NRL 2022: Josh Jackson retirement raises alarm bells of salary cap pressure at Bulldogs
Josh Jackson's shock retirement will save Canterbury $650,000, opens up a crucial roster spot - and has shone a light on the state of the club's salary cap.
Phil Rothfield
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The Bulldogs are furiously denying any suggestions that the retirement of club legend Josh Jackson was done to ease salary cap pressure.
It’s an interesting one because their general manager of football Phil Gould has to shed players at Belmore even with Jackson’s $650,000 contract coming out of the salary cap.
The likes of Luke Thompson, Corey Allan and Kyle Flanagan are in the firing line.
The Bulldogs have added Billy Kikau (Panthers), Reed Mahoney (Eels), Ryan Sutton (Raiders), Andrew Davey (Sea Eagles), Hayze Perham and Franklin Pele (Cronulla) and Jacob Preston (Roosters).
They cannot have more than 30 players registered.
This is a situation the NRL will no doubt be monitoring. It’s a little bit murky because not even CEO Aaron Warburton or chairman John Khoury know exactly where their cap sits. They leave it all to Gus.
The Bulldogs are saying Jackson made the decision to retire and insist he wasn’t pushed. That after 11 seasons and 241 games his body could not cope with another 12 months of body contact.
It’s a huge call on his behalf to give up a wage of $650,000. It also gets tricky because Canterbury wants to give Jackson a job. He has a degree in exercise science.
Rival clubs are watching this one closely.
We’ve seen it happen before where clubs have encouraged players to retire to ease pressure on the salary cap and then employ them elsewhere in the business.
Clubs need the NRL’s permission to do so.
PVL’S PLAN TO AMBUSH AFL MAGIC ROUND
Peter V’landys is closely monitoring the AFL’s move to play a Magic Round in Sydney next year – with a cunning plan to ambush it.
The AFL is looking at staging a full round in mid-April and has been in talks with the NSW government to use the Sydney Cricket Ground, Accor Stadium and Giants Stadium as the venues for nine games between Thursday and Sunday.
“It doesn’t worry me in the slightest,” V’landys said. “We’ll actually use it to our advantage.
“It’s a good opportunity to promote our own game to a new audience they’re bringing into town.
“We’ll give the fans from interstate the chance to come and experience the greatest game for all while they are here.”
The NRL would advertise in the Sydney media over the weekend to encourage AFL fans to watch the rival code while they were in town.
The AFL will decide next week between offers from the NSW and South Australian governments for their Magic Round — a direct rip-off from the NRL’s annual eight-game spectacular in Brisbane.
“They are copying Andrew Abdo’s idea and that’s actually flattering,” V’landys said.
“For us it’s an acknowledgment of how well we’ve done in Brisbane.
“Every idea is only as good as it’s implemented and Andrew and his team have done it magnificently.
“Can they do it as well as us? That’s the question.”
V’landys insists there is an opportunity for the NRL to cash in.
There is no one smarter at taking on Victorians in a sporting showdown as he has proven in racing over many years.
“They’ll bring fans in from interstate and it will be good for the NSW economy,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s going to affect us at all because I don’t think they’ll attract rugby league people to their games.
“I’m really confident it will be the other way around.
“Collingwood fans for example would come to watch their team play. They’re very tribal and they’ll only be in Sydney to watch their own team.
“If they really want to get a Sydney experience they can come and watch a rugby league game.”
SAINT
The 16 Socceroos players who have powerfully spoken up on a three-minute video message on the eve of the World Cup around the terrible same-sex relationship laws and shocking treatment of migrant workers in host nation Qatar.
SINNER
The Aussie cricket selectors and coach Andrew McDonald refuse to make the tough decision to drop struggling skipper Aaron Finch from the Australian T20 side, when it’s so obvious there are better options to open the batting. This is a World Cup we’re playing for, not a crappy hit-and-giggle Big Bash tournament.
SINNER II
Why isn’t the fully-roofed Marvel Stadium in Melbourne being used as a standby venue for the T20 World Cup in a city where the weather is almost always horrible. The Australia v England washout at the MCG on Friday night would have attracted a global TV audience of tens of millions.
SHOOSH
Netball Australia has hired crisis media advisers, including former NRL executive Liz Deegan, to try to put a more positive spin on its sponsorship crisis. Deegan is a former News Corp colleague and worked at the NRL during some tough and turbulent times when Todd Greenberg was forced out.
SPOTTED
Shane Flanagan having dinner at an Italian restaurant in Manchester with the Telegraph’s Brent Read, Channel 9’s Emma Lawrence and Fox Sports’ Jake Duke. No doubt the media guys had to pick up the bill for the notoriously tight old premiership-winning coach.
SPOTTED
Halfback legend Craig ”Tugger” Coleman swimming 2.5km (50 laps) of the pool at Allianz Stadium and looking fit enough to still be feeding the scrums for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Tugger turns 60 in January.
