From a rugby league perspective, there are three things I look forward to each year:
1. State of Origin (particularly if NSW win)
2. The grand final (no matter who wins) and
3. The silly season
It’s hard to say when the silly season starts and whether it ever ends. Traditionally though, it kicks off after the grand final and runs all the way through to the end of next season’s trial games.
The silly season is characterized by rumours, fake news (formerly known as lies), denials (generally, more lies), mere speculation, scandal, vitriol and parochialism.
Once upon a time, the silly season was the time when players changed clubs and new coaches were appointed, but these days these things happen on an ongoing basis, and usually when coaches, players and supporters least expect it.
There are no winners in the silly season but the perennial loser is truth itself. The good thing about it is that, unlike the grand final and origin, mere mortals like us can participate along with the players, coaches, clubs and the media.
In fact, without us, the silly season would be as meaningless as the Roosters’ salary cap. All we need is a keyboard, the internet and a forum like The Roar, and we can make stories up with the best of them, pile on to unsuspecting correspondents at will and argue until no one cares or listen any more.
In my opinion, last year’s silly season was one of the best in history and much of the credit for this should go to Latrell Mitchell, the Roosters and Souths. It seemed you couldn’t open a newspaper or turn your computer on without hearing the latest rumours and denials about Mitchell’s playing future.
Sadly, Mitchell probably won’t feature in this year’s silly season, unless he decides that he’s now a hooker and not a fullback, but don’t rule out the potential for both Souths and the Roosters to play their part again. They are two clubs who appreciate the value of the silly season.
The good news is that the silly season has started early this year and is now well underway. Fortunately, it’s not affected by lockdown, and ever-improving broadband speeds promise increased participation. With only five teams a realistic chance to win this year’s competition, it’s an ideal opportunity for the fans of the remaining eleven teams to get busy and do something meaningful in the name of rugby league.
I know that the clubs will also play their part.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Some of the early silly season highlights include:
Wayne Bennett will be coaching (insert club name here) next season.
Cameron Smith is retiring this year, not retiring, moving to the Broncos, giving up refereeing, etc.
Michael Maguire has the full support of the Wests’ board.
Benji Marshall will be joining Blake Green at the Dogs as they implement their “youth first” halves policy.
You can see that the foregoing are just the tip of the silly season iceberg. It’s up to rugby league true believers (you know who you are) to laugh in the face of the global pandemic and make this a silly season to remember.
Get cracking!
mach4
Roar Rookie
The way we are going we may as well sign Steve and Mark Waugh.
mach4
Roar Rookie
Cam Smith to be a referee he has been doing it for years.
mushi
Roar Guru
Yeah understand the football department tax. It would still, if allowable, get around the hard cap. If the team is already willing and able to pay the tax then they'll likely be willing to pay it to get around cap.
Watda
Guest
Exotic Joe takes out Madge too become the King at the Tigers?
Big Daddy
Guest
Wasn't Canterbury always the family club. I wonder who they can get. They did have the Morris boys for a while.
Muzz
Guest
Nice work BB. Broncos have offered Smith a 5 year $8 million coaching deal. They've called it "The perfect Storm"
Tony
Roar Guru
Tier 2 states. Brilliant!
Nico
Roar Rookie
I see the potential for more rivalry rounds which will no doubt lead to increased viewing and also makes the covid bubbles more manageable, I think the addition of Tassie side in origin will be a formality when they adjust the eligibility rules to allow players to represent tier 2 states as well as the main states
Big Daddy
Guest
V'Landys wants to allow islanders to play SOO so we may as well have all the poms eligible and include a few token Aussie's to make up the numbers and play them at Auckland and Twickenham and Wembley.
Tony
Roar Guru
Now you're on to something. What about Darius Bennett to re-unite with father Wayne?
Big Daddy
Guest
It has to be a family thing. Wayne to reunite with son in law at Broncos. Flanagan to coach St George and his son to join him. After all the NRL tell us it's a family game.
Tony
Roar Guru
Wow. Imagine if that was true. You're really good at this Mushi.
Tony
Roar Guru
A couple of innovative ideas there Nico. So would that bring Tassie into State of Origin? How do you see the draw working in those 8 pools of 2?
no one in particular
Roar Guru
There is a 5.9 million "football department" salary cap. That includes coaching staff, recruitment, medical, training camps, basically anything that includes the players. For some clubs that is a tight budget especially if the payout for a sacked coach is included. It also prevents the deferring of a players salary cap, so he can't retire and be the "kicking coach" for the SG Ball team on half a million. This rule has been a soft rule for 3 seasons, giving clubs time to adjust, but becomes a hard rule from October 1. (Teams can and will go over, but are subject to a "tax") Can a player have a second role at a club? That has not been tested in the current environment. The prevailing thought is that is a thing of the past (I think The King was the last captain-coach at Gold Coast), and why would a player want to do it? It is something that players do when they retire is the way of thinking. With the player and football department salary cap both stretched it is not something that a club will want to test. The player may want to be paid as both a player and assistant, but the team may just lean on him and tell him its part of his role as a senior player. I know that Smith, Slater and Cronk all played a role in developing the Storms gameplan for a few years, but they weren't considered "assistants". We have players running water (the role of an assistant) and no one cares and they don't get paid for it. Unless a player does something not related to the on field stuff, like being team physio or is paid to have the training camp on his farm or the supplements company he founded supplies the club, it won't rear its head. It will be interesting when it does happen though
elvis
Roar Rookie
Bradford, it's in Queensland!
mushi
Roar Guru
He'll be quicker on the thumbs down than Joaquin
Tony
Roar Guru
Gladiator 2 - Revenge of the Rooster
Nico
Roar Rookie
So much silliness and that’s even before we get to the inevitable relocation/expansion rumour stories which usually surface after the gf, this year I’m tipping Sharks to merge with the Warriors to relocate to Tasmania to make way for the 2nd Brisbane team while the NRL is then divided into a conference system of 8 pools of 2
mushi
Roar Guru
Wests have already offer lindsay Collins 800k
mushi
Roar Guru
Not a silly season q but a real one. Most salary cap leagues prevent player coaches/administrators so that you can't just ram payments through the front office. Is the same restriction there in league?