But $55k is the new $130k, or is $130k the new $200k. I'm confused.
You could be right Pou, but if alot of those "back ups" are on $130k, our recruitment staff are even worse than I thought. I'd have thought that more of our top 17 would have been <$100k, as compared to back ups @ the $130k level. Then again we are talking about good old Parra.
But they're not back ups. They're 'fringe first graders' which sit somewhere between backup and established first grader. They get paid a bit more than a backup because they're (hopefully) a bit better, while getting paid less than an established first grader.
I reckon we have many such players in our squad, at least as far as salaries go. The question is whether they are in fact better than a genuine backup player (on close to minimum salary).
Examples of legit backups are Daniel Penese and Lorenzo Ma'afu. These guys haven't been bought to challenge for a first grade spot (though they might, in which case we get good value out of them, assuming they are on minimum contract) - they have been signed to fill out the squad and only play first grade in case of injury.
Fringe first graders are guys like Ryan and Harrison; blokes who have some first grade experience but haven't shown enough to be considered established first graders.
We have far too many of the latter category of player, but it is out of this group that you find your hidden gems. By the end of next year Jacob Loko could have turned into a monster in the back row and be worth $250k+
Maybe this is where the media got the Sandow on $550k from. Front loaded to the hilt for two years @$550k because we had cap space, and then $250k for the final 2 years.
More likely is that Sandow is being paid a flat contract in the hope that as the salary cap rises, the relative value of his contract comes down. I'd say Lussick's contract is a similar case.
It's a pretty good strategy in a period of rising contracts. Like locking in a home loan when interest rates are low, except we know for certain the salary cap is going up.
