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First Grade
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Off-season snakes and ladders
Phil Gould | February 15, 2009
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/new...1234028349296.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
How well has your team recruited for the 2009 season? Ideally, every NRL club would like to recruit additional talent - depth is an issue with most teams, and restrictive salary-cap laws, insufficient funding and increasing overheads have taken their toll.
These days most teams struggle to win when their top couple of players are out injured.
The NSW and Queensland Cup competitions are light-years behind first-grade standard. Some clubs are abandoning time-honoured junior representative competitions to save money.
For many years, it seems administrations within the game have grown while the player ranks are shrinking. The NRL and ARL have managed to maintain two costly and overcrowded governing bodies, continued to house staff in rented premises, conducted extravagant CEO conferences and pre-season launches, not to mention exorbitant legal fees and the retention of consultants, counsellors and advisors. The size and cost of the referee ranks and their new technology have swelled.
The number of full-time staff employed by football clubs for admin, marketing, coaching, medical and player welfare has increased significantly over 10 years.
Even our Australian and State of Origin representative teams appear to have a support crew and entourage to rival that of a world-class rock band. It must be getting expensive.
Yet top players have been shipped overseas, forced into early retirement and even off to other codes because the game apparently can't afford them.
The forces of supply and demand tell us that if we somehow increased the number of quality players coming into the market place, prices would come down. As we've now managed to reduce the number of quality players in our game, supply is short and prices for the elite players have increased.
The very best players can demand big money because there are few genuine matchwinners around.
As soon as any kid comes into first grade and shows a clean pair of heels, he's getting huge offers from everywhere, even though at this point in his career he really isn't worth the money. Once the best players set the top payment level, every other player bases their value on this false economy.
The money gets eaten up quickly. The older, average or developing players get short-changed, and player depth in clubs is continually eroded as a result. This affects the quality of games and in so doing threatens the potential value of our game to broadcasters and sponsors.
So the game is forced to cut costs, but it doesn't cut administration or operating costs - we cut player talent. Anyway, I'm getting off track.
Today I just wanted to talk about your club's recruitment for 2009. If you want to improve, or at least hold your position in this competition, you need to keep bringing quality players into your club.
Regardless of the size of your junior league or a general satisfaction with your position on the premiership ladder, there's always a player or two out there who could improve your team.
Wherever possible, you have to get your man.
Clubs that have been quiet during the trading period usually justify the inactivity by saying they are happy with their rosters. The truth is, for most clubs either the salary cap is full or it can't attract the player it really wants because it has become less desirable in recent times.
In any case, a club's recruitments, retentions and releases can say a lot about whether it can improve on last year's efforts and make a tilt at the top eight or even a title. Some look for experience. Other teams need creativity, size or speed. Everyone is looking for talent.
Taking into account the gains and losses as illustrated in the table, how did your team fare during the off-season?
Brisbane
The Broncos have released 10 first-grade standard players - normally a concern - however, they've bought prudently. No doubt they had to free up money to acquire Israel Folau but there isn't a club in the NRL that wouldn't get creative to fit this kid into their team. I love Ben Te'o as a player and Lagi Setu has great potential. On balance, though, you would have to say the Broncos have lost more than they've gained. They have sacrificed a lot of experience and a great deal of speed. No doubt they have some youngsters up there ready to step up, but this list suggests depth could become a problem.
Bulldogs
We see some really big movement here, including a new coach in Kevin Moore, but there had to be. Last year was a disaster. The Dogs have bought creativity and leadership in the form of Kimmorley and Ennis. Morris gives them speed. Hannant and Stagg bring great work ethic. The Bulldogs need more than players, though. They need a change of attitude. Time will tell.
Canberra
Canberra won the Toyota Cup under-20s competition last year so they're relying on a lot of their talented kids to step up in grade this season. They've released 11 first-graders and signed only a couple of players with regular top-grade footy behind them. On the surface it appears their recruitment has lacked the necessary bite but I think it's a sign of faith in their youth and a long-term approach to developing their next top team under new coach David Furner.
Cronulla
The Sharks scored fewer tries than any team in the NRL last season but still finished in the top three. They have bought only four players for 2009, but have a look at them - they are top-quality footballers and all have great attacking ability. No matter which way you look at it, the Sharks' roster has improved and they should surely challenge for the title.
Gold Coast
The Titans have missed the top eight the past two seasons simply because of injuries and a lack of depth. Judging by their comings and goings for this season, I doubt they've improved their roster. They needed to do more at this stage of their development. Hopefully they have some good kids coming through the ranks.
Manly
Manly won the competition last season so salary-cap issues will start to restrict their recruitment strategies. Despite the inevitable loss of some experienced campaigners they've still managed some real value in their buys. They look solid again.
Melbourne
The salary cap punishes success. The Storm have been outstanding for a few years now but the inevitable financial penalties for success are starting to bite. Look at the quality of some of their losses. Ouch! Melbourne have gone backwards.
