Toronto Wolfpack are set to receive salary cap dispensation, but not as originally planned.
Initial proposals to give the Wolfpack an additional 5% allowance on the £2.1m cap were vetoed by Super League clubs last week, who voted 8-3 against approving the move.
However, it’s believed the Wolfpack will be able to sign two new players afterall if a new prorposal is passed this week.
A suggestion has been tabled that players under the age of 21 who are in a club’s top 25-man squad will not count on the salary cap.
With the Wolfpack currently boasting just a 23-man squad, it means they would be free to sign two youngsters and it not affect their cap spend.
However, it means that Toronto wouldn’t be the only club to benefit, with any rivals boasting under 21s in their top 25-man squad also set to have some cash freed up on their cap as a result.
As it stands, the first 25 players in any squad count towards the salary cap, but that could now change. It’s thought that, as an example, Hull Kingston Rovers currently have two players in their top 25 under the age of 21, meaning it would likely provide them around £40,000 of dispensation as a result.
If the new ruling is approved, they are likely to sign 20-year-old Canadian Quinn Ngawati, a man they have been keen to add to their squad for months, along with another young player to add some much-needed depth to their current 23-man squad.
But that is as far as dispensation looks set to go for Toronto, for this season at least. Clubs voted against the proposals outlined in League Express last week that would have seen them given an extra £105,000 to spend. Toronto planned to use that to sign three young players. Instead, they will have to settle with just two.
Though that has yet to be finalised, Toronto are likely to add players to their squad soon after it is approved.
Toronto had argued the additional 5% should be allowed due to the cost of living in city, as well as the fact they can’t earn a dispensation through the ‘Home Talent’ ruling.
But clubs were unhappy with the timing of the matter and declined.
