NRL not bottomless pit of money players think it is

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NRL not bottomless pit of money players think it is
Topic Started: May 7 2010, 12:59 PM (65 Views)
stacey	May 7 2010, 12:59 PM Post #1
Administrator Posts: 5,737 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: May 22, 2009	By DAVID MOFFETT - The Press OPINION: Just when we thought the hullabaloo about the salary cap cheating by the Storm was dying down, up pops the real reason behind the whole sorry mess. In a rather weird attempt to deflect from the real issue, several senior players have recently come out and attacked NRL chief executive David Gallop and the NRL for not keeping up with the times and running the risk that the NRL will lose its top players to other sports. The real issue? Money, of course, and lots more of it. The players seem to think that the game has a bottomless pit of money to splash around. Long forgotten are the heady days prior to the Super League war when the average player earned a comfortable but sustainable wage. To some players $400,000 to $500,000-plus per year is simply not enough. No matter that rugby league is a long way from being the No1 sport in Australia, seriously played only in two counties in England, and light years behind rugby in New Zealand. In light of that statistic alone, players should reconsider their demands on a game they supposedly love. For the players, the Storm's salary cap woes have simply opened the door to an attack on the system of payment. I will argue that player salaries have improved as a percentage of TV revenue beyond their wildest dreams. Even journeymen can earn six-figure sums as a result of increased TV revenues. It is right that the players should share in any windfall gained from TV rights income. It is not right that they should demand a share that puts their clubs, team-mates and the game at risk. Make no mistake, the Storm's cheating resulted from the need to pay players and to a large extent their managers. This is a completely different issue from whether players knew what was happening. Former Storm chief executive Brian Waldron would have been told by the managers that a number had to be achieved and how he got there was up to him. The managers, it could be argued, were doing their job for their players. Has it been good for players and the game? I don't think so. Putting aside the breach of the salary cap, certain players will be viewed by much of the rugby league public as mere opportunists as they attempt to put pressure on the NRL to significantly lift the cap. There has been no increase in the income derived from TV by the NRL in the past three weeks, so where do the players think the money is coming from? They need a reality check. Future TV and sponsorship deals may provide some more funds for players, but it won't be the money gusher they expect. In the meantime we will be assailed by stories and threats of more players going to union and Aussie Rules. That's a load of claptrap too. Only a very small percentage of players would be able to play those codes. The real threat is Super League in Britain, but even then they are going for quantity, not quality. My plea to the NRL is not to let themselves be bullied into wrong decisions by a few. On the field rugby league is about fairness. It should be the same off the field. If the right balance is found rugby league will continue to prosper. To all those considering a move to rugby union, do you really want to play a game of "no-tackle-kick with all in wrestling"? Just ask all those recently returned league players and the answer will be a resounding no. David Moffett is the former chief executive of the National Rugby League and the New Zealand and Wales rugby unions. www.stuff.co.nz
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