Why Canberra will not get salary cap compensation for Rapana

The Raiders have once again been stung by the NRL’s rules on salary cap relief with the club unable to sign an injury replacement for Jordan Rapana.

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This exposes a ridiculous flaw in an NRL rule brought in specifically to counter Josh Hodgson’s injury while playing for England last year.

Because once again, Canberra is unlikely to receive any salary cap relief for the serious shoulder injuries suffered by Jordan Rapana and Ata Hingano while away on recent international Test duties.

Following Hodgson’s knee injury that wiped him out for half of this year, the NRL made a change to the salary cap guidelines where clubs would get a cap reprieve, of up to $350,000, for players injured during representative matches.

But the catch is they have to miss at least 12 games before their club qualifies for assistance.

What the new rule does not take into account is time missed during pre-season.

Rapana did his shoulder playing for New Zealand. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images.

Any NRL coach will tell you how crucial pre-season is but for some reason it hasn’t been taken into account by the NRL’s decision-makers here.

The irony is if a similar injured occurred while playing State of Origin in the middle of the NRL season clubs would be covered, getting the value of a player’s contract taken off their cap up to the limit of $350,000.

Rapana and Hingano both require full shoulder reconstructions, with an expected recovery time of six months.

Given Hingano had his shoulder surgery soon after playing for Tonga against Australia, he is hoping to be back by round eight.

The Raiders flyer is one of the competition’s most exciting players. Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images.

Rapana is expected to have his surgery in the coming days after suffering the injury while playing for New Zealand in the second Test against England.

Canberra chief executive Don Furner said it would be touch and go to see if Rapana qualifies for the cap relief.

The expectation is Rapana should be back before round 11, meaning he would narrowly miss the required 12-match cut-off mark.

While Furner refused to complain when contacted by The Daily Telegraph yesterday, it just seems logical pre-season should be factored into the injury time.

And especially given the number of post-season Test matches that are now being played in a bid to grow the international game.

The Raiders will be without their star winger until May. Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images.

“It is very disappointing, obviously,” Furner said.

“Now we just have to get the surgery done, rehab them and see how we go.

“There is that rule in place.

“But it is a long way off whether we would be the beneficiary because one of them (Rapana) hasn’t even had the operation yet.

“It depends on how his recovery goes.”

Furner pointed out that a player of Rapana’s ability wouldn’t be that easy to find even if the club did qualify for the exemption.

But after losing Hodgson for so much of this year, it’s another bitter blow.

The Raiders do have a couple of very handy backups on their books in Michael Oldfield and Brad Abbey who will now be competing for Rapana’s right wing spot to start next season.

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