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
5. Andrew Fifita - Cronulla Sharks
Back in 2011, a young prop named Andrew Fifita signed for the Sharks. The Tigers moved him on to add a much bigger name in Adam Blair.
He was a pretty handy middle forward for the Tigers but transformed into an absolute monster during his early tenure in black, white and blue.
In his final year at the Tigers he averaged 75 metres per game. By his second year at the Sharks that was up to 160. He also represented NSW in that first contract.
There's a reason the Dogs offered such a massive deal and a reason Sharks fans look bad so fondly at their removing that deal late on.
