NRL salary cap proposal on knife’s edge ahead of crucial meeting with club bosses
THE NRL’s plan to achieve peace appears doomed as the salary cap vote teeters on a knife’s edge heading into Thursday’s meeting between chief executive Todd Greenberg and club bosses.
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THE NRL’s plan to achieve peace appears doomed as the salary cap vote teeters on a knife’s edge heading into Thursday’s crucial meeting between chief executive Todd Greenberg and club bosses.
Clubs were calling each other late into Wednesday night as they scrambled for numbers to back their bids to either keep the proposed $9.2 million salary cap or increase it. But the game remains split heading into a tense meeting on Thursday.
The situation is so fluid that Canterbury chairman Ray Dib, who was still trying to conjure up support on Wednesday, has called a meeting of all club chairs at 10am Thursday — an hour before they are due at the NRL’s Moore Park headquarters.
Five clubs — Canterbury, Canberra, St George Illawarra, Sydney Roosters and South Sydney — will push for a significant increase in the salary cap.
Greenberg will present a salary cap figure to clubs, which is expected to rise slightly beyond the indicated total of $9.2m.
While total player payments are expected to rise slightly, they will be nowhere near enough for some teams to avoid salary cap trouble.
Canterbury and Canberra are hoping the cap rises to about $9.6 million in a bid to alleviate their salary cap woes.
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But their worst fears are set to be realised when the NRL’s offer comes in below this figure, meaning they will need to shed players to be salary cap compliant for next season.
The Roosters, Dragons and Rabbitohs are expected to support the Bulldogs and Raiders in their push to have the salary cap rise from $9.2m.
It is understood South Sydney want a cap of $9.5m.
Under NRL rules it would take just five clubs to block any salary cap proposal. And barring any last-minute change of heart, they have secured enough numbers to do so.
Penrith and Cronulla have emerged as “swing” voters heading into today’s meeting.
The Panthers are understood to be salary cap compliant at $9.2m but would be content for it to rise, while Cronulla, who were part of the Dib-organised Chinese feast at Canterbury Leagues Club on Monday, are yet to make a decision.
Eight of the other nine clubs — Wests , Manly, Gold Coast, New Zealand, Parramatta, Newcastle, Brisbane and Melbourne — won’t support a rise in the cap, while the Cowboys have indicated they would support a rise of up to $100,000.
In the unlikely event of the NRL agreeing to a significant hike in the cap, these nine clubs could block that deal.
These clubs fear a rise in player payments will eat into their annual $12.5 million grant from the NRL, which they need to remain financially viable.
Greenberg needs enough teams to agree to the collective bargaining agreement before taking the offer to the Rugby League Players’ Association.
Originally published as NRL salary cap proposal on knife’s edge ahead of crucial meeting with club bosses
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