Salary cap rules 2023-2027

[greeneyed]

The ST has a story with details of the new salary cap rules under new CBA today. Few interesting points…

Level of the cap
2023: $11.05m
2024: $11.25m
2025: $11.4m
2026: $11.55m
2027: $11.7m

Minimum $120,000 including Super in 2023, $130,000 in 2024 rising incrementally to $145,000 in 2027.

Each club can offer $100,000 on motor vehicle allowance (up to five, valued at $20,000) and has a $300,000 veteran/developed player allowance. A veteran is valued at 10 percent of salary cap value after nine years at one club and 5 percent after 10 years. A developed player is 10 percent of salary cap value if contracted for two or more years before their top 30 contract. I guess that’s subject to the $300,000 cap.

Clubs must spend 97.5 per cent of their cap each year from 2004, rising from the current 95 per cent. (That’s bad.)

Developed players (juniors) cannot be signed before Round 6 of a player’s final contract year. A developed player is a player who has been contracted for at least two years in junior grades and has played less than six NRL or State Cup matches. This is to help development clubs retain players and give them more time to assess players. (Raiders pushed for this, along with Panthers and Cowboys.)

Clubs must have 24 top 30 players by 5pm November 1. By Monday of Round 1 they must have 28 players in the top 30. 30 by 30 June (no mid season transfers after that).

Development player contracts replaced by “Supplementary list”. $650,000 cap for at least four, maximum six players, paid $80,000, can play from Round 1. Bonus of $3,000 for any NRL game.

Training contracts (train and trial). To rise to $1200 in 2024, $3,000 bonus for any NRL game, can only play NRL from Round 11 (ie after Round 10).

Clubs can promote players aged 17 to top 30 squads but can’t play until age 18.

Top 30 players can seek a release from their contract if dropped below State Cup level.

Relocation allowances outside the cap, eg 28 days temporary accommodation, one way travel for player and spouse, children, one month storage costs, removalists.

Milestone games. Debut, 100th, 200th, 300th, 400th and final games for players who’ve played 100 games and one full season at a club. Transport and accommodation for two family members, 10 tickets, the match worn jersey.

Any games. Six tickets for players in any game day top 18 player, two for other top 30 players.

[Finchy]

Does this mean we can’t actually sign Colonel Sanders until after round 6 in 2024?

[greeneyed]

Does this mean we can’t actually sign Colonel Sanders until after round 6 in 2024?

I hope not.

[NoMan]

There's actually a few positive steps in the right direction with the junior protections and the clearer definitions of development players. Another couple of decades and they might have a player contracting system as developed as other sports had in the 90s.

It does seem like some of our players are in for massive pay days next year with the 97.5% rule though. I would be interested to find out what the punishment is because it would be preferable to pay a fine over throwing cash away without any link to performance.

[Mickey_Raider]

I absolutely hate the 97.5% minimum spend rule.

Forces clubs to overpay ploders is what it does.

[greeneyed]

I absolutely hate the 97.5% minimum spend rule.

Forces clubs to overpay ploders is what it does.

Should have gone in the other direction, to help the lowest ranked teams to get out of the hole they’re in. Terrible rule. The bottom four should be able to carry forward 10 per cent at least.

[BJ]

I absolutely hate the 97.5% minimum spend rule.

Forces clubs to overpay ploders is what it does.

Should have gone in the other direction, to help the lowest ranked teams to get out of the hole they’re in. Terrible rule. The bottom four should be able to carry forward 10 per cent at least.

Yes. Some leeway for bottom four or when a highly paid player leaves during the previous season.

[Botman]

Such an archaic and dumb system
Makes it really hard for teams to get out of the cellar quickly

The rule should be that unused cap space can roll over to the next years salary cap and clubs have to spend 95% of cap space over any 3 year period

This will ensure the clubs can’t under spend, pocket the difference and leave the workforce short of money they’re entitled to, and allow the flexibility for clubs to build without having to over pay talent to meet minimum spend

But clubs have got to be better in managing this too, as I’ve said before, the way to manage this is grossly over inflated 1 year deals

You pay a premium to maintain cap flexibility and fluidity. The player is substantially over paid and sacrifices job security for it

Weekes and the raiders is a good example… he’s coming to tour our facilities, we need a warm body who can play fullback and 5-8th

I’d rather give him a 1 year 500k deal than I would 2 years at 250k per year
(Don’t get hung up on the numbers/player, I just plucked figures that are easy and clean to illustrate the point)

That’s how I’d try and roll our cap money over. By drastically overpaying players to the point they are willing to sign 1 year deals until we can find someone worth a long term investment in. Now it probably doesn’t work for a young player with potential, you’d probably more likely to find success doing it with aging veterans who are looking to top up their retirement fund

The 2/3 year 250-300k deals handed out to players just to reach minimum cap spends is a death by paper cuts scenario

[Matt]

I like this.
You can use any player you have on your roster (train and trial is "on the fence" IMO) and age compliant.
Cap going up.
Better transparency of it.
Jrs and Vets finally getting better recognition.

[kona_dream]

NFL min spend is 89% over the 4 year CBA agreement. If this money isn’t spent then the amount under paid is pay out to players. I agree a greater amount of year to year variance would be better.

[T_R]

Can anyone point me at info on cap spend for Jersey Flegg and SG Ball? There seems to be a myriad of scholarships and 'transport payments' and god alone knows what else at play. Any idea what the rules are?

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[-PJ-]

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas..

