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Opinion
Teams residing at the bottom of the NRL ladder year on year and without any obvious prospects that suggest they will improve in the short term, are problematic.
Any fictitious belief that a salary cap ensures clubs will all have their turns in the premiership window should be parked at the door before reading on.
Third-party deals, supposed destination clubs, the lure of a quality coach and the players’ desire to get themselves into a winning environment quick smart, all make the cap a little comical at times.
NRL fans under the age of 30, the most important ones in my view, will quickly rattle off the teams that are always in the hunt. Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters, South Sydney and the modern Panthers machine will top their lists.
Since 2000, of the 46 grand final spots available, those four clubs have occupied 23 of them, meaning that on average, one of the four has been in the NRL decider annually.
The other 23 spots have been filled by 11 clubs. The Sea Eagles, Cowboys, Bulldogs, Broncos and Eels have had their moments since the turn of the new century, all featuring in three or more grand finals, but the numbers suggest a significant divide.
In a perfect NRL world, clubs would come and go, rise and fall and fans could be assured of a certain rebirth based on the supposed financial parity instilled in the mechanisms of the competition. However, for a multitude of complex and convoluted reasons, that is simply not the case.
Newcastle lived a nightmare from 2014 to 2019, finishing no better than 11th and collecting three wooden spoons along the way. In fairness, it has been little better on either side of that period and the club remains non-competitive when it comes to premiership glory.
Is it time to introduce some levers that would aid clubs incapable of saving themselves? (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
The Gold Coast Titans, despite many a star wandering through the region and failing to deliver, have two finals appearances in the last 12 seasons and will do well to buck that trend in 2023. As for the Wests Tigers, well, where do I start?
The once great club has an average finishing position of 12th across the past 11 seasons and frankly, is nothing but a whipping boy in the modern game. The Dragons now loom as a fourth club set to suffer over an extended period, with nothing better than seventh on the ladder to boast about since 2012.
Canterbury, Parramatta, Brisbane and others have also spent decent periods in or near the cellar since 2000, yet are far different cases when it comes to the dysfunction being seen at the Tigers.
It begs the question as to whether the ARL Commission should be doing something more to alleviate the situation, as the AFL grapples with the idea of a mid-season trade period that would assist the teams mired to the bottom of the ladder.
Should the NRL be doing something similar, something greater, or something different to drag Wests from their own heap of incompetence, mismanagement and poor decisions? Or is helping an interruption to natural competitiveness and an insult to clubs who appear to get things right most of the time?
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Tigers in 2023. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Perhaps. But the damage done by a useless Tiger brand in the NRL over an extended period of time cannot be simply dismissed. Fan disillusionment, the impact on attendance and the commercial realities all would be concerning for the powers at be.
It is far too simple to apportion blame on a club and turn away without realising that each and every competitor is an important cog in the wheel. Whilst not competing realistically for a premiership every single year, it is important that the NRL has 17 teams in there fighting and realistic chances of winning 8-10 games per season.
Like the Knights of old, that is not currently the case with the Tigers.
Perhaps a national draft is required, to gift the Tigers a couple of young stars to develop. A mid-season trade period where clubs can shuffle the decks and look for a better mix of talent that quickens their rebound might be worth talking about.
Better yet, a stricter salary cap that tightens up the rather murky waters of third party payments should probably be considered, as should father/mother and son rules and exemptions in the cap for juniors development by the club for whom they now play. (Yes, I know, the Panthers will be tough to beat if that rule was implemented).
There are levers that can be pulled by the NRL to avoid uncompetitiveness. Some will care little, more interested in their team and simply say, “Tough luck Tigers, it’s your own fault.”
However, in an already compromised draw where a gift win or two could potentially make the difference for competitive teams looking to play finals, it seems a little foolish to turn a blind eye.
Perhaps every team could hand over one player to the Tigers just to help them out as a sign of goodwill? Nah, I’m not sure Wests would even be able to take advantage of that.