Player movement - trade window

[ek999]

Contracts end on 31 October

 

[Delboy]

Don't think the NRL will be beaten by domestic Yawnion, they are broke

Certainly Euroean and perhaps Japanese Yawnion, and AFL is starting to smart a bit from the silly money it has thrown at teams on the Gold Coast, Western Sydney and even the Swans

Vlad and the Bleak City media mafia are not around as much, and have lost a bit of their punch

 

[Mahela Sangakkara]

Contracts end on 31 October

Yes, you are spot on. Hence make the new contracts expire at 11:59pm 7th of October of that given year and then from 12:01am 8th October on-wards players can sign new contracts. The NRL final is usually never played any later than the first week of October. If not, to be safe make the contract expiry date 11:59pm 14th of October and new contracts can be signed on-wards of 12:01am 15th of October

If the contract have to expire at 11:59pm 31st of October and cant be changed, then new contract can be signed from 12:01am 1st of November on-wards only and be signed by 11:59pm 30th of November. 30 days is quite a bit of time.

Regarding a trade period, perhaps it can be from 12:01am 8th of October -to- 11:59pm 30th of June [the next year]. This means that a player can't be traded from 12:01am 1st of July -to- 11:59pm 7th/14th/31st October and they must stay on the team roster they are on currently, and will get paid for that full duration - even if they are unwanted by their current team. So if a player does get traded or sent to another team they will have 2 full months of regular season games before the finals series begins, if the team they went to makes the 'top 8' for that year

I dont think they can make a trade period cut-off be 11:59pm 28th of February (eg: just before the start of the new season), because of injuries and financial & budgeting reasons teams/clubs may need to make changes in the period of March to June, and also players will also complain legally about 'restriction of trade/employment' if a team wanted to bring in a new player a few weeks in to a new season and the NRL says "oh no, sorry you missed the cut-off of 11:59pm 28th of February". At least a 11:59pm 30th June trade-cut off means the new player plays at least 2 months of regular season footy for their new team. And also for example say a team adds a new player who was unwanted on their current team and then the new team goes on a winning streak and makes the finals and say wins the grand-final it will give the NRL some marketing opportunities as well

 

[Coleworld]

Its quite clear the NRL need a Free Agency Period after the season ends similar to the NFL/NBA and i believe the AFL.

Its just not ideal having players like DCE, Foran, Trent Merrin and RTS announcing mid-season that they're leaving their clubs. The Season should be about the game itself not about player signings.

For players looking for opportunities at other clubs there should be a mid-season transfer period for 1 week during Origin Game 2 as there is a lull in the season at this point.

But honestly i'm sick of hearing players sign elsewhere mid-year.

 

[Canard]

A 'major' signing window of "12:01am 8th of October -to- 11:59pm 30th of November" (meaning: start of the 2nd week of October [by then the grand-final would have been finished] -to- the last day of November) seems the go perhaps - then 1st of December on-wards of that given year, the players can join their new team for preseason training

I agree with 'ek999', in being that the signing window usually only works when that sports is usually the 'highest salary paying' sports. For example the NBA and NFL and MLB European Soccer and the likes who usually can afford to offer the highest money for the player. Whereas the NRL can and is usually beaten in salaries offers by the AFL or Rugby Union (domestic and European league) or say even the IPL-Cricket if the player had cricket skills

Yes, you are spot on. Hence make the new contracts expire at 11:59pm 7th of October of that given year and then from 12:01am 8th October on-wards players can sign new contracts. The NRL final is usually never played any later than the first week of October. If not, to be safe make the contract expiry date 11:59pm 14th of October and new contracts can be signed on-wards of 12:01am 15th of October

If the contract have to expire at 11:59pm 31st of October and cant be changed, then new contract can be signed from 12:01am 1st of November on-wards only and be signed by 11:59pm 30th of November. 30 days is quite a bit of time.

Regarding a trade period, perhaps it can be from 12:01am 8th of October -to- 11:59pm 30th of June [the next year]. This means that a player can't be traded from 12:01am 1st of July -to- 11:59pm 7th/14th/31st October and they must stay on the team roster they are on currently, and will get paid for that full duration - even if they are unwanted by their current team. So if a player does get traded or sent to another team they will have 2 full months of regular season games before the finals series begins, if the team they went to makes the 'top 8' for that year

I dont think they can make a trade period cut-off be 11:59pm 28th of February (eg: just before the start of the new season), because of injuries and financial & budgeting reasons teams/clubs may need to make changes in the period of March to June, and also players will also complain legally about 'restriction of trade/employment' if a team wanted to bring in a new player a few weeks in to a new season and the NRL says "oh no, sorry you missed the cut-off of 11:59pm 28th of February". At least a 11:59pm 30th June trade-cut off means the new player plays at least 2 months of regular season footy for their new team. And also for example say a team adds a new player who was unwanted on their current team and then the new team goes on a winning streak and makes the finals and say wins the grand-final it will give the NRL some marketing opportunities as well

These are clearly jokes or troll posts right?

 

[Captain Apollo]

These are clearly jokes or troll posts right?

You would think so, especially if you did as they postulated you'd have a whole swathe of players unavailable for international matches as they would have no contract, and it is their NRL contract that stipulates they must be made available for rep selection. Imagine a NZ team with no Shaun Johnson for a 4 Nations or Wold Cup because he was off contract? :crazy:

 

[Pete Cash]

Don't like the current system. Its a complete joke. I don't like how players can sign contracts years out from the end of their current deal. Fans grow to like players. I can understand a player doing what is right for themselves. Let's take Milford as an example. Raiders fans watched him play since he was a teenager and grew to like him and wanted to see him grow. Now Milford obviously has roots in Brisbane, has or at least had during the signing period a Brisbane based girlfriend and a lot of reasons for going to Brisbane.

As a fan I don't care about that. I just want to watch my team play. We are the only professional sporting league that allows clubs to approach players still under contract openly. Obviously there are dodgy dealings but if there was a transfer window or anti tampering laws it would stop a lot of the nonsense currently in place.

Let's keep in mind the raiders literally had a season derailed because of the Milford drama which started like 18 months before his contract was to expire and ended up with the raiders going on a massive losing streak to end that season. Ma and pa Milford got so much play in the courier mail it was like they were editors.

That's not fun for fans. Neither is the ole sign with another club with the intention of back flipping before June 30th as a bargaining tool. It sucked when papalii did it to parra even though my club benefited. Its simply madness that this is allowed.

All because the tabloid press want to publish transfer rumours. f**k them. The integrity of the game and fans actually enjoying a side for what it is year to year is more important.

The odd player might switch codes every so often but that's hardly a reason to avoid doing something about the frankly laughable situation that's in place now.

 

[hutch]

I might be the only person who doesn't care if players sigh elsewhere at any stage during the season. At least we know where they stand and we don't have to endure an entire year of speculation. Doesn't bother me a bit. I understand most people feel differently though so if they bring in a transfer period, so be it.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Part of the problem is actual the length of the season. Consider that many clubs start pre-season training by the beginning of November, yet the Grand Final is the first weekend in October leaves what a 3 week window to negotiate a new contract, move (possibly interstate or overseas) and be ready for pre-season with a new club?

You look at other sports who have them (e.g. English Premier League, Us Sports) they have long seasons, but they also give their players a longer off season than rugby league players get too. That is why it is not quite as much of an issue there.

You will probably only get the players agreeing to it if they get a longer off season than they currently do. Until then we are just going to splutter along as we are cause if the NRL try and impose one I'll bet my hind teeth the players will fight it tooth and nail.