NRL salary cap benchmarking documents reveal Bulldogs have the roster to win the competition
The Bulldogs are in prime position to break their 21-year premiership drought, with confidential NRL documents showing why their roster has what it takes to go all the way.
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The Bulldogs’ bid to end their 21-year premiership drought has received a boost from confidential benchmarking NRL documents which show why their roster is ready-made to challenge for a title.
This masthead has obtained the NRL’s confidential benchmarking on the salary cap, which outlines the average wage for each position and a breakdown of how much the top earners in each spot receive.
It also provides a window into the make-up of top four sides in recent seasons, based on their age and their outlay on their roster and key playmaking positions.
Making the top four is considered the minimum requirement for a side with genuine aspirations of challenging for a title.
The documents reveal that the top four sides in 2024 spent 40 per cent of their salary cap on their top five players and 60 per cent on their top 10 players.
Only 4 per cent of their cap is devoted to the bottom five players on their roster.
The documents also show that top four clubs have three players earning in excess of $800,000 a season and the average age of their spine players is 26.
The Bulldogs lead the NRL through 12 rounds, having set a cracking pace since the start of the season. In terms of roster build, they meet most of the criteria for a top four side.
Despite finishing sixth last year, few pundits had the Bulldogs climbing to the top of the ladder at the halfway point of this season.
Perhaps the only area where the Dogs are found wanting is in terms of their spend on their top five players.
While the benchmarking documents suggest $4.5 million is the minimum figure, Canterbury is believed to be short of that given the Bulldogs are one of the few clubs in the NRL without a player earning $1 million a season.
Stephen Crichton and Matt Burton are believed to be their top earners, ahead of Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney. Their investment in their top five players is estimated to be closer to $4 million.
However, the Bulldogs meet all the other criteria of a top four side.
The average age of their starting spine when Toby Sexton is at halfback is 26 – it drops to 25 if you include Lachlan Galvin.
Galvin is expected to replace Sexton in the No.7 jersey at some point after his move to Belmore was finally confirmed on Friday.
The Bulldogs also meet the requirement of paying at least three players more than $800,000 a season – Crichton, Burton and Kikau are their top earners this year.
Next year you could throw Leo Thompson into the mix.
Based on the NRL’s data, the Bulldogs are cherry-ripe to finish in the top four and be in position to challenge for a title.
Four-time premiers Penrith, provided the perfect template for success with last year’s premiership squad.
The Panthers had five players – Nathan Cleary, James Fisher-Harris, Isaah Yeo, Jarome Luai and Dylan Edwards – who took home a combined figure of around $4.5 million.
Their spine had an average age of 26.75 and they had three players believed to be earning in excess of $800,000 a year – Cleary, Fisher-Harris and Yeo.
The bottom four sides had an average of 2.8 players in their roster paid at least $800,000.
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Originally published as NRL salary cap benchmarking documents reveal Bulldogs have the roster to win the competition
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