Brisbane Roar meet FFA payment deadline and end horror 2015 in odds defying rude health

BRISBANE Roar sitting pretty on the A-League ladder and in a sound state off the field after meeting a payment deadline that threatened to cost them points.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 02: Jean Carlos Solorzano of the Roar celebrates after scoring a goal during the round 16 A-League match between the Brisbane Roar and the Wellington Phoenix at Suncorp Stadium on February 2, 2015 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

BRISBANE Roar start the new year in a healthy and financially defying position on the A-League ladder and a sound state off the field after meeting a payment deadline that threatened to cost them points.

Roar chief executive David Pourre told The Courier-Mail the club had paid all the superannuation and bonuses owed to players.

The Roar, and reportedly three other A-League clubs, had until Thursday to meet superannuation and bonus payment requirements or run the risk of being docked points.

A Football Federation Australia spokesman confirmed there were no moves at this stage to sanction any clubs.

While the Roar have met one deadline, they cannot afford to rest, with club owners the Bakrie Group required to continue to meet financial commitments FFA have set them to clear the club’s massive debts by this month or be stripped of their licence.

The promises include payments to creditors and an injection of $100,000 into the club each month.

On the field, Roar coach John Aloisi and his players continue to hold up their end of the bargain as they aim for a fourth successive win tomorrow when they host Perth Glory at Suncorp Stadium.

The Roar second on the table, two points behind leaders Western Sydney Wanderers.

That defies financial figures which show Wanderers’ player payments are more than $600,000 higher than Brisbane’s.

The figures also show the Roar spend almost $2 million less than third-placed Melbourne City, who are owned by English giants Manchester City.

Melbourne City fork out more than $5.4 million in player payments, including $2.3 million in marquee wages which are paid outside the salary cap.

The marquee-less Central Coast Mariners spend only a little more than $2.3m in total, raising the question of how the battlers will be able to compete with the financial might of the four clubs in Melbourne and Sydney.

The figures, compiled by each club for the salary cap audit, reveal that Sydney FC are holding back almost 10 per cent of the salary cap, presumably to bolster their squad this month, and that eight of the 10 clubs underspent last year on the $2.55 million limit, which was increased to $2.6 million this season.

Adelaide United are the second-highest spending club on player payments excluding marquees, at a fraction under $3 million, followed by Melbourne Victory at $2.962 million.

The huge differentials come from the extra allowances brought in for this season, which include an extra $200,000 on long-term players, $200,000 on home grown players, and the ability to carry over up to 5 per cent of any unspent cap from the previous two years.

Originally published as Brisbane Roar meet FFA payment deadline and end horror 2015 in odds defying rude health