The Daily Telegraphs Buzz Rothfield told Fox Leagues Season Showcase on Tuesday that it was a move by the RLPA that will now create a made signing frenzy in the final rounds of the season.
Now what this is going to do is create a mad signing frenzy at the back end of the season so clubs dont have to fill their 30-man rosters until Round 20, he said.
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Rothfield mentioned that he had spoken to Storm recruitment guru Frank Ponissi who pointed out a very attractive factor about the new deadline for those clubs still in the premiership race.
Say something happens to Jahrome Hughes in Round 19 or 20 and (Ponissi) desperately needs a halfback to win the comp. Hes got $200,000 left in his cap but he can actually sign a $600,000 to $800,000 halfback from a club thats out of business because theyre only paying him for the last five rounds.
As it stands, only the Rabbitohs, Warriors, Cowboys and Raiders are the only clubs that have finalised their top 30.
Fox League analyst Greg Alexander believes they are at a disadvantage.
It would have been nice if those clubs were told, he said.
However, Rothfield says they would have been given a heads up.
I think they would have been told… it came up in the last RLPAs collective bargaining agreement.
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NRLs 360 Paul Kent is staunchly against the move.
I dont like it. You can sit there and pick your squad as late as August to run into the finals, thats going to give an enormous advantage to the wealthier clubs, he said.
What about this… If Michael Maguire is looking for a hooker and he says to whoever come here and then suddenly another team goes you know what, why dont get our bloke whos a hooker and put him down with a dodgy injury and then go and get the State of Origin hooker to come and fill his position.
Its so open for corruption.
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The deadline being pushed back by two months also means Cameron Smiths future will remain up in the air even longer if he doesnt make an announcement before then.
Kenty were going to be arguing about Smith until August, Rothfield joked.