Monday Buzz: How secret Storm raid on Tino Fa’asuamaleaui sent NRL market out of control

The NRL player market has hit a frantic new phase and it can all be traced back to a secret poaching raid launched by Melbourne Storm, writes PHIL ROTHFIELD.

Reece Walsh is currently on massive unders. Picture: Getty

The NRL player market is spiralling out of control.

If front-rowers Payne Haas and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui are worth $1.2 million or more a season, what is Brisbane Broncos fullback superstar Reece Walsh worth? Or Nathan Cleary?

It’s all about supply and demand, market pressure and timing.

This masthead can reveal why the Titans had to put Fa’asuamaleaui on the $12 million mega deal last week.

Because, quietly behind the scenes, Melbourne Storm offered him a lifetime deal on similar money.

Tino’s agent goes back to the Titans and says: “This is what you’re up against.”

So with the Titans skipper locked down and off the market, it increases the value of Haas even more.

No doubt about it, Haas is a great player.

A front-row forward with a phenomenal motor and now 100 games of experience.

Tino Fa'asuamaleaui recently signed a $12 million mega deal. Picture: Getty

But there are other great front-rowers too.

Is he better than James Fisher-Harris, who has laid the foundations for Penrith’s extraordinary dominance over three years?

Is his form better than Addin Fonua-Blake, an absolute wrecking machine for the Warriors?

Then you’ve got the other middles like Lindsay Collins at the Roosters, Patrick Carrigan, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Joe Tapine at the Canberra Raiders.

It’s become a really interesting situation where front-rowers are starting to dominate the market.

In the great 2017 Melbourne Storm team it was all about the spine players – Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Munster and Billy Slater.

They had Jesse Bromwich, Jordan McLean and Dale Finucane as middle – on peanuts compared to what is being thrown around these days.

Reece Walsh is worth $1.6 million, writes Phil Rothfield. Picture: Getty

The same when the Roosters were winning comps – Cronk, James Tedesco, Luke Keary and Jake Friend were soaking up the big bucks, not the front-rowers.

Which brings us back to Walsh, this incredibly gifted Broncos fullback already being compared to Slater or any of the great fullbacks.

He’s still just 21 and earning $450,000-a-season.

Walsh will go onto the open market in November next year.

If front-rowers are now worth $1.2 million plus, he’ll surely go to $1.6 million or more and become the highest paid player in any football codes in this country. Even more than Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s rugby union deal. And certainly worth it.