The NRL salary cap now $12.1m (£6.5m)

[Tosh]

1 hour ago, The storm said:

NRL clubs sign dozens of union players at a young age and many make the grade. 

So signing union players at 25 or 26 has not really been the objective

I agree but again imo there are 4-5 all blacks who would absolutely kill it in RL and apart from their on the field attributes and performances the off the field aspect that these signings would bring in terms of media attention and potential increased tv viewership would be an added and welcome bonus to the NRL and wider game of RL in general.

[Pulga]

17 minutes ago, Tosh said:

I agree but again imo there are 4-5 all blacks who would absolutely kill it in RL and apart from their on the field attributes and performances the off the field aspect that these signings would bring in terms of media attention and potential increased tv viewership would be an added and welcome bonus to the NRL and wider game of RL in general.

Which 4-5?

Ardie Savea at a stretch but not sure his fitness would be up to it plus his breakdown strength would be useless in league.

 

[Sports Prophet]

2 hours ago, The storm said:

NRL clubs sign dozens of union players at a young age and many make the grade. 

So signing union players at 25 or 26 has not really been the objective

And that is a very key point. In saying that, there are still some very talented players available that didn’t merge across at a young age.

If the idea is make headlines for the NRL, I reckon signing a big name from SA, NZ, England or France would do more than a Wallaby.

If the idea is to jag a more banks for buck, pillaging junior stocks and young fringe representative players is the go.

[Tosh]

39 minutes ago, Pulga said:

Which 4-5?

Ardie Savea at a stretch but not sure his fitness would be up to it plus his breakdown strength would be useless in league.

 

Caleb Clarke, Rieko Ioane, will Jordan, Damian McKenzie and jordie Barrett.

Theres also that number again x2 of young uncapped players playing in super rugby and even the domestic NPC competition.

[Tosh]

15 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

And that is a very key point. In saying that, there are still some very talented players available that didn’t merge across at a young age.

If the idea is make headlines for the NRL, I reckon signing a big name from SA, NZ, England or France would do more than a Wallaby.

If the idea is to jag a more banks for buck, pillaging junior stocks and young fringe representative players is the go.

This.

Targeting NZ schoolboy union talent is more cost effective and more successful in terms of getting them to cross codes but add to that the signing of an all black superstar every year along with 2-3 other top NZ Union talent capped or uncapped would be the perfect mix imo.

[Tosh]

6 hours ago, Pulga said:

That's exactly what I'm saying. Any population outside of Australia and NZ is extremely poor unfortunately. 

Poor financially but asset rich in terms of athletes and rugby talent in particular.

[Pulga]

1 hour ago, Tosh said:

Caleb Clarke, Rieko Ioane, will Jordan, Damian McKenzie and jordie Barrett.

Theres also that number again x2 of young uncapped players playing in super rugby and even the domestic NPC competition.

I would much rather they target the younger uncapped players. Barring Clarke, I couldn't see any of those you mentioned make an NRL squad. Especially being capped by the ABs they would want decent money to uphold the perception that the ABs are high quality.

[Tosh]

10 minutes ago, Pulga said:

I would much rather they target the younger uncapped players. Barring Clarke, I couldn't see any of those you mentioned make an NRL squad. Especially being capped by the ABs they would want decent money to uphold the perception that the ABs are high quality.

I think your kidding yourself if you don’t think will Jordan, Damien McKenzie or reiko Ioane wouldn’t make a NRL top 30 squad.

Im sure there was people who said the same about tuigamala, timu, innes, ridge and botica etc.

[Oxford]

16 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

It's not all that ridiculous a theory actually. If we can loosen or broaden the definition of ownership to include those with an all to powerful influence over something, then the NRL isn't that far away at all.

So if we accept it's not there yet and accept a very loose defintion it's all okay .... fine by me, have a good holiday and all the best for the New Year!

Edited December 24, 2022 by Oxford

[bobbruce]

9 hours ago, Tosh said:

I think your kidding yourself if you don’t think will Jordan, Damien McKenzie or reiko Ioane wouldn’t make a NRL top 30 squad.

Im sure there was people who said the same about tuigamala, timu, innes, ridge and botica etc.

The problem with signing those sorts of players is the money you would have to spend to get them. Then making an NRL top 30 squad wouldn’t be good enough they would have to come in and be in the top few players in the squad which just isn’t going to happen. 

[Sports Prophet]

18 minutes ago, Oxford said:

So if we accept it's not there yet and accept a very loose defintion it's all okay .... fine by me, have a good holiday and all the best for the New Year!

I don’t understand why you feel it necessary to write snide comments like this when the discussion has been healthy with various opinions shared. 

No-one was intimating that it’s there yet. The very piece you quoted and remarked against, said exactly that it’s not there yet.

Have a great New Year as well. Enjoy the break if you get one.

[Pulga]

6 hours ago, bobbruce said:

The problem with signing those sorts of players is the money you would have to spend to get them. Then making an NRL top 30 squad wouldn’t be good enough they would have to come in and be in the top few players in the squad which just isn’t going to happen. 

Exactly this. You'd get better bang for your buck chasing not yet established players or just broadening your own pathways. 

