Hefty fees to hit clubs poaching rival talent

INTRUST Super Cup clubs are set to have to pay thousands of dollars to recruit talent from beyond their local zone starting next year.

Discussions are ongoing about a controversial formal development fees structure whereby the Bulletin understands clubs will be slapped with an invoice – possibly worth $7500 – per non-local player lured.

The initiative, which has divided opinion, is designed to discourage poaching and facilitate up-and-coming players rising through the rugby league pathway at their hometown.

Development fees have long existed in some form but in a less hard-and-fast manner.

A number of ISC clubs contacted by the Bulletin declared they would not fork out $7500 to sign a rising junior.

The Queensland Rugby League are in the process of finalising fee-free boundaries for each club, with a key challenge being distributing catchment areas equally – a difficult process between regional clubs such as Central Queensland as opposed to Brisbane inner-city sides.

Tweed Heads had initially faced a battle with the Country Rugby League to tap into the Northern Rivers region without charge but it appears the Gold Coast Titans will step in to rescue the situation.

The Titans are in talks with Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League to make the area south of the border – understood to stretch down to Grafton – part of their official catchment.

That in turn will give their feeder clubs Burleigh and Tweed similar access to Northern Rivers, as well as the Gold Coast. Titans football manager Anthony Laffranchi (pictured) confirmed such discussions were at an advanced stage.

“Our owners, Bec (Frizelle) and Darryl (Kelly), are committed to investing in local talent and we consider Northern Rivers to be part of our local area,” he said.

There is widespread hope a proposal will be finalised soon to provide clarity as clubs look ahead to their 2019 recruiting.