The NRL is taking a bold stand against player poaching, and it’s about time. But here’s where it gets controversial: after the Lachlan Galvin saga, the league is tightening its anti-tampering laws, threatening salary cap penalties for clubs that publicly pursue contracted stars before they hit free agency. This move aims to end the shadowy practice of clubs signaling interest in players through the media, often long before negotiations are legally allowed. And this is the part most people miss: it’s not just about fines—club officials could face deregistration for flouting these rules. Let’s break it down.
The changes come on the heels of a year dominated by contract dramas, most notably Lachlan Galvin’s mid-season switch from Wests Tigers to Canterbury—with a whopping 17 months still left on his original deal. Under current rules, players and their agents can’t negotiate with rival clubs until November 1 of their final contract year. But clubs have often skirted this by publicly expressing interest in players far earlier, potentially discouraging them from re-signing with their current teams in hopes of sparking a bidding war. Is this fair play or unethical manipulation?
Take Canterbury’s Phil Gould, for example. Last August, he publicly praised Galvin as the ‘best teenage footballer’ he’d ever seen, predicting he’d become the highest-paid player in history. While Gould claimed he hadn’t spoken directly to Galvin, his comments raised eyebrows across the league. Later, he declared it ‘untenable’ for Galvin to stay at the Tigers after rejecting an extension—a statement that seemed to push the young star toward Canterbury. This incident fueled calls for stricter rules, which are now set to roll out this summer.
These changes aren’t just the NRL’s doing—they’ve been developed in collaboration with the players’ union as part of a commitment to review anti-tampering laws in the last collective bargaining agreement. But the Galvin case isn’t an isolated one. This season, several clubs openly expressed their desire to sign Payne Haas for 2027, despite him only becoming a free agent last weekend. Under the new rules, such public pursuits would be off-limits. Haas, with strong family ties to Queensland, is unlikely to leave Brisbane, but the principle remains: clubs must play by the rules.
Beyond public courting, the NRL’s existing anti-tampering rules will stay in place. Rival clubs still can’t negotiate with a player’s agent until their final contract year, and they can’t approach another team about a player without the player’s consent. But will these new penalties be enough to deter clubs from poaching? Or will the temptation to land a star player outweigh the risks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—this debate is far from over.
