I was not necessarily implying that clubs are rorting the system through my comment about having accountants who were 'very creative'. Clubs need those good accountants always looking at the legal loop holes...its good business. I would suggest though there are ways of stretching the system to its limits and those clubs that are wealthy enough, can still stretch it to their benefit.
Some clubs like Parramatta, have a surfeit of junior playing strength, a huge supporter base, pockets full of money and should be consistently one of the top teams. But it has consistently had poor management, operating on wastage of resources and poor central coaching.
Brisbane were on top for a long time because of Murdock money, huge junior resources and supporter base but intrinsically they had not needed to learn efficiencies and good coaching practises because it was given to them by Murdock and Bennett. Now that Bennett is gone and Murdock money is vanishing, they are having to relearn how to effectively run a football club and have been floundering.
Melbourne, though supported by Murdock money was in fact much more like Sydney City and what Manly has become. With limited junior player resources and support base, they have had to think smart with efficiencies and use an effective coaching system.. Manly and Sydney City have had to learn to limit their spending by looking for the cream of juniors and then through a good coaching structure, develop them to fit their mould.
Canterbury, while Greendog has been there, have become opulent, have a good support base, good management and they have the best of both worlds being able to grab juniors effectively and also continue to be in the market for marquee players. They are very good at stretching the rules of the game.
Souths have relied on Crowe money and enthusiasm. They've always had good junior and supporter bases, now have a good coach, but remain intrinsically unstable in management and in fact seriously in debt, shades of 1971. If Crowe leaves, the castle will probably fall.
Manly, through recent success with a very good central group of players, has not been able to go into the market for marquee players, but unless they are able to soon replace through their junior programme, the likes of the Stewarts, Kite, King, Watmough, Lyon and Matai with similarly classy players, there will come a time when they will have to go into the market for a few big name players or slip down the ladder. Hopefully the Saos, Trbojevics, Guthersons, Chee-Kans, Hikus et al will fill those future spots with similar talent. Manly's big problem though is always going to be about sufficient funds, lack of junior strength, medium support base, a fragile management structure, but an excellent tradition, coaching structure, morale and environment.
But in the end a team with a lot of money and good management is going to have an advantage in this comp over those without much money because there are ways of legally stretching the rules of the League financial structure and get an advantage over other clubs without those resources.
