Last week I crossed a divide in naming, what I believe to be, ten of the worst value contracts of the recent NRL era.
That list, and the comments, can be found HERE.
Today, we cross back to the light, back to the positive side of the greatest game of all. We discuss ten of the best NRL contracts of the modern era.
It's going to be impossible to nail down a "best" top 10 so we'll go with "ten of the best". Please let me know in the comments of any you would have placed on the list.
I didn't involve contracts held by players during the Storm salary cap bust era, for obvious reasons. Smith, Inglis, Slater and co were always good value.
These are going to be more difficult to define. Players who excel or play beyond their deals are usually quickly upgraded or snapped up elsewhere.
Players picked to debut from NSW Cup or Flegg are also going to be on value deals. They won't be considered. Upgrades that continue to represent value absolutely will.
Almost all of these are going to be recruits in the same way, shape, or form due to the nature of the list.
With that said, below are 10 of the best value NRL contracts in the modern era.
Honourable Mentions: Ryan Papenhuyzen's first Storm deal
8. James Graham - Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
I couldn't find exact numbers for Graham's initial deal with the Dogs, but whatever it was worth, he justified twice over.
Graham lead the Dogs to two Grand Finals during his tenure. He captained one of them. The other? Not his finest hour.
The Englishman would be so massive for his new side that he would be named captain in 2015, the first year of his new deal. Such was the impact made during his first three seasons.
We've heard the brilliant football mind in Graham during his stint in commentary. Dogs fans still speak of him extremely highly.
