OT: Has the NRL run out of players?

[Frenzy.]

I won't post this with full confidence in the accuracy of the info but I do expect it will be in the ballpark. It is sourced from the fan site,

Number of roster spots open

Club

Spots left

? most significant loss

Brisbane Broncos	5 roster spots	Flegler, Palasia, Farnworth
Canberra Raiders	3 roster spots	Wighton
Canterbury Bulldogs	5 roster spots	Averillo, Alamoti
Cronulla Sharks	0 roster spots	Graham
Gold Coast Titans	0 roster spots	Sexton
Manly Sea Eagles	2 roster spots	Tuilagi
Melbourne Storm	7 roster spots	Nikorima, Sims
Newcastle Knights	6 roster spots	Young
New Zealand Warriors	3 roster spots	Sironen
North Queensland Cowboys	7 roster spots	Hiku, Tamou

Parramatta Eels	4 roster spots	Hodgson
Penrith Panthers	3 roster spots	Crighton, Lenui
South Sydney Rabbitohs	2 roster spots	Taafe, Knight
St George Dragons	1 roster spot	Sullivan
Sydney Roosters	9 roster spots	Baker
The Dolphins	1 roster spot	Ese'ese
Wests Tigers	0 roster spots	Brooks, Ofahengaue

58 roster spots to fill

None of those vacancies' accounts for back-room machinations, manouveurs, negotiations and dodgy deals but that's a shortfall of nearly 2 complete squads.

The off-contract list from the same source reads like a summary of also rans and utter dross. There's certainly not 58 walk up starts to the NRL.

In terms of the Sharks how will they ever be competitive in the open market until they have something more to offer?

 

[bluefox68]

I know this is an endless discussion, but I still think 18 (if the NRL proceeds with expansion) teams is too many.

I guess they want more games for financial reasons, but not sure on the quality…

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

I won't post this with full confidence in the accuracy of the info but I do expect it will be in the ballpark. It is sourced from the fan site,

Number of roster spots open

Club

Spots left

? most significant loss

Brisbane Broncos	5 roster spots	Flegler, Palasia, Farnworth
Canberra Raiders	3 roster spots	Wighton
Canterbury Bulldogs	5 roster spots	Averillo, Alamoti
Cronulla Sharks	0 roster spots	Graham
Gold Coast Titans	0 roster spots	Sexton
Manly Sea Eagles	2 roster spots	Tuilagi
Melbourne Storm	7 roster spots	Nikorima, Sims
Newcastle Knights	6 roster spots	Young
New Zealand Warriors	3 roster spots	Sironen
North Queensland Cowboys	7 roster spots	Hiku, Tamou

Parramatta Eels	4 roster spots	Hodgson
Penrith Panthers	3 roster spots	Crighton, Lenui
South Sydney Rabbitohs	2 roster spots	Taafe, Knight
St George Dragons	1 roster spot	Sullivan
Sydney Roosters	9 roster spots	Baker
The Dolphins	1 roster spot	Ese'ese
Wests Tigers	0 roster spots	Brooks, Ofahengaue

58 roster spots to fill

None of those vacancies' accounts for back-room machinations, manouveurs, negotiations and dodgy deals but that's a shortfall of nearly 2 complete squads.

The off-contract list from the same source reads like a summary of also rans and utter dross. There's certainly not 58 walk up starts to the NRL.

In terms of the Sharks how will they ever be competitive in the open market until they have something more to offer?

gus has been going on and on about the player market being the tightest it has ever been

theres very little room to move

 

[Quicksilver]

Fitz is the something more.

 

[Special K]

gus has been going on and on about the player market being the tightest it has ever been

theres very little room to move

Because clubs have to make decisions two years out. It is f**ken crazy and stupid. No other sport in the world like it.

 

[Frenzy.]

Next question

Was it wise of the NRL to increase the cap in the same year a new club was brought in?

Did this lead to too many updates to contracts? Has there been an urgency towards retaining "what we have"? Tying players in before an 18th team comes in?

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

id say thats a safe assumption

 

[R-15-3]

Talk of PNG in 2025 that’s ludicrous imo with the government essentially guaranteeing funding.

Fund grass roots regional indigenous footy.
Set up a regional indigenous Center of excellence for a pathway into the NRL. Independent talent scouts giving kids somewhere they can go and stay and be safe and educated in what playing professional sport is like living away from home in the big city, training expectations etc etc

Have a draft system where the top 34 players each year are placed in pairs at each club and supported outside the salary cap.
Do this and we will have a huge influx of indigenous kids playing professional footy.

Then we won’t have a shortage of players and can then look at expanding again.

 

[NotaJourno]

No one will want to move to PNG to play footy, it won't work

 

[shaggs]

No one will want to move to PNG to play footy, it won't work

Money talks.

 

[Frenzy.]

There seems to be a lot of politics in the PNG "bid". Looks more like a political appointment than a bid if the stuff in the following is to be believed

PNG in box seat to become NRL’s 18th team after rival bid’s $11m hammer blow

PNG in box seat to become NRL’s 18th team after rival bid’s $11m hammer blow

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[shadowboxer]

Money talks.

It would want to be a lot of money.

 

[Special K]

It is ridiculous that Connor Tracey is in the top 3 players available for clubs to improve their roster in 2025. He is barely a first grader who will be 29 in 2025. Fix this stupid system PVL.

 

[Mr Angry]

No one will want to move to PNG to play footy, it won't work

Based in Cairns, FIFO for Port Moresby games. Not saying it is good idea, but that would be the plan.