This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/gasniers-keen-but-deal-hits-a-snag-20100512-uy2f.htmlGasnier's keen, but deal hits a snag
Glenn Jackson
May 13, 2010 - 3:00AM
MARK GASNIER's prospective deal to return to the NRL with St George Illawarra could be unhinged by the very factor that forced him out of the game: salary cap restrictions.
Dragons officials are expected to ask NRL auditor Ian Schubert for clarification over how much of Gasnier's contract must be included in this year's cap.
Given the Dragons are already close to the $4.1 million ceiling, the prospect of match payments taking the portion of his deal included in the 2010 cap above $100,000 could end Gasnier's desire to return to his former club - at least this year.
So keen is Gasnier to return to the NRL that he has shelved talks with rugby union's Melbourne Rebels. The Rebels may be staring at a double blow, with hopes growing at Brisbane that Israel Folau will resist the temptation to go to rugby.
Gasnier, who quit the Dragons in 2008 to play with Stade Francais, is said to be ''almost certain'' to return to Australia, via either the Dragons, the Rebels or the long-shot Queensland Reds. That his earning capacity in rugby union would be largely dependent on whether he makes the Wallabies squad, with a base salary of $200,000, has put the Dragons in the box seat. He is reported to have been offered a heavily back-ended deal with the Dragons, giving him the opportunity to earn double that in 2011 and 2012.
But this season is causing headaches. Gasnier, who quit the NRL due to the collapse of third-party deals, has been offered a base salary of $50,000 plus $4000 a match. But the Dragons face the incentive portion ballooning their 2010 player payments over the cap. The match payment portion to be included in the cap would be calculated based on the likely number of matches Gasnier would play this season.
If Schubert deems that the Dragons need to include Gasnier in the cap based on his playing 15 matches - the Dragons can play a maximum of 19 more games this season - his salary would head towards $110,000.
Gasnier may have an ally in fellow convert Lote Tuqiri. Schubert is believed to have determined that Wests Tigers include 13 matches of Tuqiri's deal in this year's cap, because he played that many games for the NSW Waratahs last year. Dragons officials will no doubt argue that it would be unfair for them to be forced to include more match payments for Gasnier in the salary cap than Tuqiri.
It emerged yesterday that the Dragons have held talks with the NRL over the prospect of Gasnier re-joining the club for several months. Gasnier's manager, George Mimis, is expected to meet Dragons chief executive Peter Doust and coach Wayne Bennett this week.
Folau, meanwhile, is expected to make a decision on his future early next week. He failed to activate the final two years of his deal with the Broncos, but chief executive Bruno Cullen said he was ''hoping that we can come up with something'' to entice him to stay in rugby league.