SPOTTED
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy having a beer on the Gold Coast with Balmain Tigers legend Larry Corowa.
SPOTTED
Boxing guru Angelo Hyder training celebrity accountant Anthony Bell at Bondi Beach.
SPOTTED
Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart winding down on a family holiday on Hamilton Island.
SPOTTED
St George-Illawarra Dragons stars Jack Bird, Jayden Sullivan, Tyrell Sloan, Blake Lawrie and Josh Kerr catching up over a late breakfast at Lee & Me eatery, in Wollongong, on Thursday.
SPOTTED
Cricket players association boss Todd Greenberg sitting with Usman Khawaja at the MCG last Sunday night for the Pakistan v India T20 World Cup blockbuster.
TAUKEIAHO TO BECOME NEXT KNOCKOUT HIT
Another NRL star is about to have a crack at heavyweight boxing.
And good judges are suggesting he will quickly become a knockout star on Foxtel’s Main Event.
Tongan World Cup front-rower Sio Siua Taukeiaho wants to have his first fight before Christmas when he returns home from England.
Boxing guru Peter Mitrevski Jnr is looking after the Roosters’ premiership winning prop who has now signed with French club Catalans in the UK Super League.
“He’s got unbelievable power,” Mitrevski said, “He hits the pads harder than anyone I’ve felt.
“I sent him to Martin Murray (a former world champion) and he said he has genuine world class power.
“I wonder who is going to be game enough to step into the ring with him.
“If Main Event is looking for its next star after Paul Gallen, Sio Siua is the man.”
Taukeiaho has been doing some boxing training in Warrington near where the Tongan team is based.
“I’ve always wanted to jump into the ring,” Taukeiaho said, “I admire boxers and their courage.
“Rugby league is a team sport but this is one-on-one and I want to challenge myself.
“Sonny Bill and Paul Gallen have already done great things for the sport.
“Sonny was a mentor to us Polynesian boys at the Roosters. He’s given me the confidence to take on challenges like this.”
TIGER TANTRUMS OVER SHEENS COMMENTS
Tim Sheens is putting noses out of joint at the Wests Tigers among the playing group.
His very public recent comments around recruitment – first Cameron Munster and now Mitchell Moses – being offered multimillion-dollar deals is hardly encouraging for current halves Luke Brooks, Adam Doueihi and Jackson Hastings.
All three are off contract at the end of next year and can talk to rival clubs from next week.
Sheens has made no attempt to extend their contracts.
CHARITY TEE OFF FOR FORMER SHARK
Cronulla old boys and the Men of League are putting on a golf fundraiser to assist former Shark Nathan Stapleton, a father of two young kids, who has been left a quadriplegic after a terrible accident in country rugby union in March. You can join the likes of Wade Graham, Paul Gallen, Ben Pomeroy, Ben Ross, Jeff Robson and Aaron Raper on November 11 at Kareela Golf Club. Spots are still open to support this great cause. Contact Lauren Chester on lchester@sharks.com.au for more details or the Men of League.
CRONULLA KEEN TO KEEP FIFITA
Cronulla is in talks with retiring prop Andrew Fifita about a future role at the Sharks.
Chairman Steve Mace is a huge fan of the man who has turned his life around from being a ratbag to a role model.
“Andrew has been such an important and impressive figure around our culture,” Mace said.
“We’d like to see him involved in some capacity and we’re in discussions now. Everyone at our club, especially the younger players, look up to him.”
FLANAGAN OPENS DOOR FOR PNG TALENT
Shane Flanagan has become heavily invested in the growth of PNG for future rugby league World Cup campaigns.
The former Sharks premiership winning coach, an adviser for the Kumuls, is working behind the scenes with major sponsors on future development plans.
Flanagan wants to set up a pathway for PNG players to get NRL experience by spending off-seasons in NRL programs over the summer months.
“I’ve spoken to Cronulla and St George-Illawarra and they are keen,” Flanagan (pictured) said. “The aim is to get two players at each club for a few months to get them accustomed to the professionalism required to compete at the top level.
“Who knows … the clubs might even pick up a player or two they want to keep.
“There is so much talent but they just need experience in areas of high performance and skills.”
PNG has shown at this World Cup they are not that far off the pace.
They went down to Tonga 24-18 in a super round-one performance and then beat the Cook Islands 32-16 in their second game.
To have Flanagan involved with PNG, and Roosters coach Trent Robinson with the French team is a huge boost for international rugby league.
At the same time there are obvious concerns about other countries.
In the first two rounds, Greece (16-116), Scotland (4-112) and Jamaica (8-116) have been ridiculously outclassed.
It does nothing for their development to be exposed in such brutal fashion on the world stage.
In future the tournament should be restricted to eight teams – Australia, New Zealand, England, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, PNG and a qualifier from the weaker countries.
This way you get quality and competitive football in each game but still leave the door open for emerging nations to earn a spot in the tournament.
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