The NRL is set to threaten potential salary cap penalties against any club attempting to publicly court rival players before they become a free agent, in a shake-up to the game’s anti-tampering laws.<\/p>\n
In what looms as a significant change to the NRL’s contracting rules, clubs and their officials will be banned from making comment about pursuing players not yet on the market.<\/p>\n
The changes come after a year of contract drama, headlined by Lachlan Galvin’s mid-season move from Wests Tigers to Canterbury with 17 months left on his original contract.<\/p>\n
Under current NRL rules, players and their agents are not able to negotiate with rival clubs until the final season of their contract starts on November 1 each year.<\/p>\n
But it has become apparent clubs have at times moved to signal their interest in players via the media well before then.<\/p>\n
In turn, there is a belief this can influence players to not re-sign with their current clubs early, knowing interest from several parties could ramp up a bidding war.<\/p>\n
Beyond the threat of salary cap sanctions, it is understood the NRL will be able to fine or even deregister club officials who flaunt the new rules.<\/p>\n
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Tigers fans gave Galvin an unfriendly welcome upon his return to Leichardt Oval. (Getty Images: Mark Evans)<\/p>\n
Canterbury general manager Phil Gould was accused of using his position in the media to publicly court Galvin this year, before the Tigers gave him permission to look elsewhere.<\/p>\n
As far back as last August Gould predicted Galvin would “earn more money out of rugby league than any other player in history”, labelling him “the best teenage footballer” he had ever seen.<\/p>\n
Gould later claimed it was “untenable” for Galvin to stay at the Tigers after knocking back an extension at the club, before the young half was eventually released to join Canterbury.<\/p>\n