Transfer talk keeps the NRL in the news cycle 365 days a year. Why do we want to stop this?

March 22, 2026 — 12:01pm

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When NRL club chief executives dialled in for their fortnightly video conference call on Wednesday morning, talk soon turned, as it often does, to transfer windows.

Should the movement of rugby league talent be limited to two or three trade periods throughout a season? Is the constant speculation about player movement good or bad for the game?

It’s a debate that has been raging for decades, one brought into sharp focus again by the intrigue over the futures of Payne Haas, Mitch Barnett, Jahream Bula and, most recently, Bronson Xerri.

There is no bigger advocate for the status quo than the players’ union. During Wednesday’s call, Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) chief executive Clint Newton restated his reasons why trade windows wouldn’t work in rugby league.

Two hours earlier, one of his RLPA directors, Chad Townsend, seemingly put out a contrary view. Speaking on the Zero Tackle podcast, Townsend spruiked why, under the right circumstances, they may benefit the game.

Some club chief executives wondered whether everyone at the union was on the same page.

“Because of the........

© Brisbane Times