***Official*** NRL 2008 Thread

[Burgey]

Sea Eagles vs Eels
Cowboys vs Broncos
Titans vs Panthers
Sharks vs Knights
Bulldogs vs Warriors
Raiders vs Roosters
Rabbitohs vs Tigers
Storm vs Dragons

Edit: can we declare it over now?

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Sea Eagles vs Eels
Cowboys vs Broncos
Titans vs Panthers
Sharks vs Knights
Bulldogs vs Warriors
Raiders vs Roosters
Rabbitohs vs Tigers
Storm vs Dragons

 

[chaminda_00]

With respect, you can't really compare normal salary and wage earners like us, with the likes of Gasnier. Obviously, with the salary most of us are on, if someone offered to double it, we would likely leave our current job. However, our current salaries are nowhere near likely to set us up for life.

By contrast, Gas was already on $500 000/year, and thus (at just 26 years of age) he was well on his way to never having to work again. Particularly given that his current contract expires when he is just 29 years of age, thus giving him another five years to play overseas and earn the big bucks anyway.

I would have thought the oppotunity to play in the best competition, play Origin, probably be the next captain of Australia, have a shot at a premiership, and therefore (with the above) achieve enormous professional satisfaction, would have been enough to keep Gas here - and then after that, at just 29 years of age, go overseas for the big pay day.

What if he had another major injury and his career was over? 500,000 may sound a lot but it is all reality to what your potential earners are. I think many people underestimate how little there is to achieve to the NRL after five or so seasons. There is only so many goals you can achieve in the game.

 

[Craig]

Well I would say winning a Premiership is one goal he could certainly aspire to. I would say that rank pretty much right up there for most players as a goal, after making it to the NRL.

And then you think how lucky Shane Perry was to get a winning GF Premiership Ring.

 

[James90]

Just tipped every game for the rest of the season featuring the following teams in end of season ladder order:

7. Canberra 28
8. Newcastle 26
--
9. Parramatta 26
10. Penrith 25
11. Gold Coast 24
12. New Zealand 24
13. Wests Tigers 22
14. South Sydney 20

I thought Penrith were a sure thing but they have to play Manly twice, Melbourne and travel to Canberra and Auckland.

Souths have no chance whatsoever having to play all of the top four sides.

I'd say Canberra are just about a sure thing as I gave them a loss traveling to Townsville and they still came out on top.

 

[chaminda_00]

Well I would say winning a Premiership is one goal he could certainly aspire to. I would say that rank pretty much right up there for most players as a goal, after making it to the NRL.

And then you think how lucky Shane Perry was to get a winning GF Premiership Ring.

Lots of great players go through there whole career without winning a Premiership. And lots of crap players win Premierships as well. I don't think it is as big as people make it out to be. It is more of team thing then personal thing really Realistically though the chances of Bennett turning around the Dragons side in 2-3 seasons to win a Premiership aren't that high.

Also you think Benji or SBW would quit tommorrow saying he won a premiership and achieved what he wanted from the game.

 

[Mister Wright]

Wallace extends his contract until 2012 and Broncos sign Tigers backrower T'eo and Michaels re-signs for 2 years. Also sign 7 Toyota Cup players.

Only Boyd and Stagg yet to sign deals with Brisbane.

 

[Prince EWS]

And then you think how lucky Shane Perry was to get a winning GF Premiership Ring.

Yeah, luckiest man alive. Persisting in the Queensland Cup for years playing out of his skin, never giving up his hopes and dreams despite being constantly overlooked for lesser players, then finally getting the call-up and doing the job required of him to a great standard, having a top season and putting in a top-notch grand final appearance before watching as all the praise went to his outside man and his own efforts were downplayed and forgotten.

Doesn't get much luckier than that, does it?

 

[James90]

Sea Eagles
Broncos
Panthers
Sharks
Warriors
Roosters
Rabbitohs
Storm

 

[howardj]

What if he had another major injury and his career was over? 500,000 may sound a lot but it is all reality to what your potential earners are.

Seriously, I don't know too many guys who, in their mid-twenties, suffer career ending injuries.

I think many people underestimate how little there is to achieve to the NRL after five or so seasons. There is only so many goals you can achieve in the game.

