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Few issues divide the rugby league community more than a player draft, and so it proved again when the prospect was raised by NRL chief executive Dave Smith.
Speaking in relation to the drugs scandal engulfing the code, Smith said an internal draft had been raised as one of many possible contingency plans should a club be ravaged by suspensions.
Of the six NRL clubs in ASADA’s sights, it is believed as many as 14 Cronulla players are facing the prospect of suspension for the use of banned substances in 2011.
Needing to ensure the Sharks remain competitive to maintain the eight games the NRL’s broadcast deal requires, Smith suggested a pool of players could be generated from players at other clubs.
Wests Tigers superstar Benji Marshall left little to the imagination as to his thoughts on the subject, particularly with six former Tigers teammates already on the Sharks books.
“To be honest, I think it’s a s**t idea,” Marshall said.
“I wouldn’t want any of my teammates to be put through that, put to the sword and (be told) `we don’t want you, you can go play for Cronulla’
“I’m happy to keep our players.
“Other teams can do it but just keep our team – we’ve already lost enough.”
Tigers teammate Chris Lawrence was far more diplomatic, but said rival NRL clubs should not be made to pay for the mistakes of others.
“You probably wouldn’t like it at first, but you just have to get on with it,” Lawrence said of being forced to move clubs.
“I’d hate to see a draft implemented just because of these problems and having to lose players … for us who have done nothing wrong.”
Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys denied anyone from the NRL had spoken to him about the possibility of supplying players for clubs stripped bare due to drug suspensions.
But Humphreys said there could be a positive in establishing a draft in certain circumstances.
“There would be some players who would see that opportunity as one they’d like to pursue,” Humphreys said.
“It would have to be a collaborative and co-operative process.”
Speaking in relation to the drugs scandal engulfing the code, Smith said an internal draft had been raised as one of many possible contingency plans should a club be ravaged by suspensions.
Of the six NRL clubs in ASADA’s sights, it is believed as many as 14 Cronulla players are facing the prospect of suspension for the use of banned substances in 2011.
Needing to ensure the Sharks remain competitive to maintain the eight games the NRL’s broadcast deal requires, Smith suggested a pool of players could be generated from players at other clubs.
Wests Tigers superstar Benji Marshall left little to the imagination as to his thoughts on the subject, particularly with six former Tigers teammates already on the Sharks books.
“To be honest, I think it’s a s**t idea,” Marshall said.
“I wouldn’t want any of my teammates to be put through that, put to the sword and (be told) `we don’t want you, you can go play for Cronulla’
“I’m happy to keep our players.
“Other teams can do it but just keep our team – we’ve already lost enough.”
Tigers teammate Chris Lawrence was far more diplomatic, but said rival NRL clubs should not be made to pay for the mistakes of others.
“You probably wouldn’t like it at first, but you just have to get on with it,” Lawrence said of being forced to move clubs.
“I’d hate to see a draft implemented just because of these problems and having to lose players … for us who have done nothing wrong.”
Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys denied anyone from the NRL had spoken to him about the possibility of supplying players for clubs stripped bare due to drug suspensions.
But Humphreys said there could be a positive in establishing a draft in certain circumstances.
“There would be some players who would see that opportunity as one they’d like to pursue,” Humphreys said.
“It would have to be a collaborative and co-operative process.”
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