League: The merry-go-round begins

Nathan Fien was surplus at the Cowboys but integral to the Warriors' cause. Picture / Brett Phibbs

The player merry-go-round is about to go into full gear as the expiration of the anti-tampering deadline overnight allows out-of-contract players to go to the market.

Some will want to move because they aren't getting enough games, some will go for money and some will see what's on offer from other clubs before trying to squeeze more cash from the one they're at.

In the last flurries before the free market came into play, the Broncos re-signed Shaun Berrigan and Chris Sheppard signed for the Dragons after being dropped by the Cowboys.

Former Dragon Brett Firman was released by the Roosters and went to the Cowboys and Rooster Michael Crocker signed with the Storm for four years.

Prop Jason Cayless went to St Helens, Sharks hooker/half Michael Sullivan signed for Warrington and fullback David Peachey joined Widnes. Warrior Iafeta Paleaaesina agreed terms with Wigan for 2006.

The Roosters are expected to make a play for Bulldogs lock/five-eighth Braith Anasta, voted the game's most over-rated player in a Rugby League Week poll and now set to become its biggest earner at A$500,000 ($545,000) a season.

Anasta and Melbourne Storm halfback Matt Orford are the biggest names on the free agent list and both are also targets for South Sydney, who have A$2 million to spend after a player clean-out.

The manoeuvring of some clubs is designed to allow room under the salary cap to make a big offer for a specialist to fix deficiencies - often hookers, halfbacks, five-eighths and fullbacks.

The Roosters are preparing to cull wing Chris Walker and will lose captain Luke Ricketson (retired), Crocker (Storm), Firman (Cowboys), Cayless (St Helens) and possibly Chris Flannery.

They will not want Flannery to leave because the exodus of experience will hurt them and they haven't yet adjusted to the loss of Brad Fittler. Firman is clearly no longer considered his replacement.

Newcastle are having the same problems when Andrew Johns is not there; he has no obvious replacement in the squad and word is the one likely heir-apparent, Steve Witt, is about to get the punt, with about half the Knights squad.

The Cowboys regarded Sheppard as their number one halfback, and let Nathan Fien sign with the Warriors last season, who then led the Cowboys in their finals run.

This season, Sheppard was out injured, then played in reserve grade and now he's gone. Would Fien have moved if that had happened last season? Unlikely.

No single current player has been more advantaged by the movements in early July than Sharks half Brett Kimmorley.

He left Newcastle in 1997 for new Super League club Hunter Mariners and was paid out when the Mariners were folded. He then signed for Melbourne, where he won a grand final, before moving to the Northern Eagles on the biggest contract signed in 2001. He later signed for the Cronulla Sharks on another big contract when mentor Chris Anderson became coach.

Kimmorley was good wherever he went. For others, a change is good. The best illustration is Tigers half Scott Prince, who was groomed at North Queensland and made his NRL debut there. He went to the Brisbane Broncos but couldn't make the starting side, transferred to Wests Tigers last year then made State of Origin for Queensland. He is now considered one of league's most dangerous attacking players.

The emergence of the new Gold Coast club will skew next year's player market even more. Kiwi Jamaal Lolesi is rumoured to be looking for a one-year deal now so he can join the new franchise for 2007, as is Dragons prop Luke Bailey.

Storm captain Robbie Kearns, Tigers Todd Payten, Ben Galea, Shane Elford, Anthony Laffranchi and Mark O'Neill, Cowboys Mitchell Sargent, Michael Luck and David Myles are all on the market.