I don't know about you but as a league fan I'm absolutely sick of seeing "star" players holding the game to ransom.

The news today that St George Illawarra, NSW and Australian test player Mark Gasnier is off to play rugby in France is just another example of the rot that has set in.

Don't get me wrong I don't mind seeing players doing the best for themselves and if that means switching codes to get a better pay packet and better security for their families then so be it.

But what I'm completely over is the long drawn out process of "negotiations".

We all know that rugby clubs in Europe have a lot more money at their disposal than league clubs could ever imagine having.

And if you were a player being offered that kind of cash you would have to be a mug to not consider taking it.

And let's be honest. Anyone who says loyalty should play a part in your decision is living another world. The idea of loyalty in the work place whether it be a sporting organisation or a law firm is a concept that is well and truly dead and buried.

I can't stand the cloak and dagger performance that these players and their managers put on.

It's been one of the worst kept secrets in the game over the past few months that Gasnier was considering offers from Europe.

But to label the decision as anything more than a chance to take the cash is farcical.

Why is it that players and their managers have to come up with excuses for why they're going?

More often than not they come out with "I want a new challenge, I'm desperate to get away from the spotlight" when really it's mostly about the cash.

Again, I don't have any issues with blokes making a living and doing the best for themselves and their families.

But come on, put the rubbish excuses away. It may help you sleep better at night when you think about the fact that league has been your life since you were a kid running around in bare feet but it does nothing for your reputation.