Union is nowhere near as popular in the southern hemisphere so it's not going to make a splash like it would signing Owen Farrell to a SL side.

 

[Pulga]

19 hours ago, Copa said:

Are there any women’s rugby union competitions that have an equivalent salary cap to that of the NRLW?

 

Doesn't seem to. The Women's English RU has a salary cap 1/4 of this new figure.

[Oxford]

On 24/12/2022 at 16:45, Sports Prophet said:

I don’t understand why you feel it necessary to write snide comments like this when the discussion has been healthy with various opinions shared. 

No-one was intimating that it’s there yet. The very piece you quoted and remarked against, said exactly that it’s not there yet.

Have a great New Year as well. Enjoy the break if you get one.

There's nothing snide about it SP Merry Xmas.

[Llangennech]

W Bennett tried to sign Shaun Stevenson this yr, but he told him he's still chasing that AB jumper and squad place in the 2023 WC. 

If he doesn't make it to the squad, I'll guess Stevenson will sign for the Dolphins next yr. 

If Tuivasa Sheck don't make the AB squad he'll re-sign for the Warriors IMO. 

[Sports Prophet]

On 24/12/2022 at 11:51, Copa said:

Are there any women’s rugby union competitions that have an equivalent salary cap to that of the NRLW?

 

Maybe the 7s circuit? 

[Alan Robertson]

The NRLW Salary Cap will be greater than the (men's) Super League Salary Cap within eight years. Great for the women's game (full stop) and a further demonstration of the stagnation of the game in the NH.

[footy_fan_nrl]

On 24/12/2022 at 10:29, Pulga said:

The players aren't paid very well. The majority around $50k a year. 

Most people who play union over league here in Australia don't watch union. They watch the NRL. This is a very common thing which union fans raise as a problem all over the internet.

The Aussie Super Rugby salary cap is $4.8m AUD. It's almost 1/3rd of the NRL salary cap. They also have bigger squads. Fudge the numbers however you want.

It may well be. 

Why would we be targeting the ones that don't even want to play RL?

The fact is the NRL is probably THE glamour competition in either code. The Top14 might match the pay but there is nowhere near the celebrity status of the players.

If you have skills that mean you could play anywhere in the world then the NRL would be fairly attractive. I get there could be reasons that would keep you elsewhere.

The fact is most don't have those skills in union. You're taught low-risk rugby. It's the opposite of the NRL.

To be fair, Rugby Australia do give out  big contracts on top of the players own Super Rugby deal, ect Taniela Tupou is on around AU$ 1 million a season with Rugby Australia over 4 years. 

Contracts are also slightly worth more in union as-well, ect with Finn Russel just signing with Bath for £1m, Richie Mo’unga to Japan for NZ$2m (around £1.04m), and Australian Rory Arnold on AU$1.5m in Japan. SBW also earned AU$140k a game  for a short 10-game stint with the Wild Knights in Japan. Celebrity status is relatively the same IMO, but it comes down to what country you are from and where you play.

NRL is still a really attractive option with good crowds and good money.

Edited December 27, 2022 by footy_fan_nrl
Weird font

[Pulga]

22 hours ago, footy_fan_nrl said:

To be fair, Rugby Australia do give out  big contracts on top of the players own Super Rugby deal, ect Taniela Tupou is on around AU$ 1 million a season with Rugby Australia over 4 years. 

Contracts are also slightly worth more in union as-well, ect with Finn Russel just signing with Bath for £1m, Richie Mo’unga to Japan for NZ$2m (around £1.04m), and Australian Rory Arnold on AU$1.5m in Japan. SBW also earned AU$140k a game  for a short 10-game stint with the Wild Knights in Japan. Celebrity status is relatively the same IMO, but it comes down to what country you are from and where you play.

NRL is still a really attractive option with good crowds and good money.

I don't think the central contracts in Australia are on top of a SR deal. They're instead of.

[TrueBull]

On 23/12/2022 at 10:52, Damien said:

With 2 extra players, bigger game day squads and much bigger squads generally required in Union I think the NRL is much further ahead in real terms than these figures suggest.

A premiership squad cap needs to be shared amongst an approx 40man first team squad. So agree with above

[TrueBull]

And the money will trickle down to the Queensland cup clubs so there will also be less financial incentive to come to SL/Champ from that comp as well

[JM2010]

4 hours ago, TrueBull said:

And the money will trickle down to the Queensland cup clubs so there will also be less financial incentive to come to SL/Champ from that comp as well

Hopefully. It might encourage SL clubs to develop more young players 

[Damien]

Some interesting comments from Sam Tomkins and Leon Pryce, across various tweets, after Lewis Murphys move to the NRL:

 

[Tommygilf]

53 minutes ago, Damien said:

Some interesting comments from Sam Tomkins and Leon Pryce, across various tweets, after Lewis Murphys move to the NRL:

 

Peanuts isn't it. I'd be over in Australia as soon as I could be.

[Toby Chopra]

52 minutes ago, Damien said:

Some interesting comments from Sam Tomkins and Leon Pryce, across various tweets, after Lewis Murphys move to the NRL:

 

Does seem like we could be reaching a tipping point, but not sure there's any easy solutions. It's not like anyone's getting seriously rich on the back of UK RL, and certainly not the club owners.