swapping of players between the clubs could be an ideal resolution to the problem.
Brisbane fullback Josh Hoffman was the man-of-the-match for the Broncos in their win over the hapless Parramatta Eels on Friday night and is the first-choice fullback for New Zealand.
However, despite Hoffman’s form, should Barba end up signing with Brisbane, he would be required to move away from his favoured position to accommodate Barba’s brilliance in the number one jersey.
So with the Bulldogs suddenly needing to replace Barba, there was an astute observation that perhaps the Bulldogs and Broncos should simply swap players.
Hoffman isn’t quite in Barba’s class, so the swap wouldn’t exactly be fair or equal, but money could be thrown into the deal to even the ledger up. And at least the Bulldogs wouldn’t be left with nothing – from a personnel standpoint – in exchange for granting Barba a release.
In any case, the potential swap was squashed when Hoffman declared he wanted to stay at Brisbane, and potentially to move to five-eighth.
However, if Hoffman was open to moving to the Bulldogs, it stands to reason that an arrangement that benefited all parties could have easily be worked out.
Which naturally raises an interesting question: should the NRL formally introduce official player trades?
My opinion is an overwhelming ‘yes’.
Though the details and rules would need to be thoroughly thought out, there’s a lot of merit in allowing clubs to trade players.
Contracts provide security and assurance to both players and clubs. However, there invariably comes a time when either a player would like to leave a club, or a club would like a player to go.
In such instances, a club is always required to honour a contract, or runs the risk of legal issues, yet players generally seem to have their wishes fulfilled one way or another.
The introduction of player trades could potentially enable both player and club to sever ties in a mutually beneficial manner.
In the face of increasing player power, there certainly needs to be a system in place that helps protects the clubs.
I’m sure fans in the nation’s capital would agree with me.
The Canberra Raiders have been forced to lose Todd Carney, Joel Monaghan and Josh Dugan in the past due to disciplinary issues. Their current fullback Anthony Milford has asked for a release from his contract, and there were reports last week that Origin winger Blake Ferguson has done the same.
In all five cases the potential to trade a player would ensure the Raiders aren’t left with nothing when a contracted player leaves the club.
The Raiders aren’t the only club that could have benefitted from a trading system.
Representative players Luke Lewis and Michael Jennings left the Penrith Panthers in acrimonious circumstances after last season. The two players were no longer wanted by the club, and neither wanted to be at the club. They therefore moved to the Cronulla Sharks and Sydney Roosters respectively.
Both players were on significant money at Penrith and are undeniably talented. Yet the Panthers not only got nothing in return when the players left but are reportedly still paying part of Jennings’contract with the Roosters.
Trading the players would have enabled the Panthers to get something in return for two stars departing the club, if they so desired.
You could list countless other examples where a trade would have been a useful option for a player and/or club in the NRL.
As mentioned, the details and rules would definitely need be carefully considered and designed before such a system is implemented, but I think it’s a no-brainer.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Mushi, I don't mind admitting that you've thoroughly confused me, mate. Perhaps that is my own doing though. Just one question, are you assuming that I believe that a new player trade system could trade a player without their wishes? If you are, I'm not.
mushi
Guest
“I would imagine clubs would like the option or risking the next player may not be happy, rather than risking getting nothing at all.” Um of course they would, the get a free option. Under you system they have gained a great deal of flexibility and control that they didn’t have the day before and given up nothing for it. Why not throw in the ability to just halve players salaries when they feel like – I think they would like that also.
mushi
Guest
It is self defeating Ryan the only way you’ve balanced the fairness for the outgoing player is: “But teams rarely trade for a player without checking if said player is going to be happy the new club, right?” “By the same token, a club won’t want to trade for a player that does’t want to play at that club – I’m sure they would do their due diligence before trading for a player.” And yet the entire reason we are discussing this is because you believe the clubs can’t be expected to take that risk on after having more time, access and opportunity to do their due diligence. So either: A) clubs are able to readily gauge the level of desire of a player and are knowingly taking on a quantifiable risk and therefore shouldn't need the protection of trades or b) clubs aren’t readily able to gauge the level of desire but you are more than happy to screw the other player that is sent packing and amend their contract It can’t be both ways like you keep twisting it Ryan. I agree that they should build in financial penalty for early release but surely we can see that simply kicking the risk can down the road to an innocent bystander isn’t a solution that remotely approaches “fair”
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
The Broncos are reportedly going to pay the Bulldogs compensation if they release Barba, which is essentially a transfer fee under a different guise, isn't it? I'm not being smart, I'm legitimately asking, because it seems like that's what it amounts to. Anyways, I think there is a role for official player trades in the NRL. You think there is not, based on legal grounds. Fair enough, I'm no lawyer - much to my mother's disappointment - so I'll take your word for it, even thought I think it could be worked around. I'm off to watch Watto score a hundred.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Ryan - The only way that can happen must involve either a transfer fee (illegal) or some form of player trading which involves a degree of coercion such as the AFL system which legal precedent strongly suggests is also illegal. Without either of the above you simply have what we have now, free agency.If player x from club d wants to go to club c and club c want him and player y from club c wants to head to club d and club d want him then there is nothing to stop it happening now, but it is just a chanc result of free agency.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
When did I say they happen all the time? If you could just point out where I said that, that would be great. The point of the article was that clubs deserve the opportunity to ensure they are not left with nothing when contracted players decide they want to leave the club, or when the club has to part ways with contracted players.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Not backtracking at all. You said player trading would be spat out in the High Court. I gave an example of a major sport in Australia that currently has a trade system already implemented, which just highlights that such a notion is not impossible or without precedent. I never said the NRL should adopt the exact same model. In fact, twice in the article, I said that the rules and details of any system would need to be carefully thought out and considered, and that includes any legal ramifications. The fact that trades have already happened in the NRL, and that one was discussed this very week, highlights that formalising a system may have merit.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Also if (voluntary) player trades now happen all the time in the NRL as you say they do, and you are not in favour of an AFL type system (which is illegal) then what may I ask is the point of your article?
