Still Nutty
Juniors
- Messages
- 870
To be honest, I hope this doesn't turn into a trend, as in players signing elsewhere and then being allowed to leave immediately. Because ultimately we become the biggest loser in that.
It's a bit of a double edged sword - it was pretty obvious last year that Beau Scott was just making up the numbers for us once we allowed him a release to sign with the Eels this year...I honestly expected more from him at the back end of last year considering the club went out of its way to consider his compassionate circumstances and expected that to be repaid with a big effort for the end of the season with us.
That was a different situation to Tapine but the concern would be even greater from a player who has already shown his allegiance will lie elsewhere in 2017. I don't begrudge him the opportunity but the NRL needs to take a firmer line on these contract negotiations and signings that occur for a season ahead.
Rather than a release, maybe the NRL needs to consider an option for the loan structure offered in soccer for ''excess'' or under utilised players so that the owning club of a contracted player can at least consider a better capacity to get value out of that remaining contract, particularly where that player has made themselves less attractive for the last part of their contract to the owning club but might still be a commodity that is of some value at least under the cap?