[gerg]

Love to see the fine print on the - a player can seek a release if dropped below State cup. Seems like a good out for clubs with buyers remorse.

[greeneyed]

Can anyone point me at info on cap spend for Jersey Flegg and SG Ball? There seems to be a myriad of scholarships and 'transport payments' and god alone knows what else at play. Any idea what the rules are?

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I’ve never heard there are any. There was some discussion about limiting the availability of scholarships to players over a certain age, but no idea where it landed.

[Finchy]

Love to see the fine print on the - a player can seek a release if dropped below State cup. Seems like a good out for clubs with buyers remorse.

Does anyone on the outer even get dropped below state cup level though? I thought state cup was basically as low as clubs go when they drop someone, like the Roosters with Lodge this year

[T_R]

Can anyone point me at info on cap spend for Jersey Flegg and SG Ball? There seems to be a myriad of scholarships and 'transport payments' and god alone knows what else at play. Any idea what the rules are?

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

I’ve never heard there are any. There was some discussion about limiting the availability of scholarships to players over a certain age, but no idea where it landed.

Thanks. I assume there must be as it seems that payments are structured in a way to make them look anything like a salary - ie clothing allowances, scholarships, bursaries and whatever else. I imagined that this would be to avoid some aspect of a salary cap.

[Seiffert82]

Thanks GE.

It's almost like this sort of thing needs to be pinned as a reference. It's a real shame the NRL are no longer transparent with how the cap is structured. They used to publish the rules on NRL.com.

Not as complex as the ridiculous NBA cap rules, but it's gradually getting more complicated as exceptions and development discounts are added.

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[Seiffert82]

I think it is unfortunate that a club is required to spend at least 97.5% of the cap.

I agree with a minimum spend to ensure the revenue passed onto the clubs is actually shared with players, but setting it to 97.5% absolutely risks bottom dwelling clubs artificially inflating salaries for mediocre players.

As has been suggested, perhaps allowing clubs to spend a minimum of 95% of the cap in a season with a further 2.5% allowed to be moved into the following season to assist struggling clubs to sign decent players.



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[Raidernation]

Such an archaic and dumb system
Makes it really hard for teams to get out of the cellar quickly

The rule should be that unused cap space can roll over to the next years salary cap and clubs have to spend 95% of cap space over any 3 year period

This will ensure the clubs can’t under spend, pocket the difference and leave the workforce short of money they’re entitled to, and allow the flexibility for clubs to build without having to over pay talent to meet minimum spend

But clubs have got to be better in managing this too, as I’ve said before, the way to manage this is grossly over inflated 1 year deals

You pay a premium to maintain cap flexibility and fluidity. The player is substantially over paid and sacrifices job security for it

Weekes and the raiders is a good example… he’s coming to tour our facilities, we need a warm body who can play fullback and 5-8th

I’d rather give him a 1 year 500k deal than I would 2 years at 250k per year
(Don’t get hung up on the numbers/player, I just plucked figures that are easy and clean to illustrate the point)

That’s how I’d try and roll our cap money over. By drastically overpaying players to the point they are willing to sign 1 year deals until we can find someone worth a long term investment in. Now it probably doesn’t work for a young player with potential, you’d probably more likely to find success doing it with aging veterans who are looking to top up their retirement fund

The 2/3 year 250-300k deals handed out to players just to reach minimum cap spends is a death by paper cuts scenario

100% agree with the 95% over a 3 year period. What clubs need when at the bottom is flexibility because they are generally very poor at removing underproforming players to open up space. Add to this a 6 man bench and we're talking. It's time the utility player is killed off for ever.

[GreenMachine]

I absolutely hate the 97.5% minimum spend rule.

Forces clubs to overpay ploders is what it does.

Great news for me...
Might throw my hat in the ring to play fullback, seeing as Ricky will let anyone do that these days...
I've always wanted to tour the clubs' facilities too...

[RedRaider]

Does this mean we can’t actually sign Colonel Sanders until after round 6 in 2024?

I hope not.

Given the news today, that is what it means. Ironic the Raiders pushed for this outcome. No Colonel to the Raiders to start the season in 2024. I imagine he could be released after Round 6...

[greeneyed]

Some more details on representative player payments, which are outside the cap.

The NRL players can earn more than an extra $100,000 outside the cap for representative matches.

$40,000 per World Cup appearance for Kangaroos
$30,000 per Origin match
$6000 per All-Stars match
$3000 per PM’s XIII match
$3,000 per Kangaroos international outside of World Cup
$2000 to be an Origin squad member per game

The Jillaroos players will receive $35,000 when they play in a World Cup while NRLW Origin players will earn $15,000 per match.

Read more: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport ... 6d6cfa51e3

[gerg]

Some more details on representative player payments, which are outside the cap.

The NRL players can earn more than an extra $100,000 outside the cap for representative matches.

$40,000 per World Cup appearance for Kangaroos
$30,000 per Origin match
$6000 per All-Stars match
$3000 per PM’s XIII match
$3,000 per Kangaroos international outside of World Cup
$2000 to be an Origin squad member per game

The Jillaroos players will receive $35,000 when they play in a World Cup while NRLW Origin players will earn $15,000 per match.

Read more: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport ... 6d6cfa51e3

Does this outside the cap rule also apply to 'non-kangaroos' International players?

[greeneyed]

Rep player payments for any country don’t count to a NRL club cap.

[gerg]

Rep player payments for any country don’t count to a NRL club cap.

Ok, thank you.