The salary cap at all clubs is equal, it’s just that some are more equal than others.
All the animals in the NRL farm get the same funding from head office and have the same salary cap amount of $12 million plus to spend on players but there will never be parity.
Coaching, sports science and administration are areas where some teams can gain a competitive advantage on the stragglers but the main one is getting value for money from players.
Of the 510 senior roster slots available across the 17 clubs, the vast majority of players are filling a role that is important but not essential to their club’s chances of being in the finals.
Clubs need their nucleus of, for want of a better term, average first-graders to be available as much as possible by avoiding injury or suspension, get their game prep spot on each week and do their job to the best of their ability.
But ultimately, whether it’s finishing attacking moves on the wing, carting the ball up in the middle or tackling whatever comes their way, they are there to hold their own or gain a slight edge on their opponents.
What swings the needle for NRL teams, and pretty much any side in a salary-capped league, is the value that clubs extract from their highest earners and their young prospects.
Some of the league’s biggest names are not living up to their contract value, mainly due to injuries, but sometimes through a lack of production.
And the flow-on effect is huge for a club when a player who is sometimes being paid the equivalent of three of his teammates isn’t delivering bang for their megabucks.
Tom Trbojevic is easily one of the most talented players in the NRL and when he’s on song, Manly are usually singing Eagle Rock soon after full-time.
Tom Trbojevic. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Manly signed him to a six-year extension late in 2019 which didn’t kick in until 2021 so he is only just entering the second half of that contract reportedly worth $1.1 million annually.
Unfortunately for “Tommy Turbo”, and the Sea Eagles, he has played only 43 matches over the past four seasons – the one year where he stayed injury free was 2021 when he peeled off a stunning haul of 28 tries in just 18 appearances to claim the Dally M Medal.
It is no coincidence that his purple patch in maroon and white was the only time Manly have made the finals this decade.
Forget about the “inclusivity jersey” debacle, Des Hasler could still be coaching the Sea Eagles if Trbojevic had avoided long-term hamstring and shoulder problems.
Latrell Mitchell cops a lot of unfair criticism due to his outspoken nature but looking at the raw data of his impact and availability for the Rabbitohs in recent years, he is falling short of the expected return from such a sizeable investment.
He has played just 14, 17, 17 and 16 matches in his four seasons at Souths due mainly to injuries and a couple of suspensions. In the first four years of his NRL career at the Roosters he played no fewer than 23 and averaged 24 per season.
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Some long-term contracts deliver pros and cons for a club. Jason Taumalolo created history when he inked a 10-year, $10m deal with the Cowboys in early 2017, fresh off his Dally M Medal-winning season.
For the first half of that deal the Cowboys have probably been getting a bargain – his impact and metre-eating ability has consistently rated him among the best forwards in the NRL.
He averaged a mammoth 207 metres per game in 2020 but that number has steadily decreased over the past few seasons to the point where it was 143 last year and is a not so nice 69 from his four matches this campaign
Cowboys coach Todd Payten recently revealed the 31-year-old has “some degenerative cartilage in his knee” which is why he has restricted his minutes to just 35 per game.
But even when he got two stints totalling 49 minutes last Friday against the Broncos, his output of eight runs for 94 metres with 25 tackles is not what clubs would consider worthy of a seven-figure salary.
Jason Taumalolo. (Photo by Andy Jackson/Getty Images)
Josh Schuster’s ongoing fitness struggles should be a cause for concern at Manly – they re-signed him midway through last year on a deal valued at $800,000 a season until the end of 2027 and he has been mired in the NSW Cup after an off-season inopportunely interrupted by time away from the training paddock.
And none of this is to say that these players have done anything wrong. Quite the opposite – they earned their huge deals by being elite players, game-changers who have CEOs clamouring for their signature.
As has been the case since 1908 and will be forever more, some star players will have that slice of luck which keeps them on the park more often than not while others, for myriad reasons, will be showered with riches but not always turn out to be sound investments.
One of the many complicating factors of the salary cap set-up in the NRL which makes roster management so difficult is that teams need to forecast how much a player will be worth at least a year if not two in advance.
And when they do get it right or sign someone on a figure that their performance exceeds, the player’s manager is always quick to tell the club their client needs an upgraded deal.
This explains why you see so many stories that are leaked to the media about a player being keen to “test the market”.
What they’re usually really testing is the resolve of their current club to pay them more than their current deal.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Ah, the Maggots. There were only two certainties when you'd play them. Firstly, you'd obviously lose, and secondly they'd get away with cheap shots and grub acts in every single tackle.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Good ol Smog Gobblers. Nothing is more appropriate or suitable than the Wests Maggots.