Glenn Innes
Guest
You are backsliding mate, you are the one that mentioned the AFL trading system not me, now what you are talking about is simply one player signing with a club and another signing with that players former club. There is nothing to stop that happening now if both players agree to it but I doubt it will happen very often because any player with half decent management will want to test their value on the open market rather than agree to a simple player swap.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Settle down, mate. When did I ever declare that players involved in trades could have it done against their wishes? That's right, I didn't. Why would something end up in the High Court if all parties involved were happy with the outcome? If part of a potential NRL player trade system is that it has to be mutually beneficial and mutually agreed to, of course it could be implemented. Brisbane and Canterbury DID discuss a trade involving Hoffman and Barba, but Hoffman wanted to stay. The Gold Coast Titans traded Steve Turner to Melbourne in 2007. The truth is that trades already happen in the NRL, just not under an official rule. Just be careful with the 'research' and 'silly replies' comments, Glenn, because it's you that looks like the one that's done no research and made a silly comment.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Ryan if you have an expert tag by your name you need to do some research before making silly replies - read some law textbooks and get back to me.
Glenn Innes
Guest
No AFL player has taken it to court ,if they did the whole AFL system would collapse.Remember League tried to introduce a draft but the Federal court declared it illegal Indeed one of the judges declared that footballers have as much right to choose their employer as anyone else and the idea that they can be traded like slaves is absurd - it was the Terry Hill case. As for transfer fees the Federal court booted them out back in the late sixties.The AFL play their players overs to keep them away from the courts - but their day will come.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Depends how it's implemented. You do realise the AFL has player trades, don't you?
Glenn Innes
Guest
Player trading would be chewed up and spat out by the High Court quick smart.
Myles Stedman
Roar Guru
Damn Ryan! Had been thinking this for ages - had never thought to put pen to paper!!
Sleemo
Guest
"Alot of Ryans ideas are chicken and the egg. You get rid of one system only to introduce another system full of the same if not worse problems. I tried to explain this to Ryan yesterday, but again i was shot down like Red Barron on a peace treaty." Oikee you were probably shot down because your solutions are not directed at what's best for rugby league, they're directed at what's best for the Brisbane Broncos. Big difference there. Your comment earlier about how silly it was for the Broncos let DCE go is the only post where you've said anything even slightly critical or denegrative about the club.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
I don't want a trade system just for player unhappiness. That is just one reason to bring in a trade system, but is also the topical one at present. And no, it's not self-defeating. The entire point of a trade is that clubs don't lose players for nothing. As you've pointed out, there is risk attached to every transaction/signing. But weighing it up, the risk is: losing a player for nothing, versus potentially getting a quality player in return. I would imagine clubs would like the option or risking the next player may not be happy, rather than risking getting nothing at all. Hi Oikee.
oikee
Guest
Cherry-Evans is not a no name, he came from a legacy of footballing players. As Ken has mentioned, the only reason the Broncos did not keep him was they had a halves pairing, or they thought they did but got exposed, caught out with no clothes on.
oikee
Guest
Alot of Ryans ideas are chicken and the egg. You get rid of one system only to introduce another system full of the same if not worse problems. I tried to explain this to Ryan yesterday, but again i was shot down like Red Barron on a peace treaty.
mushi
Guest
Um Ryan isn’t that kind of self defeating: you want a trade system because of the uncertainty around player happiness. So clubs can’t even tell if the free agents that openly chose them are going to be happy but they can far more accurately gauge it for a guy that is compelled to play for them despite signing a contract elsewhere will be? As to a formalised system how more formal does it need to be? Doesn’t any layer of formality make it more difficult to use?