GOLDEN POINT
THE STATE OF PLAY ...
THUMBS UP GOLD Coast Suns have a clear agenda to futureproof their talented list from poaching raids from Victoria and news they’ve re-signed their four top 10 draftees (see story page 70) to four-year deals is unprecedented in AFL.
What the long-term contract offers have done is bought the Suns certainty around their best young talent and showed the rest of the AFL if they’re going to try to snatch Gold Coast kids they’ll have to be patient and be prepared to pay up big. Crucially for the Suns their list management for 2017 is very well advanced and the only player likely to be discussed for “gohome” factor this year is Gary Ablett.
While Ablett is obviously a key component of the Suns team, we can probably all agree he is unlikely to be part of the first Gold Coast premiership squad and the club is building an impressive generation-next list that should compete for the trophy in years to come.
THUMBS DOWN
THE North Sydney Bears should re-name themselves Vultures, although when it comes to the Titans they’re not circling a carcass.
If the Bears were serious about getting back in the NRL perhaps they should look to one of the many struggling Sydney clubs rather than trying to force themselves upon the Gold Coast.
The Bears mooted $7 million offer is an insult to Titans fans and people like Darryl Kelly who’ve put so much time, effort and in his case, several million dollars, into keeping the club alive. It will never happen.
The NRL can’t make such strong commitments to Coast then go and sell the team to a consortium wanting to take a quarter of the season to Central Coast and Sydney for nostalgia’s sake.
TOUGH CALL THE Dale Copley scenario was a unique situation, but the right call was made by the NRL. Perhaps if a phone call was made by the Titans on Tuesday before they named their team the whole situation could’ve been avoided. That was certainly some of the feedback going around on Thursday with the NRL upset the Titans didn’t try to be more transparent with their injury crisis ahead of naming a 21-man squad on Tuesday with at least three players who were never any chance of being fit. The NRL felt the Titans were being deceptive and simply assumed Copley would be cleared. If they were proactive with the NRL a compromise or solution may have been reached or at the very least clarity given to the Titans so they could look at other options. The NRL also knew if they let Copley (pictured) play, other clubs would look to manipulate the team naming situation. It’s a lesson for coach Neil Henry and a mistake that the Titans, or any club, is unlikely to repeat.