Rugby Australia to target top NRL talent

[Dogs Of War]

BS

Brisbane won the comp this year with Walsh and Haas both on $1M+ contracts

Yep. Not 2x1.4 millon dollar players. And Broncos have players willing to take a little under for the honour of playing for them in the 10-30 positions in the top 30.


That's not happening at the Knights. Knights really need to get that junior nursery pumping out juniors if they want to be any good going forward.

I also like that you compare Haas and Walsh who had a bit of a Hayne type run, no different to the Ponga run we saw a few years ago, to Ponga and Brown who I can't believe any club was stupid enough to take his stupid contract off Parra.

 

[newc18]

The NRL and its clubs spend hundreds of millions of dollars on junior development and grassroots. They should be protected from foreign companies who want to poach talent imo.

No idea if this is legal or not, but good on the NRL for fighting back. The agents will be scared lol.

 

[Dogs Of War]

The NRL and its clubs spend hundreds of millions of dollars on junior development and grassroots. They should be protected from foreign companies who want to poach talent imo.

No idea if this is legal or not, but good on the NRL for fighting back. The agents will be scared lol.

Well you have Rugby Union making the same threats that players will be banned/shunned etc. But end of the day it depends on the player. If you have enough talent, rules will be bent to bring you back into the fold.

 

[Éamonn an Chnoic]

It seems pretty obvious but the NRL seem hesitant to introduce marquee players.

It would make sure our top 34 players are paid well enoght they'd never leave.

Ive seen ppl say it'll make the strong teams stronger but I agree that'll it'll even out the talent.

For example Broncos would make Haas and Walsh thier marquee players meaning the Titans could make Mam one of thier marquee signings. The Broncos get weaker and the Titans get stronger.

NRL doesnt need to spend all its money on stars. They are stars BECAUSE they are in the NRL, how often do you hear about NRL-turned-Union plays (other than referencing how great it is to have a former NRL player in the comp)?

if we change the cap, focus on creating the right incentives.

im in favour of promoting loyalty. therefore, give a % of the salary out of the cap for years of service at a given club (eg. 10years means 40% outside the cap. So a player on 1mil is counted as 600k is they stay at their club)

-players get their big payday if they are loyal
- clubs have an easier time to keep players (the discount is valuable for a player on 1mil or 100k)
- it will push clubs to focus on junior dev

dont spend millions trying to keep a mercenary. Focus on creating the NEXT star

 

[Matua]

Well you have Rugby Union making the same threats that players will be banned/shunned etc. But end of the day it depends on the player. If you have enough talent, rules will be bent to bring you back into the fold.

So far they've only said they'll be banned from test rugby while playing on the competition, which could change if the comp ever got off the ground. I think Argentina has said they'll allow their players to be selected from it. But, I think if WR and the other nations want to play hardball then Argentina will back down.

TBH, there seems to be a lot of unnecessary worry in this thread. I doubt it will happen, there's no excitement for this in rugby.

 

[Wb1234]

Doesn't mean the NRL wants to test it. It's easy to throw idle threats out. Actually going through with them is the real test. And PVL would know that they would likely lose in court due to restraint of trade. The game went through this with Terry Hill and the draft years ago.

Draft was different

They lost the draft cause they couldn’t show a public benefit by having it

I doubt it’s an idle threat Pvl would’ve gotten legal advice

They should have non compete clauses in contracts those are common in business to stop employees changing jobs and taking the firms ip with them

 

[Dogs Of War]

Draft was different

They lost the draft cause they couldn’t show a public benefit by having it

I doubt it’s an idle threat Pvl would’ve gotten legal advice

They should have non compete clauses in contracts those are common in business to stop employees changing jobs and taking the firms ip with them

The case of Hughes v Western Australia Cricket Association Inc (1996) 19 FCR 10 (Hughes)(WACA) is an example of an exclusionary provision being used at the expense of the athlete. In this case, Hughes was banned from playing cricket for any club within Western Australia because of an agreement between the WACA and its member clubs. The agreement excluded all players from competition if they had participated in any cricket matches outside of the commonwealth. In this case it was held that the agreement between the clubs imposed an unreasonable restraint of trade on Hughes and the court ruled that the agreement between the sporting corporations was invalid.

SPORTS LAW - HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY THE NRL DOES NOT HAVE A DRAFT? — Wallace Law Group

If the athletes contract requires the athlete to be subject to a drafting system it can logically be seen that there may be a valid legal argument to assert that the athlete should not be traded and or drafted to a particular club if the athlete feels it is an unreasonable restraint of trade.

www.wallacelawgroup.com.au

So this has been tested before. Good luck PVL. Lawyers would be lining up to take this on.

Now if a player tries to get out of a valid contract. Well that's a different issue.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Even if the ban is overturned in the Australian Courts …all the NRL clubs could join together and not offer the defectors a contract again once they had jumped ship…

Haha ..that would never happen …it’s all about the self interest in NRL clubland …

 

[newc18]

If it's illegal, then just threaten to remove PNG from the competition if they don't change the law lol

 

[Wb1234]

Even if the ban is overturned in the Australian Courts …all the NRL clubs could join together and not offer the defectors a contract again once they had jumped ship…

Haha ..that would never happen …it’s all about the self interest in NRL clubland …

That would be one way around any legal issues

Like afl has a draft cause nobody has ever challenged it

 

[BuffaloRules]

That would be one way around any legal issues

Like afl has a draft cause nobody has ever challenged it

But let’s be honest … if someone like Haas left and wanted to come back you would have the likes of Gould and Politis going the knuckle in the street trying to sign him ..

