Inside rugby league's stagnant recruitment market as clubs struggle to identify new signings
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 8:34 pm
A number of clubs are finding it harder than ever to strengthen their squads due to various issues
It's an exciting time of year in the world of rugby league with the recruitment window opening, allowing clubs to start signing new players for the 2022 season.
For fans, it's a period that comes with both anticipation and expectation as they await to hear news of who their club will be bringing in ahead of the next campaign.
But for clubs and their deal brokers, the market is currently a serious cause for concern.
In the five weeks since opening, business has been relatively vibrant. Warrington and Castleford have been particularly active, signing several players, while Huddersfield have also been quick to get deals done, with Theo Fages and Tui Lolohea understood to be on their way to the club.
But the concern for most clubs is the lack of depth currently available to sign.
This was telling in the case of James Harrison, the Featherstone Rovers forward who has signed for Warrington Wolves next year.
Barring a handful of Super League appearances last year for Leeds, Harrison had no top-flight experience and at 24, is by no means a teenager with immense potential.
Yet five clubs ended up battling it out for the prop's services, including top-end teams such as Leeds Rhinos and Hull FC. It's an almost unheard of case for a Championship player.
The same can be said of Joe Bullock, another prop on his way to Warrington, who had even more clubs clamouring to secure him for 2022.
At present, clubs are finding it particularly difficult to sign middle men, purely down to a lack of options available. Wakefield Trinity are one example of a club struggling to overcome the shortage of talent, having now spent almost 12 months looking to recruit a player to strengthen their pack.
The club has undergone a worldwide search for a new recruit but has had no joy thus far, with head coach Chris Chester summarising the situation.
"There are no real players of quality that we feel is going to improve this team," he said.
"It just seems that every year, the same players get regurgitated. I don't want to be disrespectful but that's just the game at the minute, there isn't enough quality.
"We've spoken to a lot of Australian agents and a lot of English agents. The Aussies are reluctant to release anybody because of the high shots and suspensions that have gone through the roof.
"We thought we were close to a player in the NRL and that didn't work out. We're hopeful with the quota spot that we can entice someone before the signing deadline.
"It's just a waiting process."
Privately, the situation is concerning many clubs, who are growing more frustrated at the state of the player pool and how they can strengthen their squads, rather than let them regress.
It has resulted in many of the top free agents being snapped up quickly. Warrington had to overcome very competitive offers from Hull KR, Catalans and St Helens to retain Toby King but St Helens weren't as fortunate in their attempts to keep Theo Fages at the club. Another of their top talents, James Bentley, is also inundated with interest as of writing.
The issue has been compounded by Covid. Financially, clubs are trying to cut their cloth, resulting in smaller budgets to compete with an already cash-rich NRL, while the ongoing challenges the UK is facing has put many off the prospect of making the move from overseas.
Some clubs are now taking different approaches. While some clubs are playing a waiting game in the hope of landing a big deal later in the process, others are moving to secure the best that's available.
Eyebrows have been raised by Wigan's pursuit of Leigh duo Iain Thornley and Nathan Mason, who both look set to make the move from a winless Super League side to one that featured in last year's Grand Final.
Many Wigan fans took to social media to express how underwhelmed they were by the news. But in reality, it is a reflection of the current market.
Other clubs, certainly those with less money, are likely to use some of their quota spots on project signings, given the lack of other options. We've already seen that start to happen with Leeds Rhinos signing King Vuniyayawa, a relative unknown, to occupy their final overseas spot this year.
Eventually, more NRL players will emerge, but it's unlikely that there will be enough to match the supply.
It's an exciting time of year in the world of rugby league with the recruitment window opening, allowing clubs to start signing new players for the 2022 season.
For fans, it's a period that comes with both anticipation and expectation as they await to hear news of who their club will be bringing in ahead of the next campaign.
But for clubs and their deal brokers, the market is currently a serious cause for concern.
In the five weeks since opening, business has been relatively vibrant. Warrington and Castleford have been particularly active, signing several players, while Huddersfield have also been quick to get deals done, with Theo Fages and Tui Lolohea understood to be on their way to the club.
But the concern for most clubs is the lack of depth currently available to sign.
This was telling in the case of James Harrison, the Featherstone Rovers forward who has signed for Warrington Wolves next year.
Barring a handful of Super League appearances last year for Leeds, Harrison had no top-flight experience and at 24, is by no means a teenager with immense potential.
Yet five clubs ended up battling it out for the prop's services, including top-end teams such as Leeds Rhinos and Hull FC. It's an almost unheard of case for a Championship player.
The same can be said of Joe Bullock, another prop on his way to Warrington, who had even more clubs clamouring to secure him for 2022.
At present, clubs are finding it particularly difficult to sign middle men, purely down to a lack of options available. Wakefield Trinity are one example of a club struggling to overcome the shortage of talent, having now spent almost 12 months looking to recruit a player to strengthen their pack.
The club has undergone a worldwide search for a new recruit but has had no joy thus far, with head coach Chris Chester summarising the situation.
"There are no real players of quality that we feel is going to improve this team," he said.
"It just seems that every year, the same players get regurgitated. I don't want to be disrespectful but that's just the game at the minute, there isn't enough quality.
"We've spoken to a lot of Australian agents and a lot of English agents. The Aussies are reluctant to release anybody because of the high shots and suspensions that have gone through the roof.
"We thought we were close to a player in the NRL and that didn't work out. We're hopeful with the quota spot that we can entice someone before the signing deadline.
"It's just a waiting process."
Privately, the situation is concerning many clubs, who are growing more frustrated at the state of the player pool and how they can strengthen their squads, rather than let them regress.
It has resulted in many of the top free agents being snapped up quickly. Warrington had to overcome very competitive offers from Hull KR, Catalans and St Helens to retain Toby King but St Helens weren't as fortunate in their attempts to keep Theo Fages at the club. Another of their top talents, James Bentley, is also inundated with interest as of writing.
The issue has been compounded by Covid. Financially, clubs are trying to cut their cloth, resulting in smaller budgets to compete with an already cash-rich NRL, while the ongoing challenges the UK is facing has put many off the prospect of making the move from overseas.
Some clubs are now taking different approaches. While some clubs are playing a waiting game in the hope of landing a big deal later in the process, others are moving to secure the best that's available.
Eyebrows have been raised by Wigan's pursuit of Leigh duo Iain Thornley and Nathan Mason, who both look set to make the move from a winless Super League side to one that featured in last year's Grand Final.
Many Wigan fans took to social media to express how underwhelmed they were by the news. But in reality, it is a reflection of the current market.
Other clubs, certainly those with less money, are likely to use some of their quota spots on project signings, given the lack of other options. We've already seen that start to happen with Leeds Rhinos signing King Vuniyayawa, a relative unknown, to occupy their final overseas spot this year.
Eventually, more NRL players will emerge, but it's unlikely that there will be enough to match the supply.