‘It’s a stupid rule’: Gus fumes after Bulldogs hit with salary cap slap
Bulldogs football boss Phil Gould has torched the NRL after a revelation his club has quietly been whacked for a salary cap matter.
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Bulldogs boss Phil Gould has torched the NRL after his club was quietly hit hard by a salary cap ruling.
The former Panthers supremo on Monday night responded to a report Canterbury is being forced to carry some of retired forward Josh Jackson’s salary in 2023.
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The former captain surprised the game when he announced his retirement seemingly from out of the blue in October with a full season to run on his contract.
It was rumoured at the time the club was facing a dangerous salary cap crunch. According to reports at the time, Jackson’s retirement would have eased the squeeze on the Bulldogs’ 2023 cap by around $650,000.
Gould was at the time forced to address rumblings the club had pushed Jackson to retire to free up cap space.
Jackson played 241 games for the club across 11 seasons and said his decision to retire came down to his body not being able to cope with the rigours of another NRL season.
His retirement news came after the Bulldogs had splurged cash on marquee signings Viliame Kikau, Ryan Sutton, Reed Mahoney, Andrew Davey, Hayze Perham and Franklin Pele.
It’s why the NRL’s reported ruling of including part of Jackson’s 2023 salary in the cap for 2023 is such a hammer blow.
Nine’s Danny Weidler told 100% Footy on Monday night the NRL has “put a few hundred thousand, maybe $200,000” into the club’s 2023 cap.
Gould responded to the news by suggesting the NRL has made a number of “ridiculous” decisions recently.
“It’s a stupid rule, we’ve appealed it and they haven’t responded, as well,” Gould said.
“We’ll leave it there.”
Since Jackson’s retirement, the Bulldogs in January announced star playmaker Matt Burton has re-signed with the club on a monster deal through to the end of the 2027 season.
The 31-year-old remains an employee of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs where he works as a strength and conditioning coach inside the club’s football department.
The Bulldogs said at the time of Jackson’s retirement the club was going to use the former NSW State of Origin star’s expertise in the field of exercise science.
“Josh has long been at the heart of the Bulldogs,” chairman John Khoury said in a club statement.
“He has led this great Club with pride. He has bled blue and white, and played for his state and for his country.
“We know this decision has not been an easy one and while it is a sad day, there is no doubt that despite not lacing up the boots and running out in 2023, he will continue to inspire the Bulldogs team and our community for many more years to come.
“We cannot thank him enough for everything he has done for our Club, but now it is time to reflect on and celebrate his wonderful career.”
Originally published as ‘It’s a stupid rule’: Gus fumes after Bulldogs hit with salary cap slap
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