FFS... It's not hard to develop a strategy to deal with this.
- Several months BEFORE our player is allowed to start talking to another team, we offer him a competitive, but fair contract based 80% on on-field performance and 20% on potential for a 1-3 year period with NO player options.
- Explain the reason for size / length the contract.
- Make sure he's aware of his place in the team and in the Broncos plans moving forward.
- Show him the countless examples of the Broncos players who have left young chasing $$$ from desperate clubs and thrown away their whole careers.
- Tell him that it will be the only offer and he has 2 months to re-sign.
- Make him aware that if he chooses to begin dialogue with any other clubs, then the Broncos offer will be pulled and he can choose from any remaining teams vying for his signature, but the Broncos will not be one of them.
We are far too content to let our star players meet with, chat to and engage with rival clubs and for some reason refuse to lock these players up BEFORE they even have the opportunity. This is EXACTLY how we lost Fifita - who we could have retained on reasonable money had we bothered to sign him up before we gave the Titans the chance to throw ridiculous money at him.
Look at the Roosters with Luke Keary... he was able to talk to clubs from November. Arguably the number one playmaker and half in the game let alone on the market - Big surprise... it's not even June and the roosters have re-signed him on a multi-year deal before any clubs even have the opportunity to make their case.
Lock up your talent BEFORE you allow a market to develop and have to compete in a bidding war. Play hardball, stand your ground and take away the option for players to shop themselves around without any consequence... all we are doing is opening up the opportunity for other teams to overpay and poach our talent. How can our organisation not understand this... it's been going on far too long.