Kiwis poor relations to Australia's $6m men

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Kiwis poor relations to Australia's $6m men
Topic Started: May 6 2010, 10:23 AM (89 Views)
stacey	May 6 2010, 10:23 AM Post #1
Administrator Posts: 5,737 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: May 22, 2009	By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE in Melbourne - Stuff PAUL ROVERE/Fairfax IN THE MONEY: Australia's Melbourne Storm players, Billy Slater (second right) and Cameron Smith (second left), with team-mates Cooper Cronk (left) and Greg Inglish. Both players reportedly earn A$450,000 a year They say money doesn't buy everything but it can sure buy a good footy team – just ask the Melbourne Storm. As the salary cap scandal continues to hang over the National Rugby League and, indeed, overshadow the buildup to tonight's Anzac test in the Storm's backyard, it's appropriate to try to put a value on the Australian and New Zealand teams. A rough estimate goes a long way to validating Australia's heavy favouritism – the Kangaroos squad's value is somewhere in the region of A$6 million with the Kiwis' somewhere closer to A$3.5 million. And that's not taking into account the real money that the six Storm players involved are being paid. Only the NRL investigation under way might be able to achieve that. The Kiwis aren't exactly paupers but they are up against the princes of the game. It's fair to say that when Australia assemble their best they basically pluck the stars from the clubs, the bulk of whom are on the big bucks. The Kiwis are making pleasing inroads into the NRL market. But not many are commanding the big paycheques of their Aussie rivals tonight. New Zealand skipper Benji Marshall has a salary befitting his status as one of the superstars of the game. His four-year extension at the Wests Tigers was believed to be worth around A$2 million, giving him A$500,000 a season. That's up there with the best of the Australians, headed by Jarred Payne, on a matching deal. But it's a fair guess that the Storm's heavyweight trio of Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis are around the A$450,000 mark. The absence through injury of leading Kiwis Manu Vatuvei, Simon Mannering, Roy Asotasi, Jeremy Smith, Frank Pritchard, Fuifui Moimoi and Dene Halatau certainly sees the team's price tag take a dent. But it also highlights the depth in the Aussie playing ranks and their bank balances. Cowboys gamebreaker Johnathan Thurston is ruled out and in comes Cooper Cronk – another Storm player likely to be valued around A$350,000. The salary cap dominated yesterday's final press conference before the test. All week leading players have lamented the way league is losing stars to other sports because of pay imparity. Smith said he saw no evidence to suggest the game had been capable of replacing departed greats Mark Gasnier, Sonny Bill Williams and Karmichael Hunt. Now Israel Folau was under threat for the same reasons – because rugby or AFL could offer irresistible money. He welcomed news that the NRL might be willing to lift the salary cap. But when told that it could be raised by a suggested A$50,000, he said: "What would that buy you? A 17-year-old?" Australia Billy Slater $450,000 Brett Morris $250,000 Greg Inglis $450,000 Jamie Lyon $300,000 Jarryd Hayne $500,000 Darren Lockyer $450,000 Cooper Cronk $350,000 Petero Civoniceva $400,000 Cameron Smith $450,000 David Shillington $250,000 Luke Lewis $250,000 Sam Thaiday $300,000 Paul Gallen $300,000 Kurt Gidley $350,000 Josh Perry $300,000 Anthony Watmough $350,000 Michael Weyman $250,000 TOTAL: A$6,000,000 New Zealand Lance Hohaia $250,000 Sam Perrett $200,000 Junior Sa'u $175,000 Steve Matai $250,000 Jason Nightingale $175,000 Benji Marshall $500,000 Kieran Foran $120,000 Sam Rapira $200,000 Issac Luke $200,000 Frank-Paul Nu'uausala $175,000 Bronson Harrison $200,000 Zeb Taia $130,000 Adam Blair $300,000 Aaron Heremaia $120,000 Ben Matulino $150,000 Sika Manu $180,000 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves $175,000 TOTAL: $3,500,000 * Figures are in Australian dollars and are guesstimates of players' worth on the open market this season. Storm players' figures reflect their likely legal value. www.stuff.co.nz
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