Rugby Australia to target top NRL talent

[taste2taste]

I think this stance by the NRL is more aimed at the agents. They have more to lose than the players.

If Shifoski ( spelling ) makes a living by being the agent of 5 NRL players and he gets degristered by the NRL for shopping a contracted player ( Lomax ) hes out of business.

If agents don't talk to R360 then none of the NRLs players can be signed by R360

Simple as that.

 

[BuffaloRules]

I think this stance by the NRL is more aimed at the agents. They have more to lose than the players.

If Shifoski ( spelling ) makes a living by being the agent of 5 NRL players and he gets degristered by the NRL for shopping a contracted player ( Lomax ) hes out of business.

If agents don't talk to R360 then none of the NRLs players can be signed by R360

Simple as that.

Sounds to me the agents have a bigger argument for restraint of trade than the players

 

[Gobsmacked]

There's millions of businesses that disqualify people from working within their organization based on a range of factors.
There's golf clubs that won't register you without the concent of a member.

Provided you're not discriminated against based on race or religion ect ect, the NRL have ever right not to register a player.

Restraint of trade is a stretch at best.

 

[taste2taste]

Sounds to me the agents have a bigger argument for restraint of trade than the players

Agents get de registered all the time, none have gone to the courts.

Why is everyone suddenly an expert on Restaraint of trade law ?

 

[Chimp]

Sounds to me the agents have a bigger argument for restraint of trade than the players

They probably have - forget the legalities, this is all about the NRL and clubs showing their teeth.
They’re making a statement that if you wanna take the gamble and go to R360 (using all the years of NRL development, and the profile you’ve now got because of the NRL), don’t think you can just waltz back into the NRL if it all goes wrong.
It’s all about making R360 seem like too big of a gamble to take.
- R360 feels like a risk because it sounds too good to be true from a financial perspective (gazillions in salary and zero tax).
- R360 already feels like a risk that you might go, and then not actually get paid because the money isn’t really there (remember Toronto Wolfpack)
- R360 already feels like a risk because it’s shitty rugby union, a shit concept of make believe teams, and an even shitter concept of expecting people to sit and watch 4 games of shitty boring Union back to back
- R360 already feels like a risk, because even if it makes it off the ground, its likely to fail in a year or two due to its shittyness as a concept….

And now, even if you deem all of the above still a risk worth taking - the NRL and clubs are showing the intent of slamming the door shut on coming back.

This deterrent will work.

 

[taste2taste]

- R360 already feels like a risk that you might go, and then not actually get paid because the money isn’t really there (remember Toronto Wolfpack)
-

Funny you should mention that, I was just reading this article

Toronto Wolfpack players finally paid salaries after five-year battle

Players from former Super League club Toronto Wolfpack have received their salaries after a five-year legal campaign

www.theguardian.com

 

[taste2taste]

- R360 feels like a risk because it sounds too good to be true from a financial perspective (gazillions in salary and zero tax).
-

Is there any evidence these players are being offered gazillions ?

Haas manager said they want minimum 3m pa but no offer was made by R360

Jai Gray has been offered 900k AUD

One of Unions biggest stars George Ford said he was offered £1m and he turned it down.

Sounds to me that R360 are offering contracts only slightly higher than what these players already earn.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Agents get de registered all the time, none have gone to the courts.

Why is everyone suddenly an expert on Restaraint of trade law ?

This situation is different as it affects all the agents though … I would expect they will fight it …

 

[BuffaloRules]

They probably have - forget the legalities, this is all about the NRL and clubs showing their teeth.
They’re making a statement that if you wanna take the gamble and go to R360 (using all the years of NRL development, and the profile you’ve now got because of the NRL), don’t think you can just waltz back into the NRL if it all goes wrong.
It’s all about making R360 seem like too big of a gamble to take.
- R360 feels like a risk because it sounds too good to be true from a financial perspective (gazillions in salary and zero tax).
- R360 already feels like a risk that you might go, and then not actually get paid because the money isn’t really there (remember Toronto Wolfpack)
- R360 already feels like a risk because it’s shitty rugby union, a shit concept of make believe teams, and an even shitter concept of expecting people to sit and watch 4 games of shitty boring Union back to back
- R360 already feels like a risk, because even if it makes it off the ground, its likely to fail in a year or two due to its shittyness as a concept….

And now, even if you deem all of the above still a risk worth taking - the NRL and clubs are showing the intent of slamming the door shut on coming back.

This deterrent will work.

I don’t have an issue with what the NRL is doing and agree with the reasons you have outlined why …. Putting some doubt in the players mind about leaving and just expecting to walk straight back in is a reasonable approach

Unfortunately I don’t expect it to work as a deterrent though IF 360 really gets going … do you really expect the NRL to enforce the bans if large numbers of players leave ? They would just be cutting off their nose to spite their face …they might just have to learn to live with it eventually ..like they live now competing with the likes of Japanese and French Rugby

 

[Gobsmacked]

This situation is different as it affects all the agents though … I would expect they will fight it …

Braith Anasta is a player agent. After yesterday's announcement, do you really think he's going to be negotiating with R360 ?
He'll be telling his players that if they want to talk with this League, they'll need another agent.

