Wayne Bennett’s radical plan to introduce an NRL contract bank an fix transfer system ‘circus’

Wayne Bennett has called on the NRL to introduce a radical plan to fix the transfer system “circus”, saying the only opponents to the idea are those who reject transparency in the player market.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 23: Coach Wayne Bennett is seen during a Dolphins NRL training session at Suncorp Stadium on March 23, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Rugby league’s most senior coach, Wayne Bennett, has blasted the code’s current transfer system as a “circus” and called for an NRL contract register to wipe out the threat of salary-cap “corruption”.

Bennett has proposed the ARL Commission introduce a ‘contract bank’ where clubs interested in an off-contract player must formally disclose their financial offers to the NRL and the salary-cap auditor.

The Dolphins super coach says lodging offers with the NRL would help with salary-cap transparency and ensure competing clubs know exactly how much is being offered to sign a potential recruit.

Bennett was left bemused by the recent battle for the signature of Canberra’s NSW Origin star Jack Wighton.

Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett and forward Felise Kaufusi. Pictutre: Getty

The Dolphins were considered the major threat to the Raiders, but South Sydney prevailed in the bidding war, despite the Rabbitohs allegedly tabling the cheapest deal to Wighton.

It is understood Wighton sacrificed around $1 million over a four-year term to join good mate Latrell Mitchell at Souths in his quest for a maiden premiership ring.

There is no suggestion Wighton or the Rabbitohs did anything wrong.

However, Bennett believes an NRL transfer window should be complemented by a contract bank where formal offers must be lodged with the NRL to ensure full disclosure.

“If we want transparency in our game, then let’s show the amounts the clubs are offering for players,” Bennett said.

“The current player market has become a circus.

“The NRL should have an official register where if a player is off-contract, and he gets an offer, those offers are tabled and disclosed to the NRL.

“The only people who would see the amounts offered would be the interested clubs.

“The general public or media wouldn’t see the bids, but the NRL already knows what our salary-cap positions are, so why can’t they have a register where they see who the bidders are and the exact offers players are getting?

Jack Wighton’s Rabbitohs signing created waves. Picture: Getty

“They do it in the AFL. You have to lodge the deal with the AFL and clubs can see what is being offered for a player.

“You never see all this contract drama in the AFL because it’s done much more professionally. But it wouldn’t suit certain people in our code because there can be deals done upon deals and it’s not right.

“If we bring this system in, there’s no risks with salary cap (breaches) or any corruption or other contract promises that are made.”

Bennett is adamant clubs can be hoodwinked in the bidding process for a player.

“At the moment, a manager or club can inflate figures to stop a player changing clubs or get their clients a better deal,” Bennett said.

“There’s a lot of systems around the world. Soccer is the most cutthroat sport in the world and even they have a transfer window system that works.

“This (an NRL Contract Register) is a bloody great idea.

“Everybody in the bidding process would know what they are dealing with.

Bennett has proposed a radical change to the way NRL transfers operate. Picture: Getty

“So for example, if I’m from Wests Tigers, I want to see what’s been offered to Jack Wighton. OK, there’s offers on the table from the Dolphins, Canberra and the Broncos … and this is how much they are offering.

“I remember Shane Edwards (former Broncos CEO) first suggested the idea in the 2000s and the game didn’t want a bar of it.

“There is no rationale to knock it back.

“Don’t we want transparency in our game?”

Bennett is also critical of mid-season transfers, arguing clubs can avoid being penalised for poor recruitment and roster decisions.

“The game makes it easy for clubs who make mistakes buying players,” he said.

“When you buy a guy, you are supposed to be experts in picking a player, then a guy doesn’t aim up, so the clubs just want to offload him mid-contract and halfway through the season.

“I don’t believe in that crap.

“If you buy a bad player, bad luck … you cop it sweet and then have a trade window at the end of the year where you move a player on if you have to, but it shouldn’t be happening mid-season.”

Originally published as Wayne Bennett’s radical plan to introduce an NRL contract bank an fix transfer system ‘circus’