Jarryd Hayne made his return to Rugby League two weeks ago amidst a storm of who, what, where, when, and how, finally signing with the Gold Coast Titans.
Hayne managed to simultaneously excite the entirety of the Gold Coast, while cheesing off nearly all of Western Sydney.
The decision not to re-sign with the Parramatta Eels is one that has copped a lot of heat, especially from the Eels fans themselves who saw Parramatta as Hayne’s rightful home, a place that he owed his career to.
However right or wrong that may be, Hayne has revealed that he simply wasn’t given an offer to take. The constraints surrounding the Parramatta club very nearly meant the superstar fullback wasn’t going to return at all.
While Hayne was always going to sign with someone, Parramatta or not, the man himself believes that situations like this are serious issues for the competition and can deter the best football players in the world from coming to the NRL.
Is the famed “war chest” the solution? Hayne certainly thinks so.
In a recent interview with Nathan Hindmarsh following his field goal heroics over the Tigers, Hayne spoke of the need to improve the game he has come back to and how to do it.
“If you want to be the greatest game of all, you need the greatest players of all” said the former 49er.
Hayne believes that the NRL’s secret monetary reserves should definitely be used to get the best players there are, but the NRL’s ideology on the situation is all wrong.
“The mentality to sell the games is like that, the mentality to get players from other codes is not like that”.
Even bringing up giants of world rugby Dan Carter, Matt Giteau and even Jonny Wilkinson as prime examples, noting that the NRL should have been able to use a similar “war chest” scenario to lure them into rugby league years ago.
Ever the humble man, Hayne went on to talk about how the NRL needs to draw in big name players like himself, men that can draw the crowds, sell the merchandise and the memberships.
“It’s a business now,” he says.
“When the NRL begins to understand that, that’s when they’re going to grow the game dramatically.”
Cedric
Guest
been alot of talk; but can anyone name a rugby player who should be bought cause they would be outstanding in league? if I owned a club I wouldn't buy a current top player, .maybe cause I don't think there's any that could be outstanding. I would do as alot of others do get them super cheap out of the NZ junior rugby ranks. Why would you pay alot of money for someone who maybe good or outstanding. When the junior rugby guys are cheap and if they don't work out you haven't lost alot of money!
Cadfael
Roar Guru
If there is a "war chest" the NRL would have to designate which club a player went to. Clubs couldn't go out on the market and chase players like they do now. If the NRL puts in the funds, they have the right to say where the player goes.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Brilliant...
Norad
Guest
but but league is the greatest game of all.....
The Barry
Roar Guru
Are you fair dinkum? I think you've got it back to front. The answer to your question about how many union players were available to league pre turning pro is 99.9%. Basically all of them. Why on earth would amateur rugby players be off limit to professional league clubs? Before 95 it was only the top couple of players in the world that made any sort of a living from Union. The rest were easy targets for rugby league clubs. Easy. Once Union went professional the players from every top tier country were being paid at least as well as league players - there was and remains little financial imperative for them to switch codes.
Norad
Guest
Of course. How many RU players before 1995 were really available for league? Answer: only a handful who were at the top. After 1995 every RU player in the world became available to NRL. So yes i am aright.
John
Guest
Sounds a bit like a slaves market.
pete bloor
Guest
But jimmmy by that rationale the game is screwed when Thurston retires. Performance is always relative, there will always be elite players. The league is best served by convincing as many 10 year old kids that this is the arbitrary rule set where grown men chase each other for them.
pete bloor
Guest
Um if the war chest is deployed by the nrl then by definition the "choice" can't remain with the clubs.
pete bloor
Guest
So stadiums were overflowing and there wasnt a single club in trouble 2 years back when hayne played?
pete bloor
Guest
Not really, the idea behind the cap is wage control. So if the league thinks it can only afford Xm having a marquee allowance just breaks it or redistributes. The A league needs it, but there isn't really any evidence that there is a lasting benefit to marquee players if you are already the marquee comp.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
That wasn't what was stated ,it was very clear.It is of course a small pond in world sports,but is hardly a small pond in Australasia,and that is where the NRL talent is derived in the main. Nothing wrong with a competitive Interantional rl ,may it continue to grow.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Haven't ignored junior ru players from NZ,my posts elsewhere in this thread suggest so.But I perhaps have ignored junior rl players who ended up playing ru,because their school provided scholarships or ru only playing. Yes I did overlook M O'Connor but he took a while to adjust at the Dragons,but I can't think of any other really successful Aussie ones at least until going back to Brass,Fairfax . Since the code went openly pro 20 years ago to be precise.I won't even bother discussing shamateurism in France and cast boots in this country.. I would really like to know and have not heard of late ,NRL clubs chasing high profile ru players ,in the first place,whether they are interested or not.Clubs these days want instant results. If players choose to play rl from another code,that's the law of supply and demand,and ditto the reverse applies. As more rl is being played in the PIs and more opportunities avail themselves for NZ youth,it is commonsense to utilise talent available.
Agent11
Guest
Yeah was going to say... I think beale would struggle in NRL. I wouldn't have him at my club for big money, thats for sure.
pronto
Guest
The NRL is of high standard of course but in a small pond. The Aussie teams should dominate international RL but somehow manage to keep the others close...
pronto
Guest
have you ignored all RU players from NZ and the pacific Islands that fill the NRL. You have overlooked a local Michael O'Connor without thinking about it and since the code went pro in 1996 (20 years ago) no high profile RU has left because they have no need. I think there are 40 dual internationals.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
"The NRL isn't of a great standard". Compared to what? That's one of the funniest comments I have read.SBW had no qualms in coming back for a stint, in this so called "not great standard competition". Ever thought maybe NRL club CEOs look at rl players first both here and from the UK/NZ/PNG ,then junior ru players.It's easy to get your fingers burnt paying huge bucks for a non rl player whoo is a dismal failure.
TMurph
Guest
Great point, which is exactly what's happening in OZ rugby union.
Emcie
Roar Guru
The problem with the nrl switching it's focus to poaching players from other codes is that it'll just create an arms race. The nrl will just end up in a situation where it's paying overs for a few unproven players and having to pay overs for current players to stop them getting poached in return.
TMurph
Guest
It's an option for guys like Semi Radradra who couldn't get a Euro contract at a young age or Jordan Rapana who couldn't get a regular start with a super rugby club but why else would a player move unless they can get considerably more money.