NRL 2023: Salary of every spine player at every club revealed | Fullback, halfback, five-eighth & hooker

These are the high-flying clubs proving success on a tight spine budget can be a reality in 2023. See the salary cap breakdown of every NRL spine.

They were once on the same side in Canberra but Ricky Stuart and Tim Sheens are set to lock horns as they scramble to replace million-dollar holes in their spine heading into next season.

Stuart’s Raiders and Sheens’ Tigers are among the sides with the most significant concerns around their spines — the term given to the crucial positions of fullback, five-eighth, halfback and hooker — as they bemoan the loss of star names at the end of the season.

Canberra five-eighth Jack Wighton has already announced he will join South Sydney in 2024 while Tigers halfback Luke Brooks is bound for Manly - both are on seven-figure salaries at their current clubs and will take pay cuts at their new clubs next year.

A handful of halves have been offered to both including former Sydney Roosters half Lachlan Lam, ex-Brisbane Bronco Brodie Croft, Aidan Sezer and Jake Clifford, formerly at North Queensland and Newcastle.

NRL Spine Rater: online art.

The Tigers have also tried and failed to sign Wighton, Mitchell Moses, Shaun Johnson, Cameron Munster, Mitchell Pearce and George Williams.

There is, however, hope for both. As important as the spine is to any football team, analysis conducted by this masthead reveals that spending big doesn’t necessarily correlate with success.

Manly are the NRL’s second biggest spenders outlaying a whopping $3.45 million to fill out four spots. Only hooker Lachlan Croker – who won the club’s player of the year award last year – sits outside the game’s highest paid players on a deal worth about $300,000.

The Sea Eagles are the only club with two million-dollar players on the list with Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic. Yet Manly head into this weekend outside the top eight and battling to maintain such with the top eight.

The Roosters are in a similar position despite spending more than $3 million on their spine, having recruited Brandon Smith this year on big money to play hooker.

Smith returns to the NRL from injury this weekend with the Roosters’ season on the line against his former club, Melbourne,

Parramatta rank third on the list but their numbers are skewed by Josh Hodgson’s inclusion despite Brendan Hands becoming the club’s first choice hooker.

Hodgson’s contract of $400,000 is more than double what Hands will earn this year. The Eels have spent much of the year out of the top eight, having only forced their way in recent weeks.

Newcastle are spending almost a million dollars more this year on their key positions compared to 2022 following the inclusion of Jackson Hastings and a hefty pay rise to Kalyn Ponga.

This time last year they had Jake Clifford and Adam Clune starting in the halves on a combined $480,000. The bigger outlay hasn’t brought with it significantly improved fortunes.

Meanwhile, the Sharks and Warriors, who clash on Sunday, are among the smallest spenders on their spines.

Shaun Johnson and the Warriors are on fire - but remain one of the cheapest spines in the competition. Picture: NRL Photos

Alongside the Broncos ($1.81 million), the Sharks ($2.02 million) and Warriors ($1.85 million) can lay claim to getting the most out of their spines compared to how much they have spent.

All three clubs sit in the bottom six of the NRL for cap spend on their spine yet they are each on track for the finals in 2023.

In some cases, a lack of spending and quality is reflected in ladder position. For all the hype and expectation of a strong 2023 season, the Bulldogs investment in their spine gives reason towards their sluggish year.

The Bulldogs poached Reed Mahoney from Parramatta, but have still spent the least on their spine. Picture: Getty

The Dogs have spent the least ($1.75 million) amount of money in the NRL on their spine. Matt Burton is the club’s highest-paid playmaker at $650,000 ahead of hooker Reed Mahoney ($600,000).

The recent acquisition of former Titans halfback Toby Sexton is valued at $350,000. Obviously the recruitment of Stephen Crichton from Penrith next season, will catapult the Dogs up the ladder of investment in their spine, should he take over at fullback.

At St George Illawarra, Ben Hunt’s contract is worth more than the rest of his spine teammates combined in Tyrell Sloan, Jayden Sullivan and Jacob Liddle. His potential departure at the end of the season would give the Dragons money to spend but leave them in the same spot as the Raiders and Tigers.

All three would be fishing in a small pond.

Originally published as NRL 2023: Salary of every spine player at every club revealed | Fullback, halfback, five-eighth & hooker