THE salary cap was introduced for the summer game as a way of stopping clubs from overspending beyond their limits.
A more level-playing field was said to have been created as clubs fought to build the best squads on the same budget.
However, in the years since 1996 – when Super League was formed – just four teams have won the Super League Grand Final.
And one of those, Bradford Bulls, have not even been in the top flight for a decade.
Does that mean the salary cap is no longer fit for purpose, or is it a reminder that clubs need to be careful and spend within their means?
“I’m mixed on it, it depends how it is all implemented. If it is there to protect us from ourselves so we don’t overspend or go bust then for sure but I’m not sure that’s why it is there anymore,” Smith told the Hull FC website.
“I’m not sure we should restrict investment into our sport. There hasn’t been a lot of different winners in our sport, a salary-capped sport, there are not a lot of different winners in the Premier League either where there isn’t a salary cap.
“So I’m not sure why it hasn’t happened more in a salary-capped sport if it was there to even up the competition. I certainly haven’t played under the rules where there isn’t a salary cap so it is hard to make it an informed decision whether it would be detrimental or a boost where we keep more of our elite players in this country. We may never know.
“If the owners are keen on keeping the salary cap they may be keeping themselves in check as well. There is a hard argument to raise the salary cap or even abolish it when all we are hearing about doom and gloom about the TV deal whether it is going to go down.
“That’s what the talk is that we will have a lesser TV deal than ever before and then we are talking about raising the salary cap.
“That would be difficult for a number of different clubs in Super League as well as the Championship. It would cause a real shake up.
“Until we get more information and direction and how we portray ourselves, at times I think we portray ourselves in desperation rather than the fact that we’ve got a really good sport.”
Smith pointed to the examples of Bradford and others that have not lived within the means and have thus found themselves with financial problems.
“I’m not sure whether you want to restrict investment, every penny counts at the moment in our sport when it’s not attracting large amounts from TV deals and sponsorships.
“We have some terrific sponsors within our sport, I don’t know whether it helps us or hinders us. It’s up to the owners to decide, they put their money where their mouth is.
“It is something that is raises its head from time to time, whether having a salary cap and then saying you have three or four marquee players makes any sense I’m not sure.
“As long as teams and clubs aren’t overspending and getting themselves into financial difficulties to the point they fold or drop out as have Bradford and a few other teams have over the years.
“We certainly don’t want to go back to any sort of those situations.”
