League: Extras to keep stars in the fold

There's considerable irony in the fact that it is the National Rugby League's auditor Ian Schubert who formulated and tabled the plan to allow club sponsors to pay "marquee" players outside the salary cap.

Schubert was the former News Ltd man who investigated the Bulldogs' side-stepping of the cap.

Now the NRL is facing increased pressure to raise the cap because of the interest in star players from Australian rugby, which is cashed up following the World Cup and has to man a new Perth team in the Super 14 from next year.

It is not the average NRL player, or even the above-average, who will benefit from the scheme whereby two players from each of the 15 clubs can be paid outside the cap. It is clearly an attempt by the NRL to hold onto big names such as Sonny Bill Williams, while maintaining a manageable player-wages bill.

Of all the clubs, only Sydney City has been actively seeking a rise in the cap. Only the Warriors and Broncos make money.

Some clubs struggle to meet player payments that total A$3.25 million ($3.5 million) for a 25-man squad. They are already allowed an extra allowance of A$200,000 for work off the field for sponsors and not all clubs can find the money.

The NRL asked all 15 club chief executives this week to consider a scheme whereby new sponsors can be brought into the game to back marquee players - the likes of Stacey Jones, Andrew Johns, Matt Orford, Braith Anasta and Williams - the names often mentioned as being targets for rugby bosses. Part of the deal is that the player agrees to stay in league for three years.

The player must perform work that is paid for at "genuine commercial rates". Whatever that means. How do you work out the hourly rate for talking about football and signing autographs?

Williams may well be the hottest prospect on the football market but aged 19, with 11 games behind him and the vocabulary and insight of the average teenager, he wouldn't command much on the speaking circuit.

The two players selected to receive more must be in the club's elite. The club must still pay the player a realistic wage under the cap. And of the extra, 7.5 per cent will be held in a "retirement fund" for the player and 7.5 per cent will go to his club.

The clubs have 10 days to make a formal response to the idea but most seem receptive.

But there's more irony in the fact the issue has put a hold on negotiations between Williams and the Bulldogs, along with talks between Craig Gower and Tony Puletua with the Panthers, Danny Buderus at Newcastle and Orford at the Storm. They and their agents are now waiting to see what extra can be squeezed from the deal.

Those clubs in a one-city environment should benefit from chasing backing in an exclusive market, as opposed to eight clubs which must compete for dollars in Sydney.

The Warriors enjoy a player salary advantage over other clubs in the NRL because of New Zealand's tax rates. Here, players like Steve Price pay one-third of their salary in tax. In Australia it is 48 cents in the dollar.

Over the years there have been many proven or alleged breaches of the salary cap and it is often the winning clubs involved.

Canberra enjoyed a run of success in the late 80s and early 90s thanks to a host of Australian representative stars and Manly followed in the mid-90s.

In the past few seasons it's been the Bulldogs and Roosters dominating the top end of the table. There are more than a few in league who question the Roosters' ability to hold onto their rash of rep players. And there are plenty who believe premierships used to be bought.

Teams that perform start to lose their best players, who become targets of offers from other clubs. While there are some players like Jones who have an inherent loyalty to a club, there are many more who will take the highest dollar, regardless of the team's chances.

Then there are agents, like Gavin Orr who represents Williams, who are expert at playing clubs off as they ramp the salary demand. Williams has allegedly been offered 200,000 $$527,000) by St Helens - the Dogs can't possibly match that and fit all their other players under the A$3.25m.

Schubert's enforcement of the cap has levelled the competition in the past couple of seasons and forced some player movement to achieve an ongoing competitiveness throughout the clubs. That has led to an increase in crowd numbers.

Now, the aim is to keep increasing fan support and star quality is seen as critical to that. The NRL is desperate to avoid another run of defections like that of Kangaroos backs Lote Tuquri, Wendell Sailor and Mat Rogers.

But still some clubs are under a financial cloud, or are not close to breaking even. The Gold Coast remains a large league nursery, as is the Central Coast (Gosford), and it's hard to see a Wellington franchise getting the go-ahead until those two Aussie areas are admitted.