THE National Rugby League is engaged in a Beige Age of its own making. There are no cultural differences between Sydney's nine clubs, nor any distinct identity with the Broncos, Raiders and Warriors.

Remember the TV beer commercial about "Manly and Parra"? Or the Fibros-Silvertails war?

Fans back then related to the ethos of their clubs. A professional who supported the Magpies would turn up at Lidcombe in a boiler suit.

Manly fans liked a pre-game sip of wine but always sounded as if they spelt it with an "h".

Parramatta fans arrived at games in twos because that's all that can fit on a motorbike. Some had nice tattoos. So did their husbands.

In those days, a kid grew up at Greystanes, played SG Ball for the Eels, then Flegg, before being graded with Parramatta and playing first grade. Now, at age 19, Parramatta's best young find, winger Tony Williams, has signed to play with the Sea Eagles.

Player managers hawk their talent around the clubs from an early age and the player goes to the highest bidder within the confines of the NRL-imposed $4.1 million salary cap.

As the player base has become homogenised, so have the clubs. Assistant coaches now have jobs for life, with a "have clipboard, will travel" sign around their necks, willing to move around the NRL, standardising the training, video analysis and debriefs across the league.

In the past, there were residential rules and a 13-import restriction to encourage kids to play for the club where they were raised, but today most players will sign anywhere, as long as it is close to a beach.

The Roosters were once the transit lounge club because their demographic base was small and they had to sign mercenaries who stayed at Bondi until the next big offer.

Now Canberra, which won competitions with home talent such as Laurie Daley, Ricky Stuart, Glenn Lazarus and Bradley Clyde, is the new departure gate as players leave the ACT tundra for the beach.

Queensland-raised players still have a preference for the northern state's three clubs, and kids raised in the Hunter Valley and Newcastle want to play for the Knights but most will take the best offer.

The result is vanilla football. Just as there is a sameness about the clubs off the field, so is there a standardised playing style.

Melbourne are different via the sublime athletic skills of Israel Folau and Greg Inglis, and the Wests Tigers are willing to experiment with moves at scrums, but most play is dummy-half running, followed by block plays and a kick to the corners.

Parramatta halfback Brett Finch described the play as "boring".

The only reasonable utterance from spurned Blacktown mayor Leo Kelly was that supporters of traditional clubs like Wests and Balmain were drifting to the AFL.

Those who don't like the Wests Tigers joint venture will never be young or numerous enough to justify a West Sydney AFL team but there is a message there - mergers reinforce the Beige Age.

Grant salary cap exemptions for local juniors to encourage more one-club men, giving fans a few stars in whom they can invest some emotional loyalty.