 

[Wb1234]

But let’s be honest … if someone like Haas left and wanted to come back you would have the likes of Gould and Politis going the knuckle in the street trying to sign him ..

You’re right

But it won’t be guys like haas or Walsh they won’t leave imo.

It’s mid level players like Lomax. I would ban Marky mark too.

Papps Rts and Nelson are retiring after their r360 stints

I still don’t think this happens but I’m happy to lose 20 players if it’s a proper super league war that rips union apart

 

[BuffaloRules]

They should have non compete clauses in contracts those are common in business to stop employees changing jobs and taking the firms ip with them

It’s going to be Intersting …I don’t really expect the bans to work …maybe it’s just a way to try to hold the line before it gets the chance to get underway and put some doubt in the minds of potential NRL recruits

You’re right

But it won’t be guys like haas or Walsh they won’t leave imo.

It’s mid level players like Lomax. I would ban Marky mark too.

Papps Rts and Nelson are retiring after their r360 stints

I still don’t think this happens but I’m happy to lose 20 players if it’s a proper super league war that rips union apart

Even the Super League War both sides get together at the end… I have a touch of unease about this …the NRL might be up against seemingly unlimited money where profit making isn’t a requirement….. let’s hope Union really decides to fight it and not get in bed with it…

 

[nko11]

They can't, NRL could be looking at lawsuit in the future.

Is this like Teddy Swims being cancelled?

It's an internal policy for any returning players. Not a restraint of Trade. It would be a restraint of trade if it was them trying to sue the players after they left or trying to put something in their contracts. Being a policy, doesn't have to put into players contracts.

It's the same as the NRL blocking contract registration for Jarryd Hayne, etc.

As long as it's not based on any of the below, should be fairly legal. An Employer can't legally stop an employee from going to another company (which the NRL is not), but they are fully in control of who they hire. In this case, the NRL can decide which contracts get registered.


And like has been said, the NRL would have a far better legal team than you or I.

 

[taste2taste]

… I have a touch of unease about this …the NRL is up against unlimited money where profit making isn’t a requirement…..

That's not true. The companies behind R360 are investors from the USA and UK, the only company with Saudi links is 885.

If money was unlimited why did R360 have to secure a broadcast deal and 200 players for the funds to be released ?

Why have they only been given funds for 3 years ?

Why didn't they sign Finn Smith or Russell ? 2 of the world's best Union players that have resigned with English Rugby.

I'd say thier money is very limited.

 

[Wb1234]

It’s going to be Intersting …I don’t really expect the bans to work …maybe it’s just a way to try to hold the line before it gets the chance to get underway and put some doubt in the minds of potential NRL recruits



Even the Super League War both sides get together at the end… I have a touch of unease about this …the NRL might be up against seemingly unlimited money where profit making isn’t a requirement….. let’s hope Union really decides to fight it and not get in bed with it…

Ultimately if this goes ahead 90 percent of the players will be union ones

Union will have to pay huge money trying to keep stars and ban players who go

Their finances already are stuffed they can’t afford higher wage costs

Private equity couldn’t make union work

This will go the same way it’s not an attractive sport that people will watch week in week out

 

[BuffaloRules]

That's not true. The companies behind R360 are investors from the USA and UK, the only company with Saudi links is 885.

If money was unlimited why did R360 have to secure a broadcast deal and 200 players for the funds to be released ?

Why have they only been given funds for 3 years ?

Why didn't they sign Finn Smith or Russell ? 2 of the world's best Union players that have resigned with English Rugby.

I'd say thier money is very limited.

It hasn’t been made public where the money is coming from ..as far as I know

what broadcast deal to they have ? How much are they getting ? I thought the plan was to show it for free on streaming sites…

So only one Saudi link then ..; that’s refreshing

 

[BuffaloRules]

Ultimately if this goes ahead 90 percent of the players will be union ones

Union will have to pay huge money trying to keep stars and ban players who go

Their finances already are stuffed they can’t afford higher wage costs

Private equity couldn’t make union work

This will go the same way it’s not an attractive sport that people will watch week in week out

mate I’m not gunna argue over hypotheticals about what might happen …neither of us know or can see the future

 

[Wb1234]

mate I’m not gunna argue over hypotheticals about what might happen …neither of us know or can see the future

Well we all know what super league did here to rugby league. Took the game 30 years to recover.

This will affect union globally. It’s not an issue for rugby league really. Union fans are the ones who should be bricking it

 

[BuffaloRules]

Well we all know what super league did here to rugby league. Took the game 30 years to recover.

This will affect union globally. It’s not an issue for rugby league really. Union fans are the ones who should be bricking it

So why the big song and dance regarding the 10 yr ban (which will never stand up )if it’s “not an issue”