Warriors Toyota Cup coach John Ackland has concerns for the future of the National Rugby League competition.
He remains in support of the much maligned salary cap, but says he would make several adjustments to the under-20’s competition.
The Melbourne Storm salary cap rort has instigated a large debate in the game, with the code’s senior players suggesting strike action because the salary cap is restricting wages in comparison with other Australian sporting codes.
Mr Ackland finds it “interesting that Melbourne are being portrayed as victims when they’re cheats.
“The scale [of the cheating] is without precedent.”
The NRL provide a grant of $3.2 million to each club and if the clubs want to spend the $4.1 million they must raise $900,000 themselves.
Given that the NRL clubs lost AU$53 million between them last season, Mr Ackland believes the $4.1 million salary cap for the 16 clubs is a “necessary system”.
However, fans such as Ryan Aisher, 22, is concerned that League will continue to lose stars of the calibre of Mark Gasnier and Sonny Bill Williams and other codes will benefit from the talents that league has nurtured.
“The Bulldogs are certainly less of an attractive game to go to without Sonny Bill Williams,” he says.
Mr Ackland believes the player managers are the real area of concern for the NRL. “It’s like the wild west,” he says.
As coach of the Warriors under-20 team, Mr Ackland would make several adjustments to the competition.
He would make the Toyota Cup a competition for under 21s and allow three players over the age limit of 21 to be allowed to play.
In the first two-and-a half seasons of the Toyota Cup it has become notorious for high scorelines.
Mr Ackland says there is a gulf in class between the top players in the Toyota Cup, who have often have first-grade experience, and the players with lower playing ability.
“Matches in the competition should be shortened to 30 minutes each way, saying that a lot of the points are scored in the final 10 minutes of each half,” he says.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Having a week off to recharge their batteries during the bye did nothing to stop South Sydney’s season from hell descending further into the…
Taane Milne was binned for a horrible cannonball-style tackle in the waning moments of the Storm-Rabbitohs Anzac Day clash. The Channel Nine pundits didn't…
With just seconds left on the clock, Taane Milne tackled the legs of Cameron Munster with the Storm star already wrapped up. He was…
Souths scored three unanswered tries in the second half, threatening to make a comeback. However, Melbourne quickly snuffed it out.
Cam Munster had the ball on a string in the first half, setting up a hat-trick for Xavier Coates. Andrew Johns was left in…
Not what you want to see as a Rabbitohs fan straight after points...
