There is a very important quote in yesterday's 'The Australian' newspaper in relation to the Benji Marshall playing in Japan saga - see highlighted bits below. Not sure how credible this report is, but the RU governing body might allow him to go play in Japan anyway.
Link:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25070458-5012431,00.html
Tigers call on NRL to review guest stints
Stuart Honeysett |
February 18, 2009
Article from:
The Australian
BENJI Marshall is close to signing a long-term deal with Wests Tigers but that hasn't stopped the club from urging the NRL to review its hardline stance on players topping up their earnings with guest stints in rugby union.
The Wests Tigers halfback has been exploring the possibility of playing union in Japan when his contract expires at the end of the year.
Although the Tigers are keen to retain him, NRL contracts will not allow clauses allowing players to dabble in the rival code.
That left Marshall with the prospect of allowing his deal to expire, play in the Japanese competition from November to February where he stood to earn $1million, before returning to sign with Wests Tigers.
It is understood Marshall is waiting on a decision from Japan over the use of non-capped players in its competition but his manager Martin Tauber is not anticipating a favourable outcome.
If that is the case, then Marshall will sign a new deal with the Tigers before the season starts next month that would tie him to the club until the end of the 2013 season. "If the (Japan) plan goes the way we think it will, it would mean that it's all over red rover and we just get on with signing a new deal with the Tigers," Tauber said.
Wests Tigers chief executive Scott Longmuir said the talks had been positive to date. "We had a good meeting with his manager last week and our expectation is something will be resolved shortly," Longmuir said.
Longmuir said he would consider raising at the next chief executives meeting whether it is time for the league to re-examine the laws regarding its playing contracts. Marshall is not the only player to be affected by the rules as former Penrith captain Craig Gower was denied the opportunity to play for an Italian club in 2006.
Gower ended up seeing out his contract with the Panthers in 2007 before heading to France to play union.
St George Illawarra chief executive Peter Doust also floated the idea of players being allowed to do both before he lost centre Mark Gasnier to Stade Francais.
"It's just like someone paying a third party for a player's services," Longmuir said. "If there's money on offer that people are prepared to pay then the game needs to consider all those things if it means there's an opportunity for players to play overseas, earn some money and still be part of the NRL.
"On the other hand I understand the NRL's philosophy. They're protecting the integrity of the game."
NRL chief executive David Gallop said yesterday he was happy to discuss the idea but he couldn't see anything to change his stance.
"I can't see how it's in rugby league's interests to allow players to play rugby union," Gallop said.
"We're under pressure every year to reduce the workload on elite players and to risk them getting injured playing in our competitor's code is not something many businesses would agree to.
"Secondly, there's the potential for salary cap implications where players are supplementing their NRL salary with effectively payments from a third party."
Gallop also rejected suggestions comparing the situation to Cricket Australia allowing its star players to take up lucrative IPL contracts. "They're still playing cricket, they're not playing baseball," Gallop said.
