Free Agency- The Solution

[CC_Roosters]

Right with all this talk of a draft in the News Ltd press, it is frustrating the shit out of me and isn't even relevant to the problem of players signing mid season for contracts beginning the following season.

Here is the solution, a regulated and enforced free agency period.

1) No and i mean absolutely NO signings between end of FA and the final whistle in the GF. First grade squads of 25-30 players to be declared before kickoff, with only player transfers after as explained in 3)

2) Restricted free agency (RFA)- November 1st, running for 4 weeks. For players coming off contract. Current club has right to first offer, this sets the minimum amount that other clubs must match to enter negotiations for the player. To stop clubs stacking a huge offer to deter initial offers from other clubs, it is then the minimum they must pay for the player even if no clubs make a matching offer

3) Unrestricted free agency/player transfers- from close of RFA to Round 3 or 4. Players out of contract, free for all! And contracted players up for grabs, but salary cap penalties apply to the club signing a contracted player. Probably controversial and very likely a restraint of trade but IMO protects the smaller clubs from poaching of their best on contract players, especially with the likely boost in the cap coming the clubs way.

A significant advantage of this is that all player movement is in the off season, meaning the game gets greater coverage in a normally quiet december period.

Discuss and shred

 

[muzby]

my call:

- no draft for juniors. allow clubs to develop their own players, and let those who want to take a karl filliga/mcnicholls style gamble like cronulla do that & waste their own money.

- either a draft or a player trade system for those coming off contract. greg inglis wants out? get players of equal value, either one, two or however many it takes..

 

[carlosthedwarf]

No need for point 2, just makes it complicated.

It's easily fixed. Allow clubs to sign their own players anytime. At 12pm the next day after the Grand Final teams can sign players who are off contract. Any talks with players who are under contract results in salary cap penalties.

Then it's fixed.

 

[CC_Roosters]

No need for point 2, just makes it complicated.

It's easily fixed. Allow clubs to sign their own players anytime. At 12pm the next day after the Grand Final teams can sign players who are off contract. Any talks with players who are under contract results in salary cap penalties.

Then it's fixed.

Not so sure. Allows clubs to mantain squad integrity more, especially the premiers as the rest of the comp is usually gunning for their players right away.

 

[nqboy]

Proving breaches has always been and will continue to be the problem.

 

[carlosthedwarf]

Not so sure. Allows clubs to mantain squad integrity more, especially the premiers as the rest of the comp is usually gunning for their players right away.

There's no need if you let clubs re-sign their own players whenever they want though. If a player doesn't sign before then, then they go to the open market.

Rugby League doesn't need a complicated transfer system.

 

[applesauce]

Right with all this talk of a draft in the News Ltd press, it is frustrating the shit out of me and isn't even relevant to the problem of players signing mid season for contracts beginning the following season.

THANK GOD SOMEONE SAID IT!

 

[eozsmiles]

On point 2 - What is the idea behind the current club setting a base price? What if a player just wants to leave and will take less money to live in a certain city etc because of family or lifestyle reasons?

If someone like DCE decided he wanted to play for a QLD team, is that team obliged to match the offer Manly puts in? And does DCE have to stay at Manly if their original bid is highest?

 

[docbrown]

I agree with the concept but I'd prefer to see some modifications to the dates.

From the day of the Opening Game through to one week after Grand Final (or Club Challenge if that moves - say October 15th) the only players that can be signed are clubs resigning their currently contracted players or signing players that did not have an NRL contract in the prior year.

I'd make 15th of November the final day for a club to make a first offer to its player (this should be the last day of the written contract). After that it's an open market.

But all off contract and trades/transfers need to be finalised at the latest one week before kickoff (i.e. end of February).

As you said offseason after internationals - all the talk is about the open market - but then come regular season it's all about the games ahead.

 

[applesauce]

It would help somewhat but I would like to see 1 franchise tag able to be used by each club each season.

The franchise tag would automatically extend the contract of the player for 2years and include a 25% increase in salary that is not included in the cap. A player can only receive the franchise tag once. Put it in the CBA at the end of the year.

Sort a more relevant "NFL franchise tag" for our sporting landscape.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Signings can occur during the off season.

Round 1-10 there is no player movement allowed

Between round 10 and round 13 there is a 3 week transfer window, players can change clubs effective immediately. At all points of the window clubs must be under the salary cap. This can help clubs deal with injuries to key players, and underperforming players. Once this period finishes, there is no player movement allowed, players can't talk to other clubs until their club has finished their allotted games. No contracts can be submitted to the NRL until after the grand final.

 

[CC_Roosters]

On point 2 - What is the idea behind the current club setting a base price? What if a player just wants to leave and will take less money to live in a certain city etc because of family or lifestyle reasons?

If someone like DCE decided he wanted to play for a QLD team, is that team obliged to match the offer Manly puts in? And does DCE have to stay at Manly if their original bid is highest?

If the player wants to leave then he has every right to reject all offers in RFA and become an unrestricted free agent.

The bold point. If it is about the money (for the player) then it is about giving the clubs (who more than likely developed the player) the first rights to his signature. If it is not about the money for the player, at the very least his club gets a period to negotiate without interferance and its not in the middle of the season!

