In a year that has been littered with player agent controversies and negotiations gone public, it seems not everyone is as keen on getting third parties involved when brokering deals.
One man shying away from the player agent scene is Manly Sea Eagles prop Siosiua Taukeiaho.
The former premiership winner will be preparing to negotiate a new deal in the offseason for 2026, and will be doing so without representation, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The prop will instead be heading discussions for a new deal himself, similar to how he conducted the initial negotiations which earned him a train-and-trial with Manly prior to this year.
Taukeiaho admitted to the Sydney Morning Herald that the process is not easy, but he does prefer the flexibility of brokering his own deals.
“I don't have a manager,” Taukeiaho said.
I'm just trying to do everything on my own, which is a bit harder.”
He admitted that he only feels fully confident working with one club in negotiations, due to a strong connection with the side.
“That's the thing, it's hard for me to talk to other clubs,” he admitted.
”It depends if I was going to talk to a team like the Roosters, I've got a good connection there.
“It's easy for me to talk to them or clubs that I'm close with the coach.
He also revealed that if he does decide to shift focus to another side, he may need to seek professional representation.
”But if I do want to jump on the open market, then I'll need a manager for that,” he conceded.
I understand why he doesn’t want to get involved with player agents.
However, the player agents are correct when they say: “Sure, you pay me 6% of your earnings, but I guarantee that I can get you so much more on your next contract that the 6% will be irrelevant.”
These guys negotiate for a living, and like them or loathe them they will be better at it than a prop who only practises this skill once every few years.