The NRL has issues, but the player transfer system isn't one of them

With Rugby League Central and the Rugby League Players Association about to start discussions about a new collective bargaining agreement, one of the hot topics that will no doubt be considered is the player transfer system.

In recent weeks the conversation about whether the system needs to be changed has been in overdrive, partly driven by the contract situations of two players, Kalyn Ponga and Cameron Munster.

But we are only ever one player negotiation away from this issue dominating the media.

The current system seems to work for the media, who can spend weeks writing stories based on rumours and speculation.

Ponga is a perfect example. During the Newcastle Knights game against the St George Illawarra Dragons on 17 April ‘breaking news’ was reported by Channel Nine at half-time – that the Knights had pulled their offer to Ponga. There were then several articles written about whether this was true or not.

Then, two days later, it was announced that Ponga had penned a new deal and agreed to stay with the Knights until the end of 2027.

While all this rumour and speculation bother some fans, I have to say it doesn’t really bother me, and beyond tweaking the current player transfer system – because there is always room for improvement – I don’t see it as being one of the biggest issues in the game right now.

I worked out a long time ago that there was no point clicking on articles based on speculation and innuendo about a player’s future until a club had made an official announcement.

If, as a fan, you are tired of hearing constant chatter about which players will be wearing what jerseys next year, the simple solution is to no longer click on those articles or consume that news.

(Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

As fans we have more power than we think, because the media will write what they think we want to read.

In recent weeks the ongoing story has been ranking the club coaches are under pressure. It comes as no surprise to me that two clubs that seem to generate clicks, like the Wests Tigers and the Canterbury Bulldogs, have dominated that discussion when it could be argued that coaches like Ricky Stuart, Justin Holbrook and Adam O’Brien should be under even more scrutiny.

If you are sick of the rumour mill, stop engaging in it.

It also doesn’t bother me that players sign well in advance of heading to their new clubs. I wish it bothered me more, given that my club, the Parramatta Eels, have already lost five players to rival teams for 2023.

But it certainly hasn’t changed my support for the five players still in blue and gold this year, and if you question their dedication, I urge you to watch Ray Stone’s performance against the Melbourne Storm and then come and speak to me.

The fan anger about this situation seemed to boil over in the last off-season given the number of players who signed for new clubs in 2023 with a year still to play at their existing clubs.

One such player was Brandon Smith. When Smith announced he would be joining the Sydney Roosters from 2023, the criticism of him continued.

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

In response to his appearance on the YKTR Sports podcast, Melbourne Storm GM Frank Ponissi said:

“The whole podcast I found disappointing … he’s a contracted player and he’ll be given an opportunity to show he really wants to be here.”

No doubt clubs want ultimate success and want to make sure that the players wearing the jersey are completely committed to the club during their contracting period.

But does this loyalty go both ways?

The reality is that players have short careers. During those short careers, which can be impacted at any moment by injury, they need to maximise their earning potential.

We expect loyalty from our players, but as fans the minute that players no longer fulfil their purpose, we are happy for them to be discarded.

If we want loyalty in the game, it has to go both ways.

One of the reasons suggested for radically changing the player transfer season is that the conversations around signings can be distracting.

My view is, given these players are professional athletes, it should take more than a couple of contract negotiations to tilt a season off-kilter.

But on that topic, there is a separate conversation to be had about the NRLW, where the contracting window for the 2022 season opened with two weeks remaining in the 2021 season.

For me, and also for several players and administrators I have spoken to, this was a baffling decision given that players are unable to sign for longer than one year, meaning that all players effectively came off contract at once.

In a competition where the women are not full-time professionals and so many players compete because they love playing rugby league with their teammates, these are the types of discussions that could have derailed a season.

The focus must be on ensuring that these women are supported to succeed in the NRLW. The current contracting model undermines this approach, especially given my understanding that very few players put pen to paper in those two weeks while the season was still taking place.

While small tweaks can potentially be made to the men’s transfer system, it’s the women’s transfer system that interests me more, particularly the impending CBA negotiations.