There has been a bit of talk lately in regards to having a more transparent salary cap system in the NRL, similar to that used in many American sports who also operate under a salary cap.
Essentially, players’ salaries are open to the public so that everyone can see how each team is put together by staying under the salary cap.
Granted, these salary caps dwarf the NRL’s 2018 cap of $9.4 million, but the point isn’t so much about what the salary cap is, it is about having a transparent system in place so that everyone can see how the teams are staying compliant.
The US sports don’t have any ‘Third Party Agreements’ to muddle everything up either. Sure, lots of players have substantial endorsement deals, but they are available to every player. If a company wants to pay a player to wear their shoes, clothes, watches, hats, sunglasses or eat/drink their product when out in public, no problem. The players all have agents who work all these things out for them.
The franchises and organisations stay out of it, unless these endorsements enter the field of play, which usually impacts on the organisation’s own commercial deals. Outside of that, the players are free to have any commercial deal that they want.
And yes, these deals can be very lucrative. Just look at New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
In 2015, ‘Gronk’, as he is known throughout the sporting universe, stated in his book It’s Good to be Gronk that he hadn’t had to spend one cent of his NFL contract or signing bonus money because of his income from various endorsement deals.
And just to put this into perspective, when Gronkowski made this statement he had earned around US$16.3 million in his first five seasons in the NFL.
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
According to the man himself, who incidentally has a habit of being too honest at times, all of that US$16.3 million is in the bank.
His estimated endorsement value of between US$3.5 – US$4 million has been his spending money.
Other than the actual figures themselves, as an Australian sports enthusiast, what is the strangest part of all of this?
The fact we can all find out what these figures are, and with a fairly high degree of accuracy, is the thing that should hit you right between the eyes.
Try doing that for Paul Gallen. Or maybe Johnathan Thurston? Cameron Smith or Cooper Cronk?
You only get estimates or educated guesses. And then, they are only salary cap estimates, not the grey world figures that make up the ‘Third Party Agreements’ that they earn.
The US doesn’t have salary cap rorts because the information is out there on public record. It’s black and white. There is no grey area.
The same simply cannot be said for the NRL.
Cooper Cronk’s rumoured move to the Roosters is a prime example of how blind the sporting public are.
You know, the ones who buy the memberships, the merchandise, the pay TV subscriptions and desperately want to believe that their team has a chance to win the premiership.
Remember them? It’s you.
The reality is, most of us know that there are some clubs who are always going to be in with a chance, and then there are others who simply won’t.
Forget the fans for a moment.
What about the players? Especially those playing for the ‘have nots’. How do you think they feel, knowing full well that some of the teams they play against are getting paid a lot more than what he and his teammates are?
All because of the cloak and dagger attitude to ‘Third Party Agreements’. For the good of the competition, free the game of all of this and get rid of them.
Make the salary cap a fair cap for all teams.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Let the players look after themselves with their own commercial deals, but make the relationship between them and those companies public knowledge. If there is a link to the club they play for, it automatically becomes part of the cap price for that player.
But then we have the issue of investigating these deals and having people in charge who can actually conduct these investigations properly.
The NRL have proven that they can’t do it unless the media does half their job for them. And even then, the legalities of what can and can’t be done becomes a murky mess.
And this, above all else, is the reason why we will never have transparency in the NRL.
It is just too hard to for the NRL to police. Which means the smart operators will continue to be successful.
And why we may well see Cronk in a Roosters jersey in 2018. We just won’t know how he squeezed into it.
Mighty one
Guest
Johnno can you list the number of premierships won by teams with the most to the least TPA's since they became legal though?? - Fair point by Barry that one figures the Broncos would have the most TPA's but have only won one comp during this whole period. TPA's certainly are not a guarantee of winning a comp one has to say so your argument that it creates a uneven playing field is completely floored as I am afraid are all your comments and examples. Communism had this idea that every one was equal except for those in the hierarchy and KGB though - none of them had to line up or food on a daily basis or go without when the food supplies ran out.
Mighty one
Guest
A player manager would not and never have access to a clubs books to know if they were under/at or over the cap for starters- All they are doing mostly is to get the best offer they can for their client- The onus is on the club to work within the rules of the salary cap and not exceed it- not the role or duty of the player manager. Nick Politis would not be doing anything untowards I would say in signing players despite the many accusations- Well run clubs attract sponsors and non aligned corporates for possible TPA's - Easts Leagues from the Ron Jones days and now Easts group under Nick Politis is a very successfully and financial solvent run organisation.
Mighty one
Guest
Disclose your wage then plus bank account balance/ value of properties your own/ investments/super balances etc etc then- You expect players to do this so it should not be any problem for you to do the same then.
Mighty one
Guest
All you that want this please post your annual salaries/bank account balances/ properties you own/investments/ super balances etc etc - fair is fair if you want NRL players to do this
Matt P
Roar Rookie
"Wannabe footy critics". Ouch. All I wanted was a response to my questions and an elaboration of your points. This thread really got blown out of proportion. Oh well, guess everything ended up answering itself.
The Barry
Roar Guru
“Wannabe footy critics” What makes you any different? “It’s all rigged, it’s all unfair” Why? “I can’t be bothered”
Johno
Guest
Of course. Fair point. But wannabe footy critics on the comments section of public footy articles don't qualify.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Johno - if that’s your attitude why did you reply multiple times to my comments? It certainly gives the impression you’re up for a debate. Your opinion is fine. All I’ve really done is ask for more detail. You claim some teams have unfair advantages but haven’t really articulated who or why.
tols
Guest
Of course some opinions can be more valid than others. Some opinions uses facts based on widespread statistics, while others are conjectures based on limited personal experience.
