t-ba said:
So, there's a fair amount of revenue, but what about expenses besides player wages?
The other worry is were does everyone think a wage increase will come from? News Limited sure as hell won't give up their blood money, and the grass roots will end up suffering the consequences.
Exactly.
The players are thinking with their wallets here. We have just had an increase in the cap to 4 million, a guaranteed minimum wage of 50k and an increase in rep payments. 120k for a fringe first grader? he can't be serious...50k is more than enough for guys to train full time and allows them to reach the top without having to be skint. So these guys do the same thing as you do they willie? They may train the same but their influence on the game is nowhere near the same, hence the lesser pay. It's just like in the workplace where you start off on a lower salary and are rewarded as you progress and have a greater influence on your firm/company.
120k...fair dinkum
Yes there has been an increase in sponsorship, but the players need to realise that a lot of that money is needed to esnure the code can sustain itself. For one a lot of clubs aren't exactly rolling in money. Yes they are improving, but they nearly bankrupted themselves a decade ago. The reason wages haven't moved, as willie puts it, is because wages shot through the bloody roof out of nowhere and the growth in wages wasn't linked to productivity and earnings. Which meant they weren't sustainable. We are finally getting to the point where the NRL is nearly able to cover the salary cap (Which is their stated objective) with its grant. That should be the aim of the governing body, to ensure all clubs have the wages met by the TV deals and sponsorships.
Furthermore I want to see this great game of ours grow. The money needs to be spent on holding off AFL and soccer as well as developing new areas and supporting international footy. I don't want to see Dean Young driving around in a bigger and better car just because there is more money all of a sudden. Yes we need to grow the salary cap to ensure we attract the best talent, but we can't do it at the expense of the financial stability of clubs. Growth in expenditure has to be organic. Just because you hear of a big 'windfall' deal, doesn't mean that there is all of a sudden a slush fund to stick your grimy paws into willie. The money is needed in plenty of places and not all of it is 'cash' anyway.
And to suggest a strike during Origin. What a dick. Origin its the pinnacle and puts so much money into the code and ultimately into big willie's pocket! How dare he use the jewel in our crown to hold the NRL to ransom. What an absolute jerk.
Personally this issue really is a waste of time. The players are currently well rewarded, have had an increase in pay and also need to take some responsibility for nearly taking the game to its knees a decade ago. Yes not all of them, or many of them, are left playing, but they still have those guys to thank for their half million dollar salaries.
I'd rather see Willy taking greater issue with news' continued involvement in the game, rather than question why more of the limited money that the NRL has isn't directed into the pockets of greedy players.
Am I concerned about union? definately. Do i think there is merit in the 'marquee' player scenario - possibly. I actaully think that there may be something in having your top player earning whatever can be paid, but half of it is still counted to the cap. This prevents big clubs from being able to hold onto their big name with no dent in the cap and then go after someone else hard. Though at the end of the day, tahu probably wouldn't have been parras number 1, so it may have been irrelevant.
Anyway. Pull your head in mason and enjoy your half mil a year to play what I do for free...jack ass.
