NRL Rich 100 dropouts: The stars fighting to save their careers on drastically reduced salaries
They’re the 14 names who commanded some of the biggest salaries in the NRL last year - but will be forced to play for scraps in 2022 to keep their careers alive.
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They are the Rich 100 dropouts who have gone from owning a place among the game’s high rollers to fighting to save their careers on drastically reduced salaries.
The likes of Corey Norman, Ash Taylor and Anthony Milford are the poster boys for this group of polarising stars who at their best are among the game’s most talented - but their form in recent seasons just hasn’t reflected their huge salaries.
Others heading for a massive hair cut this summer include Matt Moylan, Shaun Johnson and Paul Vaughan, who have also seen their wages more than halved.
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And while the likes of Josh Dugan and Russell Packer have retired, Dylan Napa and Joey Leilua have slipped into no man’s land.
Then there’s Moses Mbye and Aaron Woods who have also been handed a huge serve of humble pie, but have vowed to fight back.
Meanwhile, Blake Ferguson is off to play rugby and young Brodie Croft to the Super League.
SEE THE FULL 2021 NRL RICH 100 LIST AT THE BANNER BELOW
COREY NORMAN
AGE: 30
CAREER GAMES: 228 (Broncos, Eels, Dragons)
Still at an age where playmakers often take their careers to the next level. But after being shown the door at the Dragons, Norman can’t get a bite from another NRL club. It looks most likely he’ll end up in the UK Super League, although that’s still to be confirmed.
ASH TAYLOR
AGE: 26
CAREER GAMES: 115 (Broncos, Titans)
Has nosedived out of the NRL’s top 10 earners. Was on $964,000 this year at the Titans but will head to the Warriors on a train-and-trial contract worth about $1000 a week. It seems a lifetime ago now that Taylor was hailed the game’s next big thing when he claimed the 2016 Dally M rookie of the year ahead of Nathan Cleary and Latrell Mitchell.
ANTHONY MILFORD
AGE: 27
CAREER GAMES: 193 (Raiders, Broncos)
It was a case of too little too late from Milford this year when he hit a patch of form late in the season we hadn’t seen from him in years. It’s probably no coincidence it came just after the Broncos made the call to let him go. His wage will crash from $940,000 to a reported $350,000 at Souths. But perhaps not having the pressure of being the marquee man might be the best thing that’s happened to Milford for years.
MATT MOYLAN
AGE: 30
CAREER GAMES: 144 (Panthers, Sharks)
Has had a shocking run of injuries but Craig Fitzgibbon has at least seen enough to give Moylan one last chance to resurrect his career in 2022. Though he’ll be doing it with $500,000 slashed off his salary, dropping from $850,000 to $350,000 for next season.
SHAUN JOHNSON
AGE: 31
CAREER GAMES: 206 (Warriors, Sharks)
Another of Cronulla’s big money signings who has been forced to cop a monstrous pay cut, going from $800,000 to a reported $450,000 on his return to New Zealand. It’s still not bad coin that most would love to be taking home. When he’s not injured he’s still a match winner.
DYLAN NAPA
AGE: 28
CAREER GAMES: 176 (Roosters, Bulldogs)
Was on $650,000 this year at the Dogs but doesn’t have a club for next season and that’s probably no great surprise. When you think of what a let-down Napa’s career has been we always go back to his benchmark game that night in 2016 when he single-handedly ripped apart the Burgess brothers in that memorable clash between the Roosters and Rabbitohs.
PAUL VAUGHAN
AGE: 30
CAREER GAMES: 181 (Raiders, Dragons)
Has seen his salary slashed from $750,000 Vaughan was pocketing at the Dragons to $350,000 at the Dogs after he got sacked followed that infamous barbecue. Though this might be the wake-up call Vaughan needed because he’d been hugely disappointing the last two seasons.
JOSH DUGAN
AGE: 31
CAREER GAMES: 215 (Raiders, Dragons, Sharks)
Was ranked 23 on the NRL’s Rich 100 this year earning $850,000. But at 31 the former NSW and Test back’s career looks to be over after Dugan made the shock announcement that he had retired less than an hour after the Sharks terminated his contract in September following a second Covid breach.
JOEY LEILUA
AGE: 29
CAREER GAMES: 225 (Roosters, Knights, Raiders, Tigers)
Pocketed $550,000 this year but doesn’t have a club for next year. There has been a pattern throughout Leilua’s career and the issue was never about talent because he played some tremendous footy over the years. It’s just a shame he couldn’t cop the tip and play with more discipline.
MOSES MBYE
AGE: 28
CAREER GAMES: 157 (Bulldogs, Tigers)
After exiting the Tigers where he was on $815,000 this year, Mbye has earned plenty of respect for the way he owned the fact that he didn’t live up to his marquee price tag. In fairness to him he was never given a fair crack at owning a regular position at the Tigers. He’ll be on less than half his previous salary at the Dragons but at least they want him.
AARON WOODS
AGE: 30
CAREER GAMES: 233 (Tigers, Bulldogs, Sharks)
If Woodsie had his time over he probably never would have left the Tigers. Up until that point he’d played 16 Origins for NSW and 17 Tests for Australia, but hasn’t played rep footy since. Was on $600,000 at the Sharks but is on about $200,000 at the Dragons. Though there was enough positive signs in his footy this year to suggest he might be among next year’s bargain buys.
RUSSELL PACKER
AGE: 31
CAREER GAMES: 184 (Warriors, Dragons, Tigers)
Will probably look back on his career one day and think what could have been. He was so tough and talented but there was always one reason or another why Packer never reached his potential. It’s mind-boggling to think he was on $750,000 at the Tigers this year.
BLAKE FERGUSON
AGE: 31
CAREER GAMES: 249 (Sharks, Raiders, Roosters, Eels)
Was on a reported $470,000 this year at Parramatta and is heading to Japan to play rugby. Achieved almost everything in the game from winning a premiership to representing his state and country. But it will still be remembered as a career that probably could have achieved even more had Fergo not been so easily led.
BRODIE CROFT
AGE: 24
CAREER GAMES: 65 (Storm, Broncos)
Sadly at 24 Croft’s NRL career is over for now with the unwanted Bronco, who was on $423,000 this year, heading off to the Super League to play for Salford. When he first burst onto the scene at the Storm he played and looked like he was going to be the next Cooper Cronk. He’s still young enough to fight his way back.
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