Johno
Guest
I think you both have misunderstood my comments. My comments are my comments. I couldn't care less what you think, I'm making a comment on the article. I don't do it to entice you into a debate. I made a comment on this article, people then feel its their place to disagree like their opinion matters to me. I don't want you to "bite". Just have your own thoughts, post them in the comments on the article and move on. Im not backing out of anything because I never entered it. If you think this is your own public platform to agree/disagree with someone else's comments like your own opinion/view is more valid or correct, hey, good for you. But Im happy to comment on the article itself and move on. Yawn... Last comment, promise. I seriously have no energy left entering imaginary debates with wannabe footy critics who think their own opinions are more valid than anyone else.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Johno you keep saying some clubs have advantages but what are they? This article has been inspired by the Roosters. What inherent advantage do they have that no other team has? They operate in the same market as every other Sydney team trying to attract the same sponsors. Brisbane are the obvious example but they have gained so much advantage out of TPAs that they’ve won one premiership in the past 17 years. The whole concept of this supposed unfair advantage is a myth and a crutch that weaker clubs use. The Tigers didn’t lose their big four because they couldn’t compete with TPAs. They lost them because the club has been run like a shambles for years and they wanted out. TPAs become a convenient excuse. After the 05 premiership and with a host of talented young marketable players the Tigers had sponsors beating their door down. They didn’t capitalise on it or set themselves up for success. They frittered away every opportunity they had and then moan about everything being unfair. Clubs like Manly and the Roosters have downturns but they never last long because the clubs are run professionally and set up for success. Poorly run clubs have downturns and the effects are felt for 20 years. For all the supposed unfairness of this competition there’s a remarkably diverse range of premiers and grand finalists over the last 20 years. The Raiders and Titans are the only teams that havent played in a grand final in that time and those two plus Parra and Warriors the only teams that haven’t won a premiership. Doesn’t seem like the haves and have nots.
Matt P
Roar Rookie
Ok Johno, I'll bite. Some one-town team locations are smaller than others, and therefore less fortunate with TPAs? Perhaps you should have stated that upfront, instead of defecting with it when you got called out. That's not "misunderstanding" your comments, that's you shifting the goalposts when your argument was debunked. Some clubs have a significant advantage because they have world-class players. Some develop more players, some develop world-class, some do both. Some teams have better coaches, some clubs are more appealing to certain players than others. Some clubs are in favourable territory for their sport, some aren't. Every team has some sort of advantage over the other, why does this never come up in the "fairness" debate? Sports isn't fair, never has been, never will be. Get over it. What you conveniently forgot to mention was that the RLPA doesn't want them gone full stop, they want to replace the TPA system with another one that involves independent deals. Different-but-actually-the-same. Same purpose, similar method, and, despite what they'd tell you, same level of transparency. That last point is not verifiable fact, but an opinion you've attempted to pass off as one. "Already highly paid". Nice dig there, totally didn't reveal any ideologies or agendas. Care to explain how these measures would be an appropriate substitution for TPAs, and wouldn't be another regression in a sport that's already painfully out of touch with the rest of professional sport? If you're going to start something, finish it properly. Don't back out because you can't cop the heat.
Mushi
Guest
I think the key employees test has a threshold miles above the top paid NRL player. I remember Westpac years ago umming and erring about a guy paid 5m meeting the threshold
Mushi
Guest
I'm a pest because I keep reminding you and others just how flawed every single one of your comments are. I like how you do the passive aggressive "I'm bored" when you run out of indefensible positions. In your eyes I may be a pest In mine you are a cretin
Johno
Guest
The Barry, I wouldn't exactly say my argument falls over, more so that you're so driven to argue that your just not picking up some very basic concepts. The fact that you are even attempting to compare the bustling metropolis of Canberra or Newcastle with a city like Brisbane either shows this conversation is way above your head or your just bored and looking to argue - probably the reason why you replied to my comments in the first place. Secondary to that, if you honestly believe that some clubs don't have a significant advantage with corporate sponsorship and/or commercial backers wanting to help out with TPA's then I can't be bothered replying anymore. To suggest these clubs are simply "better" is just simplifying a very complex uneven playing field in a competition which attempts to do the opposite by applying a salary cap. Thirdly, the RLPA have moved to abolish TPA's - so perhaps the players have a better understanding of the concept/situation than you. When the product itself if calling for changes to their own payment scheme - probably highlights an issue. Lastly, since their inception, TPA's have done nothing but cause problems for the NRL with various breaches and bad publicity. There are other ways clubs could compensate the small number of (already highly paid) players who receive TPA's e.g. further junior development cap dispensation or further marquee player allowances. Anyway, this is boring now. Mushi, you appear to be nothing more than a pest. As you were....
Nat
Roar Guru
Mushi, The majority don't understand them. It's the old 'you don't know what you don't know' scenario. But it is ridiculous how some on here are arguing based on absolutely no knowledge of the subject. It's science vs religion: facts and logic against I believe.
Mushi
Guest
Damn missed my catch all get out of jail free card. etc
Mushi
Guest
You've still made no credible argument as to why we are the lone group on the planet deserving this "transparency" other than your view that you're so super special that they just have to do things you get all defensive about.
Mushi
Guest
Oh so your just a hypocrite without any ethics Sweet
The Barry
Roar Guru
Sorry mate you can’t just write “etc“ after every point you make and have that cover every argument. I can’t assume what you mean by etc and don’t know how that’s easy to understand. You gave the example that one team towns had salary cap advantages. But the Raiders and Knights are one team towns and they complain about not having access to TPAs. The Roosters are as far from a one team town as there is in the game and they attract as many or more TPAs as any other team. So your example falls over on two fronts immediately. I don’t know about the etc. I’m sure there’s some semantic detail you can pull apart in all of that in lieu of a credible argument.