Braith Anasta has chosen to resign from his position as an accredited player agent due to a new crackdown by the NRL on potential conflicts of interest involving media figures. His roles as both a player agent and a well-known analyst in the sport have raised questions about his ability to remain impartial when discussing players he represents.
Cameron Munster, the captain of the Maroons and a star for Storm, is Anasta's most notable client. He also represents other NRL players, such as Lachlan Ilias and Jonah Pezet, along with NRLW athlete Jesse Southwell and Willie Peters, who has recently been named the first head coach of the PNG Chiefs.
Anasta described balancing his various responsibilities as "tricky" and has notified the NRL of his resignation as an agent. This decision follows the league's announcement of stricter conflict of interest regulations aimed at high-profile media personalities, linked to their recent major broadcasting agreement.
"I want to focus entirely on my hosting with Fox because it's become a bit difficult to navigate," he stated to News Corp regarding his decision. "It's a unique position that I'm in but that can become quite tricky. Apart from the speculation around conflicts of interest and all that, you're also working for big broadcasts and podcasts..."
Anasta expressed pride in his contributions to the growth of his clients as athletes and individuals, stating, "Not only are they better players but better people and financially they're in strong positions." Despite his successes, he feels that managing both roles is challenging, and he aims to excel in broadcasting.
His partner, Justin Caines, will now take charge of Searoo Sports Management, which they established together in 2017. Anasta plans to continue advising a smaller group of clients in an informal mentoring role.