It falls back to the individual, I guess. Guys like Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler, Laurie Daley, Darren Lockyer etc had all captained their country (except perhaps Johns) won premierships and Origin series early on in their careers, and yet remained in the NRL. They'd achieved it all, but still found it fulfilling to do it all again and again.

 

[howardj]

Smith Threatens Strike Action

Is this guy serious? In the end, players get paid what the game can afford. Personally, I don't think $500 000 for the very elite players per year is too bad, considering the game is only followed in two states of Australia. Granted, the very elite players in AFL earn $800 000 per year, but AFL is followed in all states and is a truly national game. It's simplistic of Smith to frame all this as just a salary cap issue, especially considering several clubs are already in financial strife.

 

[Burgey]

Smith ****s me no end. He and Melbourne are worse nigglers than Gallen and the Sharks. It was punishing to watch what they got away with v the Tigers on Monday.

 

[Simon]

Yeah, luckiest man alive. Persisting in the Queensland Cup for years playing out of his skin, never giving up his hopes and dreams despite being constantly overlooked for lesser players, then finally getting the call-up and doing the job required of him to a great standard, having a top season and putting in a top-notch grand final appearance before watching as all the praise went to his outside man and his own efforts were downplayed and forgotten.

Doesn't get much luckier than that, does it?

Agree with you, forgetting how crap Perry is now he did the job that was asked of him and imo was unlucky not to win the Clive Churchill Medal in the GF.

 

[Craig]

Yeah, luckiest man alive. Persisting in the Queensland Cup for years playing out of his skin, never giving up his hopes and dreams despite being constantly overlooked for lesser players, then finally getting the call-up and doing the job required of him to a great standard, having a top season and putting in a top-notch grand final appearance before watching as all the praise went to his outside man and his own efforts were downplayed and forgotten.

Doesn't get much luckier than that, does it?

You took that out of context to what I meant.

 

[Craig]

Smith ****s me no end. He and Melbourne are worse nigglers than Gallen and the Sharks. It was punishing to watch what they got away with v the Tigers on Monday.

Are you the CEO of Parramatta?

 

[James90]

Players vote Mason as most over-rated

Not sure if this has been posted yet. I reckon Soward would have to run him close.

 

[Simon]

Players vote Mason as most over-rated

Not sure if this has been posted yet. I reckon Soward would have to run him close.

Soward has been pretty good lately and tbh no one really rates him that highly.

 

[chaminda_00]

Smith Threatens Strike Action

Is this guy serious? In the end, players get paid what the game can afford. Personally, I don't think $500 000 for the very elite players per year is too bad, considering the game is only followed in two states of Australia. Granted, the very elite players in AFL earn $800 000 per year, but AFL is followed in all states and is a truly national game. It's simplistic of Smith to frame all this as just a salary cap issue, especially considering several clubs are already in financial strife.

The players get paid what the clubs can afford, but there a lot more money that comes through the game direct to NRL. That never goes back to players or the clubs, especially when it comes to rep players and money from State of Orgin. Again $500k may sound like a lot to your average punter, but it really nothing compared to what you get overseas or in other codes.

There is a major issue with player exdous and it isn't going to be stopped unless some measures are put in place.

 

[Craig]

But you also have to look at it, that the money has to cover a lot of things in rugby league that the NRL doles out, stuff like advertising, grants to clubs, grassroots footy and similar development programs etc. it does add up.

 

[howardj]

The players get paid what the clubs can afford, but there a lot more money that comes through the game direct to NRL. That never goes back to players or the clubs, especially when it comes to rep players and money from State of Orgin.

Really?

The fact is that rugby league returns more money back to the players than codes such as AFL or cricket. There is no hidden stockpile.

Again $500k may sound like a lot to your average punter, but it really nothing compared to what you get overseas or in other codes.

...because those competitions generate more money.

There is a major issue with player exdous and it isn't going to be stopped unless some measures are put in place.

Such as what?

The game is 100 years away from being able to compete with offers of $1 million per season. If Gasnier is such an attractive product then he should be able to generate sponsorships such as the one Lockyer has with Nike; the one Ponting has with Adidas etc. It shouldn't all fall back on the NRL.