Shaun McRae believes moving Super League's anti-tampering deadline to earlier in the season from 2013 is a positive move.
Hull FC director insists old ruling was 'archaic'
Shaun McRae believes moving Super League's anti-tampering deadline to earlier in the season from 2013 is a positive move.
Top-flight clubs have voted to move the anti-tampering deadline, which currently prevents clubs signing players from rivals until September 1.
Under the new rules clubs must offer their out-of-contract players a new deal before April 30, or risk losing them as they will be free to speak to others from May 1.
Former Salford, South Sydney and Hull coach McRae would like to see players with one year left on their contracts be able to speak to interested parties from pre-season.
Vogue
"We are finding more and more that players are moving during the season and that has come into vogue," McRae told the
Hull Daily Mail.
"Most players will go at the end of the year, though, and the biggest challenge is the test of character of the players who announce they are leaving at the end of the season.
"The clubs need them to still give 100 per cent and we have encountered that problem at our club with a couple of guys who are leaving.
"It is about the professionalism of the player and honouring their current contract.
Solution
"I don't have a definitive answer to the best solution. Maybe in theory clubs should be allowed to talk to any player in the last year of their deal, so from pre-season onwards.
"I'm not sure what is best, but there is no doubt the September 1 deadline was archaic and didn't work.
"Nobody is naive enough to think business wasn't going on prior to September 1 and while clubs couldn't get a signature on a deal, talks and expressions of interest took place. This change will help."
