AFL "Immature"? NRL is OOC!

[mjp]

Every time player trades and future moves are mentioned in the media, I hear that the AFL audience isn't "MATURE" enough for the discussion.

With all the stuff with Brandon Smith (released mid-season and before the end of his contract by the Roosters to join the Rabbitohs) and the rumours around Cherry-Evans...well, the NRL has gone too far.

They don't have a mid-year 'TRADE' window as such. Nor does the AFL. Yet somehow midseason player transfers are now OK if financial terms have been reached? Hows about we try and play the games that are in front of us rather than being 100% focussed on getting set for 'next year'??

I don't get this at all. Mid-season trades are a part of a lot of sports and I do understand it - a way to improve the team in the short-term for a post-season 'run' or to give playing time to younger players to see what you have ahead of a 'draft'...but this just seems so wrong. How the NRL have OK'ed it is beyond me.

Do we want mid-season trades? Personally I'm a "NO" - the games should be the focus - but I would at least understand it...this I just can't get my head around.

[jazzadogs]

You don't even have to change the name to have a relevant example in the AFL...

It's basically if halfway through last year B Smith told us he didn't want to stay, and wanted to go to the cats, and so we agreed to terms with the cats and he started playing for them as of round 15. I wonder if we would have got more than pick 20 in that scenario...

Obviously to complete the example this is all done as a sort of backdoor deal, with no actual mid season trade period, but the bush league administration just saying "oh yeh, I guess this is okay" and signing off on it.