Bert Eagle
Roar Rookie
Hi Paul, great reading. I think there is one big factor you've omitted, which may be outside of the scope you intended to write about in any case. It's the fact that some clubs buy for 'unders' and others for 'overs'. For example, the Storm or Roosters will attract players wanting to win a premiership, based on those club's coaches and systems. Those players wishing to join may do so for less than they would get at most clubs. The reverse is also true. Clubs like the Bulldogs and Tigers (at least historically), have had to entice players for more than most other clubs would pay. Hence those clubs get less value for money in terms of the cap. Hence the salary cap is not equal by far! This is where systems such as where players are attributed points based on their talent / value (at club, SOO and Aus level) and where clubs have a points total they cannot exceed become an interesting discussion. Thanks.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I always liked Waratah (Mayfield) being the Cheetahs. Really fit the suburban/industrial vibe of the area.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
You can see ego?? You should be on the stage with an act like that
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
The Gorillas smashed the Pumpkin Pickers and the Butcher Boys let me tell you!
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I hope you played for Glendale at some point!
The Barry
Roar Guru
I think Burton’s best position is 6 Burton played his first half a dozen games in the halves for the panthers and got man of the match in 3 of his first 4 games They didn’t move him to the centres because he was no good at 6. They moved him there because he was so good they needed to find a spot in the team for him. Both Ivan Cleary and Alexander publicly said that 6 was his best position I think he’s got loads of improvement from how he’s now, but he’s not playing badly. The Dogs aren’t really playing a style that suits him. He was outstanding in the Potter era where the Dogs were playing riskier more attacking footy… but that wasn’t sustainable One of the problems the dogs have in attack is Burton playing first receiver too often. He’s much better at second and getting the ball on the run… sorta like a centre :laughing:
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
So players go to Melbourne and get better, leave Melbourne they go backwards... Says a lot about the club and their standards doesn't it?
The Barry
Roar Guru
Not really. He’s fit in really well at the Storm and going great guns. He’s surrounded by superstars and plays his role It’s no secret players are better at the Storm than they are before or after The Dogs needed Meaney to be the star but we didn’t have the players or structure around him to be able to do it He was good with the Dogs but no more than that He wouldn’t be playing anywhere near as well at the Dogs as he is the Storm
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Melbourne did the same thing with Addo-Carr
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Bet they wish they could get Meaney back right now :stoked:
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Don't forget location. I'll bet a 600k salary goes a lot further for a Warriors, Kinghts or Cowboys player than it does for players in Sydney
Coastal01
Roar Rookie
I'm not blind Tom, you watch the specsavers adds? Two for the price of one at the moment. Give it a go, put a set on for fatty and the other on your coach.
Paul Suttor
Expert
Many clubs have bought themselves a side but it rarely translates into a title, like Manly in the early 80s, Parra in the late 90s, Tigers over the past decade, Dogs recently https://www.theroar.com.au/2023/01/31/bulldogs-path-to-glory-full-of-pitfalls-very-rarely-do-nrl-clubs-actually-buy-a-premiership-winning-team/
Paul Suttor
Expert
Fifita wasn't as bad as Dugan & Moylan for the Sharks at the tail end of their contracts!
Tom G
Roar Rookie
If you listen to Kent, Rothfield and Kreepy Crawley as you "from all accounts "yes indeed that Krispy Kremes thing is a thing. If on the other hand you view their perpetual negativity toward this bloke as just plain mean-spirited lazy journalism, for which they are well known for, you might have another perspective.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
So now you know enough about him personally to assess his ego? Please!!
Coastal01
Roar Rookie
The problem with Schuster is he has a massive ego, he believes and even exceeds the belief that others have in him. One bad “magic” play doesn’t come off and he goes missing. He is not a team player, everything he does is for him. To be injured and not available as often as he is, is a great pointer to his inabilty to gain peak fitness.
Coastal01
Roar Rookie
The bulldogs problem isn’t just having a quality 7, they also lack a quality six. While at it let’s throw in a 1 lacking any real standout talent. Burton obviously wanted to play 6 but Luai was the standout because of his playing relationship with Cleary. Burton was moved to centre because of his obvious talent, won a premiership and DM centre of the year. Canterbury offered him the 6 and an upgrade on his contract, so he did what most would do and signed. He hasn’t lived up to the hype and has stifled nearly all of their backline, except for the odd occasion. They have a 7 in Sexton, more needing a 6 if anything.