Dean Ritchie: Does NRL’s quietest off-season in living memory show bad boys have finally learned?

The anti-social idiots who dragged the NRL through the sewer have finally grasped what destruction they did to our game. DEAN RITCHIE explores this unusually quiet off-season.

After years of reckless and damaging off-field behaviour that stained rugby league, it seems the knuckleheads have finally learnt.

The anti-social idiots who dragged rugby league through the sewer have eventually grasped what destruction they did to our game.

The behaviour of NRL players through the 2023-24 off-season has been exemplary and NRL boss Andrew Abdo has credited rugby league’s “no-nonsense” approach.

Usually a time for shenanigans and unwanted headlines, the players’ conduct when free and unrestrained through summer has been faultless.

There have been 120 mischief-free days in a sport known for its drama.

Remember the 2019 off-season from hell when the NRL dealt with 24 off-field incidents?

No one is naive enough to think that player atrocities are a thing of the past but the game’s stars have been setting new standards in professionalism and manners.

This masthead once ran a daily “atrocity metre” that showed how many days it had been since the last drama.

Andrew Abdo says the NRL’s no nonsense approach is paying off. Picture: David Becker/Getty Images for NRL

It would reset when the next player disgraced himself. In the dark days, sometimes the atrocity metre didn’t reach double digits.

Rugby league had 66 scandals between 2015 and 2019. Twenty-one of those allegations involved assault.

Let’s not regurgitate the worst of them because rugby league’s image right now is squeaky clean.

As an NRL reporter for 35 years, I cannot recall a more disciplined off-season from our stars.

The only text messages I have received through summer have pointed out what players have accomplished in the community.

It’s a far cry from when players regularly disgraced themselves, their club and the game from November to March when away from the daily discipline and structure of their clubs.

After repeatedly being told that their ugly exploits harm the game, it appears the message has finally sunk in. It has taken some time and patience but we have finally got there.

“I’m confident our policies, education programs and a no-nonsense approach to misconduct is now second nature to everyone in the game,” Abdo said.

“The players are professionals and partners in the game. The NRL, clubs and RLPA work together to maintain the standards expected in a professional environment.”

Valentine Holmes found himself in trouble in September. Picture: NRL Imagery / Stephen Gaunt

NRL historian David Middleton added: “It would have to be the quietest off-season for player trouble in living memory.

“That’s not to say something won’t happen at some point but the off-season has been a dream for the NRL.” A big test will come when the Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs head to the bright lights of Las Vegas for the opening NRL round in March.

However, the players have been warned about the ramifications of any off-field indiscretions.

The NRL is selling itself to a giant, foreign land and will not tolerate some fool landing in a police cell.

Without putting the kiss of death on player conduct, it has been a case of so far, so good since the grand final in October.

Dragons player Junior Amone was deregistered last month for a hammer attack but the incident happened in November, 2022.

Val Holmes’ white-bag drama last year happened in September.

Although rarely in any trouble, the NRLW players have also been well behaved during the summer months.

“Every weekend we get to see the superb performance of our players on the field,” Abdo said.

“However, the contribution they make to their communities is sometimes hidden from view.

“So many players lead wonderful community initiatives in their spare time and those interactions help change lives.”

Technically, rugby league’s off-season will end when the trial games kick off in the middle of next month.

Let’s hope and pray no one stuffs up a flawless off-season between now and then because rugby league appears to have finally grown up.