Stat Attack: Club's player turnover since 2016

Rugby league's business of recruitment and retention is proving that no player is immune to switching clubs in today's environment.

NRL.com crunched the numbers to show the player turnover at all 16 clubs since the 2016 Telstra Premiership season.

Of the 461 players that took the field in 2016, only 151 remain at the same club in 2019.

That's a 67.2% changeover of personnel in just 48 regular season games across two seasons.

This statistic has been inflated with the number of retirements the game has seen over the past two years – none more so than in 2018 with more than 4000 games of experience lost, while the influx of coaching changes has also impacted player movement within the game.

The figure does also not include debutants from the 2017 and 2018 seasons, while some players have re-joined their clubs in this period.

Grand final sides Melbourne and Cronulla have endured different journeys since reaching the 2016 decider.

The Storm have lost several stars including Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater, Jordan McLean, Kevin Proctor, Tohu Harris over this period, but have still managed to hold on to 13 of their 2016 squad ahead of the 2019 season.

Cronulla are on the lower end of retention, holding on to just eight players with retirements and departures of players like Ben Barba, Valentine Holmes and Luke Lewis signalling a chapter at the club is slowly coming to an end.

North Queensland have managed to keep most of their victorious 2015 grand final side together for three seasons after, but the exits of Johnathan Thurston, Antonio Winterstein, Lachlan Coote and Kane Linnett last season also signals a possible changing period for the club is underway.

Brisbane are in a similar position on 12 players from 2016 in their current squad, having lost stalwarts like Corey Parker, Sam Thaiday and Adam Blair over the past two seasons.

One factor in the Broncos' advantage is the abundance of youth in the forwards coming through their system - with Tevita Pangai jnr, Matt Lodge and David Fifita at the forefront of generation next - along with the appointment of new coach Anthony Seibold.

Parramatta, Penrith, the Warriors and Canberra are all in the mid-range of squad changeover. The Eels' figure of 12 players remaining from 2016 could drop even further next season with several long-time players off contract and on notice following a dismal 2018 season.

The Roosters, who still have six players left from their 2013 premiership win, have just 10 players left overall from their 2016 squad (a year they finished in 15th place).

Clubs like Manly and Canterbury have seen mass changes over the past two years after dominant periods previous. Only nine players remain at each club from their 2016 squads.

Newcastle, St George Illawarra and the Wests Tigers, who have recruited heavily during this period, are entering into a stage where they can challenge for the finals.

The Titans have just five players left from their 2016 squad, indicating the rapid player personnel changes at the club since the side last reached the finals under former coach Neil Henry.