Newcastle
The Knights have gone for playmakers with their recruitment - a familiar trait of coach Brian Smith. Danny Buderus will be hard to replace so it looks like they've bought three players to do his job. The Knights don't have the budget for expensive buys and still need to prove themselves if they hope to attract big-name players.
North Queensland
Only a few buys but all of them have potential and may well thrive on the change of clubs. The losses could all be rated as steady players so the Cowboys' depth could well be diluted. Mind you, their depth failed them last year too so it's hard to justify hanging onto a squad that failed dismally. They should improve under new coach Neil Henry.
Parramatta
The main recruit at Parramatta this season is new coach Daniel Anderson. They've set him a task, though - no major buys and some quality players walking out the gate. Where are the Eels heading? Anderson will need a magic wand.
Penrith
The list looks depressing for Panthers fans. The club urgently needs talent but just can't seem to attract the better players on the free market. I cannot see them improving based on these losses and gains.
South Sydney
Best and Wesser are genuine try-scorers which will help their cause. On the whole, though, it's hard to see Souths making the finals. They've aimed up at a few big names in recent years and missed the target. That can become a painful habit.
St George Illawarra
Coach Wayne Bennett is the Dragons' biggest recruit for 2009 and he's been very active in the player market to stamp his mark on the place. When you look at the players he's recruited, you can see they are Bennett-style players and they will do a job for him.
Sydney Roosters
The Roosters have been very quiet this summer, #buying an unknown player from England, a rugby player from Gordon and a young Penrith product. Tupou and Roberts are big losses for a team that struggled to score late last season. They will rely on some youngsters to come good.
New Zealand Warriors
Stacey bloody Jones! Where did they pull that one from? A stroke of genius, I say. Genuine playmakers retire too early and I'm so glad to see him back in the NRL. I don't mind their other recruits either. The Warriors are sneaking along nicely.
Wests Tigers
The Tigers keep losing them and can't seem to replace them. Ellis will need massive shoulders if he's to be the saviour. I love this team but I can't see them being better than middle of the road given the continued drain on their roster since they had the hide to win a premiership.
Talent to burn
I read during the week that Wests Tigers might be forced to cut lock Liam Fulton from their playing roster due to salary cap pressure. That's just great. Fulton is 24 years old - another talented player forced from the NRL simply to satisfy some ridiculous accountancy issue and the over-zealous enforcement of the salary cap. How many of you imagined the Tigers might be over the spending limit? The Liam Fultons of this world are far more important to rugby league than these totally unreasonable rules. Where will it end?
Phil Gould | February 15, 2009
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/new...1234028349296.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
How well has your team recruited for the 2009 season? Ideally, every NRL club would like to recruit additional talent - depth is an issue with most teams, and restrictive salary-cap laws, insufficient funding and increasing overheads have taken their toll.
These days most teams struggle to win when their top couple of players are out injured.
The NSW and Queensland Cup competitions are light-years behind first-grade standard. Some clubs are abandoning time-honoured junior representative competitions to save money.
For many years, it seems administrations within the game have grown while the player ranks are shrinking. The NRL and ARL have managed to maintain two costly and overcrowded governing bodies, continued to house staff in rented premises, conducted extravagant CEO conferences and pre-season launches, not to mention exorbitant legal fees and the retention of consultants, counsellors and advisors. The size and cost of the referee ranks and their new technology have swelled.
The number of full-time staff employed by football clubs for admin, marketing, coaching, medical and player welfare has increased significantly over 10 years.
Even our Australian and State of Origin representative teams appear to have a support crew and entourage to rival that of a world-class rock band. It must be getting expensive.
Yet top players have been shipped overseas, forced into early retirement and even off to other codes because the game apparently can't afford them.
The forces of supply and demand tell us that if we somehow increased the number of quality players coming into the market place, prices would come down. As we've now managed to reduce the number of quality players in our game, supply is short and prices for the elite players have increased.
The very best players can demand big money because there are few genuine matchwinners around.
As soon as any kid comes into first grade and shows a clean pair of heels, he's getting huge offers from everywhere, even though at this point in his career he really isn't worth the money. Once the best players set the top payment level, every other player bases their value on this false economy.
The money gets eaten up quickly. The older, average or developing players get short-changed, and player depth in clubs is continually eroded as a result. This affects the quality of games and in so doing threatens the potential value of our game to broadcasters and sponsors.
So the game is forced to cut costs, but it doesn't cut administration or operating costs - we cut player talent. Anyway, I'm getting off track.
Today I just wanted to talk about your club's recruitment for 2009. If you want to improve, or at least hold your position in this competition, you need to keep bringing quality players into your club.
Regardless of the size of your junior league or a general satisfaction with your position on the premiership ladder, there's always a player or two out there who could improve your team.
Wherever possible, you have to get your man.
Clubs that have been quiet during the trading period usually justify the inactivity by saying they are happy with their rosters. The truth is, for most clubs either the salary cap is full or it can't attract the player it really wants because it has become less desirable in recent times.
