The NRL has issues with player retention: the salary cap stands at a level whereby a players earning capacity cannot be maximised at all clubs. Clubs like the Brisbane Broncos maintain a monopoly in a city of over three million.
Third party sponsorship is fairly easy to come by, and as such, the Broncos are able to attract some of the best players in the game. In Sydney there are eight teams all fighting for the same corporate dollars.
Is it any wonder that teams like the Broncos have been so successful for so long?
Other codes, like the Australian Rugby Union and Cricket Australia, have a system whereby top tier players are payed by the national governing body on top of their Super 14 or state cricket contracts. Although there is more emphasis placed on the success of the national teams in these codes, the NRL should have a closer look at a similar system.
There are currently 16 teams in the NRL with a view to expanding to 18 during the TV deal negotiations in 2011.
With all three major networks expressing a keen interest for the rights, the estimated deal is set to be worth around one billion dollars. It is fair to say that the NRL will be in a great position to tinker with the salary cap system.
My proposal is the following:
• Two elite players from every club, as chosen by the clubs, can be eligible for payments of up to half a million dollars each or a combined total of one million dollars.
• These payments will be paid by the NRL and will not be included in the salary cap. These players have to be earning a minimum of $250,000 from their clubs to be eligible for this scheme. These club payments are included in the salary cap.
• The length of these top-up payments will be in-line with the players’ club contracts.
• A player has to play a minimum of twelve games to be paid the top-up payments.
• Therefore, for 18 clubs, the total cost for the NRL every year will be eighteen million dollars for this proposal.
For example, if this proposal was in place currently, Israel Folau and Darren Lockyer may have been chosen by Brisbane, along with Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah from the Wests Tigers, and Darius Boyd and Mark Gasnier for the Dragons.
All clubs, especially smaller ones like Cronulla, who have trouble attracting elite players, will certainly benefit from a scheme such as the one above and the competition will be even closer as a result.
Furthermore, our elite players such as Karmichael Hunt. Israel Folau, Sonny Bill Williams and Craig Gower, will have less reason to leave our code for a more money elsewhere.
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