Crawley Files: 10 best NRL players to build a club around

If all the best players in the game were off contract right now, who would you want your club to splash its cash on? Paul Crawley gives his top 10.

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Dean Pay says that when Canterbury have room to move under their salary cap the Bulldogs will look to buy a franchise player to build their future around.

It poses the question, if all the best players in the game were off contract right now, who would you want your club to splash its cash on?

With Billy Slater and Johnathan Thurston retired, and Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk nearing the end of their careers, along with Greg Inglis and James Maloney, I’ll put forward my top 10 just for argument’s sake.

In no particular order I’d go: Cameron Munster, Sam Burgess, Josh Hodgson, Jason Taumalolo, Kalyn Ponga, James Tedesco, Luke Keary, the Trbojevic brothers, Tom and Jake, and Nathan Cleary.

Cleary, I hear you say? Well, you tell me another 21-year-old in the game, aside from Ponga, who would have been feeling the pressure Cleary was under last Friday night and still come up with two clutch moments that ultimately decided the result against Wests Tigers?

Nathan Cleary celebrates his clutch conversion for the Panthers. Picture: Getty Images

Firstly, it was the sideline conversation as the fulltime hooter sounded in the background.

That was followed by a 40m field goal in extra-time that handed the Panthers two vital points which could turn their season around.

No, it wasn’t Cleary’s finest game for the most part, and his partnership with Maloney this year just hasn’t clicked.

But if there were any doubts about Cleary’s place in the NSW halves, I believe those final few minutes put them to bed.

Nathan Cleary celebrates kicking the winning field goal in golden point against Wests Tigers. Picture: Getty Images

For a young playmaker who has been under such scrutiny since he arrived on the scene, Cleary has done an incredible job to develop his game on and off the field.

Phil Gould said this week that two years ago Cleary couldn’t kick to save his life. But once again it showed the value of hard work, and why Cleary is a born leader.

I sometimes think Cleary has become the new Mitchell Pearce for people to bag just because picking on the NSW No.7 seems like the popular thing to do.

But this young man is an asset to the game and deserves to stand alongside the superstars.

LISTEN! Matty Johns is back with his latest podcast and with Paul Kent and James Hooper runs the rule over struggling team, takes a look at what makes a great halfback and has his say on the modern coaching problem. Plenty of laughs to be had as well.

MADGE’S IRE

Michael Maguire likes to keep his feelings to himself aside from the occasional blow-up at his players. But I’d love to be a fly on the wall if Maguire runs into Anthony Seibold tonight.

There was plenty of build-up last week for Ivan Cleary taking on the Wests Tigers. But don’t underestimate tonight’s game when Maguire takes on Seibold for the first time.

Those who know Maguire say he is still filthy on Seibold for cutting his grass at Souths and the talk is that the two haven’t spoken since Maguire was sacked and Seibold took his job.

Maguire brought Seibold across from Manly when Seibold was frustrated at the Sea Eagles and looking for a way out. So to say Maguire was shocked at how it transpired at Souths is an understatement.

Maguire also went for the job at Brisbane but missed out to guess who?

It would be some payback to take the battling Tigers to Brisbane and knock off a team that has started the season 1-3 with pressure building on their new coach.

Michael Maguire. Picture: Getty Images

Anthony Seibold. Picture: AAP

NASTY ROLL

There has plenty been said about Tevita Pangai Jr’s “dog shot” on Cooper Cronk last week.

But Melbourne winger Suliasi Vunivalu’s crocodile roll on young Canterbury fullback Nick Meaney was every bit as cheap and nasty.

Don’t tell me that leg twist wasn’t an intentional act and it certainly didn’t paint the Storm in a good light given all their complaints about our complaints regarding their wrestling tactics.

I can’t imagine you learn that type of trick growing up playing rugby union in Fiji.

Vunivalu copped a one-week ban that will run him out of the game against North Queensland this week.

He should have got more.