So if DCE really wants to stay at manly and he is finishing his contract this year. Manly have an exclusive period to make an offer to him according to their valuation. When the offer is made, DCE can reject or accept it. If he rejects, other interested clubs can then make an offer matching or exceeding Manlys offer, which then removes the restricted FA tag. Otherwise, if Manlys offer is not matched before the end of RFA then DCE becomes an unrestricted free agent. Btw manly can choose not to even make an offer and notify other clubs he is a free agent.

i conceed the restricted free agency complicates things a touch.

Another interesting twist would be whether to allow super league clubs access to restricted free agents or not

 

[docbrown]

Between round 10 and round 13 there is a 3 week transfer window, players can change clubs effective immediately.

I think the vast majority of fans don't want a draft.

I'm actually uncertain though as to how many would want a midseason transfer window.

What stops a marquee player shifting midseason? One week they're playing for Canterbury, next week they're playing for St George. If you're a little kid (yes somebody please think of the children) I think you'd get upset by that.

In my opinion you shouldn't be allowed to play against the team you started the year with. Either sit on the sidelines, go to a lower tier or go to the UK. I just think it's a bad look.

 

[docbrown]

i conceed the restricted free agency complicates things a touch.

Another interesting twist would be whether to allow super league clubs access to restricted free agents or not

You're on the money with it.

Super League clubs should be made to wait till after the RFA is over.

 

[nqboy]

From the day of the Opening Game through to one week after Grand Final (or Club Challenge if that moves - say October 15th) the only players that can be signed are clubs resigning their currently contracted players or signing players that did not have an NRL contract in the prior year.

What about players swapping mid-season by mutual agreement to alleviate pressure on the cap or to allow a club to buy another player who can cover injuries better than the one that is leaving?

 

[Marshall_magic]

I think the vast majority of fans don't want a draft.

I'm actually uncertain though as to how many would want a midseason transfer window.

What stops a marquee player shifting midseason? One week they're playing for Canterbury, next week they're playing for St George. If you're a little kid (yes somebody please think of the children) I think you'd get upset by that.

In my opinion you shouldn't be allowed to play against the team you started the year with. Either sit on the sidelines, go to a lower tier or go to the UK. I just think it's a bad look.

The players would be under contract for the rest of the season at least. In the deal they can do a deal. Let's say the Dragons let Soward go to the Dogs, they can have an agreement that if they play each other again during the regular season Soward has to sit out the game.

Then again no club will release a marquee player mid season unless they are getting a decent deal in reply, the vast majority of these moves would be fringe city/country players at best. My only real concern with the idea is some primadonna players could jump of a sinking ship to go to a top 4 team for the season, then rejoin their original team when the contract expires.

 

[nqboy]

And, of course, $BW can do whatever he damn well wants to with no loyalty required to his teammates, club or the game itself.

 

[CC_Roosters]

The players would be under contract for the rest of the season at least. In the deal they can do a deal. Let's say the Dragons let Soward go to the Dogs, they can have an agreement that if they play each other again during the regular season Soward has to sit out the game.

Then again no club will release a marquee player mid season unless they are getting a decent deal in reply, the vast majority of these moves would be fringe city/country players at best. My only real concern with the idea is some primadonna players could jump of a sinking ship to go to a top 4 team for the season, then rejoin their original team when the contract expires.

I dont think that will go down well in rugby league tbh. it works in european football, where there is a different culture to player transfers and different domestic competitions such as knock outs where it can apply

And, of course, $BW can do whatever he damn well wants to with no loyalty required to his teammates, club or the game itself.

It will be the 1st amendment- the SBW rule!

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

I see nothing wrong with the current system as it is.

 

[docbrown]

What about players swapping mid-season by mutual agreement to alleviate pressure on the cap or to allow a club to buy another player who can cover injuries better than the one that is leaving?

Yeah I don't know. I'm mixed about the trade window mid season. Obviously a trade won't happen with injured players so who are they trading? Seems to me just the fit guys unhappy with their current club.

If the player isn't happy at the club and doesn't get picked up in the trade window, they've pretty much stated their unhappiness publically. It would make the rest of their season rather uncomfortable.

Perhaps the club has to release the player first (with the player's agreement) then if another club wants him then they buy him. If he's not picked up during the mid-season transfer window then that's his NRL season done.

That would prevent marquee players from shifting at least because there's no guarantee they'll get offered a better contract if few clubs are biting.

The players would be under contract for the rest of the season at least. In the deal they can do a deal. Let's say the Dragons let Soward go to the Dogs, they can have an agreement that if they play each other again during the regular season Soward has to sit out the game.

Imagine if that happened on Grand Final day though.

Then again no club will release a marquee player mid season unless they are getting a decent deal in reply, the vast majority of these moves would be fringe city/country players at best. My only real concern with the idea is some primadonna players could jump of a sinking ship to go to a top 4 team for the season, then rejoin their original team when the contract expires.

I reckon you'd see some primadonna marquee players having a whinging about coaches, wanting to go on the open market as a threat. I just think it's a bad image.

Like I said, if the club has to release them first then there's no guarantee they'll get a top contract so that reduces the risk of that.