I don't really think R360 actually pulled anyone any good yet. RTS and NAS maybe Grey ..
They were starting to throw around the names of Cleary and Walsh.. that's what was put a stop to.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Braith Anasta is a player agent. After yesterday's announcement, do you really think he's going to be negotiating with R360 ?
He'll be telling his players that if they want to talk with this League, they'll need another agent.

Braith Anasta looks after about 5 players …why is he the example you referenced ? More important to me is what the likes of Moses and Tartak do

 

[Gobsmacked]

I don’t have an issue with what the NRL is doing and agree with the reasons you have outlined why …. Putting some doubt in the players mind about leaving and just expecting to walk straight back in is a reasonable approach

Unfortunately I don’t expect it to work as a deterrent though IF 360 really gets going … do you really expect the NRL to enforce the bans if large numbers of players leave ? They would just be cutting off their nose to spite their face …they might just have to learn to live with it eventually ..like they live now competing with the likes of Japanese and French Rugby

This will deter enough people that make it impossible for the League to get going in the first place.
The concept is terrible, streaming on YouTube with second rate players who are over paid.
YouTube revenue will be lucky to cover the wage of a couple of players, if that.
This is going to waste the time of everyone involved.

 

[BuffaloRules]

This will deter enough people that make it impossible for the League to get going in the first place.
The concept is terrible, streaming on YouTube with second rate players who are over paid.
YouTube revenue will be lucky to cover the wage of a couple of players, if that.
This is going to waste the time of everyone involved.

Yep ..like I said I can see the worth of the strategy ,,,, just I don’t expect it to work IF ( capital letters) 360 get going ….. I predict if that happens they will eventually do a deal with Union and the 360 season will fit into a window

 

[Gobsmacked]

Braith Anasta looks after about 5 players …why is he the example you referenced ? More important to me is what the likes of Moses and Tartak do

Because he's in the media, he's reasonably transparent and relatable - we know him, so it's easier to imagine how he'd see it and play it.Maybe those others are different.. but even the players themselves will now be very hard to convince.

How can an agent now leverage an R360 deal to get a better deal from clubs?
They can't.

 

[Jetka100]

It's a threat but it's not Rugby League comp it's a Rugby Union comp and it's not based in Australia and New Zealand but looking at the comments on X and the Roar NRL and PVL are getting stick which I don't see why as he has a job to in the NRL and fair play to him.

Most of them are giving him stick because they are Union supporters who rather than try and improve their own code, hope R360 will cause damage to rugby league and may eventually get them some decent players into union and eventually the Wallabies. PVL is doing the right thing. It is about making R360 seem as risky as possible to prevent it ever getting off the ground, same with the national rugby unions banning players from representative honours. End of the day, if it is deemed worthwhile to change this stance in 4 years time, they could do it in a blink of an eye. Better to go in hard right from the start.

 

[taste2taste]

predict if that happens they will eventually do a deal with Union and the 360 season will fit into a window

It's impossible for R360 to fit in a window. They will never be sanctioned.

For example, Australian players have Super Rugby pre season starting in January and internationals finish in December. They get 1 month off.

The European comps are even more cluttered with some players going a full year with no breaks.

How can you fit in a 16 week R360 comp ?

You can't, therefore it'll never get sanctioned by the unions.

 

[BuffaloRules]

How can an agent now leverage an R360 deal to get a better deal from clubs?
They can't.

They can - through the amount of the other offer and how serious the player is about leaving and how much the NRL club wants to keep them

So according to you it’s case closed now then ?

We’ll have to wait an see

 

[Steel Saints]

When you look at the overall bjgger picture of NRL players, they are on a good wicket. There is no draft, no transfer windows, players change clubs mid season. Players have an element of freedom compared to AFL who have a draft.

It's a good move from the NRL to ban players, if they join r360. The duration of the ban could be argued.

Player agents and the players should focus on the legality of the r360 comp itself, rather than a possible restraint of trade from the NRL. Agents and players should try to dot the i's and crossing the t's with r360. Once they do that, and are happy with r360, then take the fight to the NRL.

R360 looks relatively mysterious where at the moment with less than a year to go, there are no team names, colours, logos, where players are basing themselves and many other logistics.

 

[BuffaloRules]

It's impossible for R360 to fit in a window. They will never be sanctioned.

For example, Australian players have Super Rugby pre season starting in January and internationals finish in December. They get 1 month off.

The European comps are even more cluttered with some players going a full year with no breaks.

How can you fit in a 16 week R360 comp ?

You can't, therefore it'll never get sanctioned by the unions.

They have agreed to release players for international games …

The clubs can probably please themselves ….they are loss makers and a few of them are going broke in the UK,,,,perhaps some oil money will change their minds anyway

 

[taste2taste]

Most of them are giving him stick because they are Union supporters who rather than try and improve their own code, hope R360 will cause damage to rugby league and may eventually get them some decent players into union and eventually the Wallabies. PVL is doing the right thing. It is about making R360 seem as risky as possible to prevent it ever getting off the ground, same with the national rugby unions banning players from representative honours. End of the day, if it is deemed worthwhile to change this stance in 4 years time, they could do it in a blink of an eye. Better to go in hard right from the start.

Bang on ! The AFL and Union trolls have been triggered big time. They were hoping R360 would kill off the NRL

Some Union comments are so delusional they thought R360 would sign Haas, Cleary and Walsh and they would all be playing for the Wallabies in the World Cup.