NRL salary cap broken down by the numbers

Roar Guru

16th February, 2011

1817 Reads

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The Crowd

Roar Guru

16th February, 2011

1817 Reads

Let me show you why I prefer the salary cap and draft with a simple, very simple, numbers game. Say you have 20 clubs generating $1200 million revenue profit. That’s $60 million per club.

But let’s also assume half of that is ploughed back into the game, leaving a salary cap per club of $30 million. Let’s say those 20 clubs each have 30 players.

That’s an even one million dollars per player. Obviously, there would be upper limits for better players. Say one or two on $2 million. Also, there’d be lower limits for inexperienced players, say half a dozen on $600,000.

Now that’s one million per year on average per player. The average salary for Australians is roughly $50,000 right now.

Actually, it’s a bit higher, but we leave it as is for the purpose of the exercise.

Now, one million is 20 times the average salary. It’s great work if you can get it. You would think any sport would be happy with that.

Or realistically, even the more likely average of about $200,000 as exists today.

Everyone’s happy, or should be happy. This is basically how it works with the big sports in the US.

Okay, maybe some individuals could get more. But hey, everyone’s benefitting big time, so let’s keep the excess greed in the closet.

But no! Some players, some agents, some clubs aren’t happy with a level playing field. They want more for themselves and less for everyone else .

Human greed! You can try and limit its excesses, but you can’t stop it. Some try to dress it up as restraint of trade, but it’s still greed. And so many people fall for this restraint of trade crap.

Now take the draft. if you’re a young, single guy and you want to play the big time. Then you have to be willing to go elsewhere for awhile.

Treat it as an adventure. Okay, you’re from Innisfail, and you get drafted to Sydney. Or you’re from Echuca, and you’re drafted to Perth.

Enjoy it, stay there for 3-4 years, learn your sporting trade. You can always move back home (or your state capital) after 3-4 years. It will pass in the blink of an eye. It’s not a life sentence.

Life is not about having it all.

“Everything in moderation”, as my grandmother used to say. The greedy don’t need to be, or shouldn’t be, listened to.

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This is a promoted comment which was originally posted in response to this article: Memo David Gallop: it’s time to Scrap the Cap

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