In any case, a club's recruitments, retentions and releases can say a lot about whether it can improve on last year's efforts and make a tilt at the top eight or even a title. Some look for experience. Other teams need creativity, size or speed. Everyone is looking for talent.
Taking into account the gains and losses as illustrated in the table, how did your team fare during the off-season?
Brisbane
The Broncos have released 10 first-grade standard players - normally a concern - however, they've bought prudently. No doubt they had to free up money to acquire Israel Folau but there isn't a club in the NRL that wouldn't get creative to fit this kid into their team. I love Ben Te'o as a player and Lagi Setu has great potential. On balance, though, you would have to say the Broncos have lost more than they've gained. They have sacrificed a lot of experience and a great deal of speed. No doubt they have some youngsters up there ready to step up, but this list suggests depth could become a problem.
Bulldogs
We see some really big movement here, including a new coach in Kevin Moore, but there had to be. Last year was a disaster. The Dogs have bought creativity and leadership in the form of Kimmorley and Ennis. Morris gives them speed. Hannant and Stagg bring great work ethic. The Bulldogs need more than players, though. They need a change of attitude. Time will tell.
Canberra
Canberra won the Toyota Cup under-20s competition last year so they're relying on a lot of their talented kids to step up in grade this season. They've released 11 first-graders and signed only a couple of players with regular top-grade footy behind them. On the surface it appears their recruitment has lacked the necessary bite but I think it's a sign of faith in their youth and a long-term approach to developing their next top team under new coach David Furner.
Cronulla
The Sharks scored fewer tries than any team in the NRL last season but still finished in the top three. They have bought only four players for 2009, but have a look at them - they are top-quality footballers and all have great attacking ability. No matter which way you look at it, the Sharks' roster has improved and they should surely challenge for the title.
Gold Coast
The Titans have missed the top eight the past two seasons simply because of injuries and a lack of depth. Judging by their comings and goings for this season, I doubt they've improved their roster. They needed to do more at this stage of their development. Hopefully they have some good kids coming through the ranks.
Manly
Manly won the competition last season so salary-cap issues will start to restrict their recruitment strategies. Despite the inevitable loss of some experienced campaigners they've still managed some real value in their buys. They look solid again.
Melbourne
The salary cap punishes success. The Storm have been outstanding for a few years now but the inevitable financial penalties for success are starting to bite. Look at the quality of some of their losses. Ouch! Melbourne have gone backwards.
Newcastle
The Knights have gone for playmakers with their recruitment - a familiar trait of coach Brian Smith. Danny Buderus will be hard to replace so it looks like they've bought three players to do his job. The Knights don't have the budget for expensive buys and still need to prove themselves if they hope to attract big-name players.
North Queensland
Only a few buys but all of them have potential and may well thrive on the change of clubs. The losses could all be rated as steady players so the Cowboys' depth could well be diluted. Mind you, their depth failed them last year too so it's hard to justify hanging onto a squad that failed dismally. They should improve under new coach Neil Henry.
Parramatta
The main recruit at Parramatta this season is new coach Daniel Anderson. They've set him a task, though - no major buys and some quality players walking out the gate. Where are the Eels heading? Anderson will need a magic wand.
Penrith
The list looks depressing for Panthers fans. The club urgently needs talent but just can't seem to attract the better players on the free market. I cannot see them improving based on these losses and gains.
South Sydney
Best and Wesser are genuine try-scorers which will help their cause. On the whole, though, it's hard to see Souths making the finals. They've aimed up at a few big names in recent years and missed the target. That can become a painful habit.
St George Illawarra
Coach Wayne Bennett is the Dragons' biggest recruit for 2009 and he's been very active in the player market to stamp his mark on the place. When you look at the players he's recruited, you can see they are Bennett-style players and they will do a job for him.
Sydney Roosters
The Roosters have been very quiet this summer, #buying an unknown player from England, a rugby player from Gordon and a young Penrith product. Tupou and Roberts are big losses for a team that struggled to score late last season. They will rely on some youngsters to come good.
New Zealand Warriors
Stacey bloody Jones! Where did they pull that one from? A stroke of genius, I say. Genuine playmakers retire too early and I'm so glad to see him back in the NRL. I don't mind their other recruits either. The Warriors are sneaking along nicely.
Wests Tigers
The Tigers keep losing them and can't seem to replace them. Ellis will need massive shoulders if he's to be the saviour. I love this team but I can't see them being better than middle of the road given the continued drain on their roster since they had the hide to win a premiership.
Talent to burn
I read during the week that Wests Tigers might be forced to cut lock Liam Fulton from their playing roster due to salary cap pressure. That's just great. Fulton is 24 years old - another talented player forced from the NRL simply to satisfy some ridiculous accountancy issue and the over-zealous enforcement of the salary cap. How many of you imagined the Tigers might be over the spending limit? The Liam Fultons of this world are far more important to rugby league than these totally unreasonable rules. Where will it end?
