NRL 2024: Wests Tigers have multimillion-dollar salary cap war chest for 2025 but can’t spend it yet
As the Wests Tigers sweat on Stefano Utoikamanu, the club could soon have a $2 million war chest to spend on the open market. But they have hit a massive hurdle and can’t splash the cash yet.
Wests Tigers have multimillion-dollar salary cap space as chief executive Shane Richardson revealed the frantic 36-hours which led to John Bateman finishing the season in England.
This masthead can reveal the roster shake-up under Richardson has injected $1.15 million into the club’s coffers but the Tigers are hamstrung by having just one free roster spot for 2025.
That cap space balloons to $2 million to spend on the open market if rising prop Stefano Utoikamanu rejects a five-year extension worth $800,000 per season to remain at Concord beyond 2024.
“I hope it’s not $2 million, I hope Stefano stays with us and it’s only $1.15 million,” Richardson said. “But I have a clear mind, and we as a club have a detailed plan on what needs to be done.”
The Tigers are in the midst of creating roster spots to ensure they can splash their cash. Utoikamanu’s decision will have wider ramifications for their squad. If he does leave they will try to add up to three players in his absence.
To do that, Richardson has had to make some tough decisions about the current playing group that is headed for a third-straight wooden spoon.
After slumping to six losses in the first nine rounds, a plan was put in place to overhaul the roster in a bid to free-up a total of five roster places for 2025.
“It’s important to understand when you have a roster, you need to move it around and make changes,” Richardson said.
“Our top squad is very fluid.
“We’ve been talking to players directly about it and that means we have been as honest and as transparent as possible with everyone concerned.
INSIDE BATEMAN’S MOVE
Bateman’s shock short-term deal to join Super League ladder leaders Warrington for the rest of the 2024 season has freed up another $150,000.
The move will allow the club to forward pay a contracted player, freeing up even more cash in 2025. The money could be spent to upgrade the likes of boom forward Fonua Pole, who has been one of the Tigers’ best this year and is a free agent from November 1.
The Tigers have had to terminate Bateman’s current deal worth around $670,000 per season for the backrower to join Warrington. He will return to the Tigers on a two-year contract from November 1.
Richardson insisted Bateman was never one of the five players initially identified as part of a roster shake-up, nor was he shopped around during his trip to England.
“The opportunity came up on Monday night when Sam Burgess (Warrington coach) rang me and asked if I’d be interested in letting John Bateman come over for the rest of the season,” Richardson revealed.
“I spoke to Benji about it, and Sam also rang him too.
“We have a lot of young kids coming through, we can give them an opportunity to get some NRL experience while Bateman is gone.”
TIGERS FIVE
Already, Isaiah Papali’i (2025) and Asu Kepaoa (2024) have been released from the final year of their respective deals to join Penrith.
There has been constant speculation surrounding the future of playmaker Jayden Sullivan, who is signed until the end of 2027 but is likely to play second fiddle to Lachlan Galvin and Latu Fainu in the race to partner Jarome Luai long-term.
So too Brent Naden (2025), while halfback Aidan Sezer has a mutual option for next season but neither party has come to a decision over his future.
Richardson travelled to England on a reconnaissance mission to test the market for players the club wanted to move on but the Tigers boss was coy about who exactly was discussed.
“My plan was to go to England to work out who was available in England but at the same time to assess the value of the players we had in our roster if they were to go to England,” Richardson revealed.
“I had discussions with 10 of the 12 club hierarchy from CEO’s to coaches over there. Any player that was discussed was told about it before we went, and it wasn’t John Bateman at the time.”
STEFANO STALEMATE
Utoikamanu is yet to make a call about his immediate playing future despite suggestions a decision could have been made before he boarded a flight on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s clash against the Warriors.
Utoikamanu flew to Melbourne to meet with Storm bosses for a second time on Sunday, while Canterbury have now also entered the race for his signature.
Richardson is confident the contract saga will be resolved early next week.
“We just want Stefano to focus on Friday night. We’re still focused on winning games this year, we know we can win more games this year,” Richardson said.
“We’ll deal with the contractual issue after Friday. We’ll sit down with Stefano, his partner Kiara and his management early next week and we’ll finalise everything then.”
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