National Rugby League head coaches "will cop a pay cut; assistant coaches will be sacked; strength and conditioning staff numbers will be trimmed and lavish overseas pre-season camps will end," according to Roy Masters of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. That is "the prognosis if a projected cap on the spending of the football departments of NRL clubs is introduced." While "all NRL clubs knew a ceiling on football department spending was inevitable," most assumed the cap would be set "at the average of the top three spending clubs." Alarmed at an increase of A$6M ($4.8M) in spending across the NRL's 16 clubs from '15 to '16, the governing body told clubs "the cap will be set at the level of spending of the sixth highest club." Over-spending clubs "will be given two to three years to budget down to this level." Based on '16 figures, the next three highest spending clubs -- the Brisbane Broncos, Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers -- recorded the same expenditure of $A7.4M ($5.9M). Assuming all clubs "maintain their positions on the football department spending ladder" in '17, the Canberra Raiders, Parramatta Eels and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs "will have to shed staff, or cut salaries, or curtail other costs," while the Roosters, Panthers and Broncos will have to stabilize spending (SMH, 8/6).
'THE RIGHT THING': In Sydney, Steve Mascord reported Newcastle coach Nathan Brown dared the NRL to "do the right thing" and force clubs that have overspent the yet-to-be-confirmed salary cap to "shed players." Brown suggested teams that have overspent "as a result of uncertainty over the exact cap for next year are just using it as an excuse for their recklessness." He said, "Everyone got the email saying you have to work off A$9.1 million ($7.2M) and if you don't it's your responsibility. Some went over it and took a chance ... some like us stayed under it in the hope that players would come along. Let's hope our friends at the NRL hold their nerve and make them go under it and don't allow something like a grandfather rule" (SMH, 8/6).
