Originally Posted by
fulvio sammut
There is nothing wrong in principle with importing players.
A few WA clubs, back in the days when rugby was an amateur game, set what are now the rules of engagement.
Clubs today offer a flight to Perth, accommodation, a shitty vehicle, (usually, unless the player has an IQ superior to his shoe size) a menial job of some sort, and, latterly a few thousand dollars in cash. For a (relatively) known and reputable player, that could be $15,000 - $20,000.
This is barely manageable in good times. Then the money comes from sponsorship, lower grade players fees, sequestrating Juniors funds, scamming "contributions" from the club's old farts, fundraising, and cash injections from the better off committee members. Barely manageable.
We now live in "interesting times" as the Chinese proverb goes. The State's credit rating is spiralling downwards.
We are already in recession, but nobody is supposed to know or speak about it. The State Government is borrowing billions at inflated interest rates just to stay afloat. Unemployment is higher than Malcolm Turnbull's ego, and going North daily in this State. We have incurred unrepayable State debt faster than a drunken gambling addict at a casino spends his employers petty cash.
In short, our economy is in deep shit and rapidly going down deeper. We ain't got no money, honey.
In such a climate, where are clubs going to get the money from to buy players? Sure some dipstick organizations are going to promise players the world and deliver nothing, as a few did last year. You know who you are, and you know the consequences. But those clubs who are in it for the longer term will be a hell of a lot more circumspect. RugbyWA is reportedly shopping its fringe players around to local clubs for the price of accommodation and a car. Chicken feed, and insulting to those players, but that's where they reportedly are. Anyone heard of any takers?
You simply won't see the imports around the clubs this year.
What you will see however is industrial grade poaching of players from club to club, offering bunce money to players to club hop, as this saves on having to provide airfares, accommodation, cars and, often, rare as hens eggs jobs.
Good luck and enjoy your season.