Dylan Brown’s move to the Knights sums up exactly where the NRL doesn’t want to be.
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In order for the middle-to-lower tier clubs to compete for a premiership, they have to take enormous risks like offering halves 10-year deals.
Just about every other serious sports league in the world has systems in place to keep the competition even, like a draft or free agency restrictions.
But despite the salary cap, the NRL is becoming more and more like the English Premier League where a select few clubs dominate year in, year out.
Do I think Brown will turn Newcastle into a genuine contender? Absolutely. Do I think it’s fair on Parramatta who developed him from the age of 15? Absolutely not.
I don’t have all the answers but you don’t have to be a genius to know the current system is broken and if the NRL doesn’t take action then nothing will change.
Brown’s arrival in Newcastle is good news for Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga but it’s even better for rising half Fletcher Sharpe.
I signed Fletcher when he was a star halfback for the Cessnock under-15s premiership side and brought him into Newcastle’s academy.
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A few years later, the club moved him to fullback which I’ll admit I did not think would work but he absolutely brained it.
Then last year they picked him to make his NRL debut on the wing, a position he’d never played in his life, and he scored 11 tries over the next 12 games. Talk about impressive.
I caught up with Adam O’Bren around Christmas and he told me Fletcher was getting some reps in the halves and I said it was a no brainer.
I’m a big believer that the position you play coming through the juniors is pivotal in getting your feel for the game and it’ll always be the lens you see the game through.
If you ask Fletcher, he’ll tell you that he’s watched the game through a halfback’s lens since he was a kid.
I know the Knights chopped and changed their halves 11 times last season but I don’t think Fletcher will be moved all season.
I don’t think O’Brien will say that publicly but he may tell Fletcher that privately to give him the confidence to go out and play his natural game. Jack Cogger on the other hand could find himself under pressure.
It’s an exciting time for Fletcher and I’m going to really enjoy watching his game grow this year and then again when Brown arrives next season.
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HYNES MUST GO BACK TO THE FUTURE
Cronulla are a genuine top-four football team but they’re going to have to think outside the box if they want to take the next step and win a premiership.
Nicho Hynes’ move from Storm utility to Sharks halfback proved an overnight success as he swept the competition to win the 2022 Dally M Medal.
But things can change in the blink of an eye in rugby league and it’s pretty obvious that Braydon Trindall is now man steering that side around the park.
I think Hynes’ dominant days in the halves are over and it’s time to move him into the forwards where he can make more of an impact.
He made of fist of playing just about everywhere in Melbourne and I think these days he’s perfectly suited to become a ball-playing lock.
No. 13 is a bloody tough position to play but Nicho has both the size and the skill to become a player similar to Isaah Yeo.
Cam McInnes can play just about anywhere in the forward pack, I wouldn’t worry about his minutes reducing, play him in the front row alongside Addin Fonua-Blake.
As for who slots into Hynes’ spot in the halves? I don’t think Will Kennedy has the speed to be an elite fullback anymore but he could be an impactful No. 6. Or you could throw Daniel Atkinson in there for the rest of this season before he heads to the Dragons.
Raiders teenager Chevy Stewart is a Cronulla junior who isn’t getting a crack in Canberra. Bring Stewart home and hand him the No. 1 jersey, his speed is electric.
If the Sharks are brave enough to make some big decisions then it could reap some even bigger rewards.
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RICKY’S RAIDERS
Speaking of the Raiders, I’m a big fan of Jayden Brailey heading to Canberra in what shapes as a classic Ricky Stuart signing.
Brailey is one of the best blokes you’ll meet. He’s an honest footballer who works his backside off and comes from a great family.
He’s the exact personality that Ricky loves bringing to the club to drive standards and mentor the young players coming through.
Canberra have a hooker on the rise in Owen Pattie but he’ll need an experienced head like Brailey to learn off in the coming years.
Those two are just part of what Ricky is building down there, he’s signed the perfect blend of emerging talent and experienced heads.
Those groups will complement each other over the coming years and I expect the Raiders to make a real run for the top eight this season.
It’s not Ricky’s first rodeo, watch this space.
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