NRL contract circus needs ringleader to get grip on players’ wages

THE NRL contracts circus can be traced back to Ben Hunt’s deal with the Dragons, which is now seen by many as some sort of financial barometer, writes Darren Lockyer.

THE current contract circus at the Wests Tigers underlines everything that is wrong with an NRL salary-cap environment that has spun out of control.

Player managers and their stars have become greedy and the ongoing uncertainty over the code’s Collective Bargaining Agreement is fanning the embers of a money grab that threatens to become a financial inferno.

Firstly, I don’t begrudge any NRL player seeking to get the best deal possible. If a desperate club is willing to pay over the odds for their services, good luck to them.

But my concern is the uncertainty surrounding the salary cap, coupled with excessive salary demands from agents on behalf of off-contract players, has created a Super League-style powder keg for the NRL.

The turning point in this whole mess is what history may record as the Ben Hunt deal.

Next season, Hunt will join St George Illawarra on a massive five-year deal.

Ben Hunt will join the Dragons next year on big money. Picture: Darren England

The Dragons paid an estimated $1.2 million per season for his services. Ben is yet to play State of Origin. The code’s best playmaker, Johnathan Thurston, earns $1 million annually.

But the headache for the NRL industry is less about Hunt’s value and more about the grossly inflated market it has created for every off-contract player.

The Hunt deal is now seen by many clubs, players and agents as some sort of financial barometer.

It’s not Hunt’s fault. He’s a quality player with a 12-year career span and a family to feed.

But suddenly every off-contract player with above-average talent looks at the $1.2 million benchmark and the eyes light up, screaming for a similarly hefty payday.

Which brings me to the Tigers, and the contract soap opera that could tear the club apart.

Their boom young playmaker, Mitchell Moses, has signed a deal with Parramatta.

Tigers five-eighth Mitchell Moses has signed a deal with Parramatta. Picture: Gregg Porteous

He was asking for upwards of $700,000 a season. At 22, he has played just 62 NRL games. He has yet to play a finals game, let alone win a premiership.

Yet, looking through the prism of the Hunt deal, his agent adjusts the financial lens and deems Moses is worth the type of money Thurston took nearly a decade to earn.

Tigers prop Aaron Woods is seeking around $900,000 on the open market.

NRL clubs are willing to offer the Tigers’ other off-contract big gun, James Tedesco, $1 million a season.

It is a dangerous situation for the code. Some clubs are openly opting to be bullish, privately hoping the NRL will agree to at least a $10m salary cap to ease the strain on the excess amounts they are paying.

Aaron Woods is seeking around $900,000 on the open market.

Others, like the Broncos have chosen to be more conservative. By doing so, the club lost Ben Hunt. In the coming months, we could witness a full-scale frenzy.

I accept there is more money coming into the game and the Rugby League Players Association are entitled to have a strong voice.

But the stakeholders should be focused on striking a balance between growing the financial pie and giving the players a fair and reasonable slice.

The 16 NRL clubs last year lost a staggering $53.4 million.

Clearly, the code can’t afford for player wages to go through the roof.

Tigers fullback James Tedesco is another player in demand. Picture: Gregg Porteous

The $1 million salary must still be the domain of the elite few such as Thurston, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk.

The NRL has to play its part by delivering a salary-cap figure and CBA urgently to ensure clarity and stability.

But unless the entire code gets a reality check on spending, the Wests Tigers saga will be just the tip of the iceberg.