Dragonscales
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http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...s/news-story/524aaf3b18b0b9081b1bafbaa55da713
THERE’S a perception around rugby league circles St George Illawarra has plenty of cash to throw around at the moment.
But the man that helps juggle the books says it’s not all champagne and caviar down in sunny Wollongong.
The Dragons have been one of the big players in the ever-shifting NRL market of late, most publicly missing out on the signatures of Lachlan Coote and Luke Keary.
They snagged Tariq Sims and managed to lure him down from Newcastle mid-season, and it’s rumoured a couple of off-contract hookers are also in the Red V’s sights.
Their off-contract list is headlined by veteran playmaker Benji Marshall, backrower Joel Thompson, and local junior Mitch Rein.
English forward Mike Cooper has already informed the club he will cut his contract short and leave at the end of 2016.
The Dragons were also one of several clubs floated as a possible home for cross-code star Jarryd Hayne, although that rumour has died down of late.
So it’s easy to conclude the Illawarra club isn’t strapped for cash or salary cap space.
But Ian Millward, the director of rugby league pathways and one of Paul McGregor’s assistants, says there’s one big factor often overlooked by outsiders.
“Every club will let a couple of players go each year and people think you’ve got X amount of money but there’s a lot of players that get upgraded, the young guys,” Millward told the Fox Sports Market Watch podcast.
Dragons recruitment boss Ian Millward joins Ben Ikin, Ben Glover and Nathan Ryan as they run through potential new signings, what needs to change at Souths and the challenges facing Brisbane.
You can also subscribe via iTunes or for Android users, listen on the iPP Podcast Player app.
“I think for next year we have about $900,000 in upgrades through our ranks, so that’s already factored in.
“If you get one or two over-inflated players that’s when you get problems.”
Backended contracts and bonuses mean several players on St George Illawarra’s list will get a payrise in 2017.
The $900,000 set aside for upgrades is roughly the amount a club might spend on one marquee player, or up to four lesser lights.
Without that wad of cash going to current Dragons players, the club could have lashed out on a Hayne or Cooper Cronk.
Millward admits it’s also an awkward time to negotiate deals with players due to the impending salary cap increase.
The NRL’s top-tier salary cap, which covers a club’s best 25 players, will increase from $6.1 million to about $11 million in 2018.
Player managers will be asking for bigger contracts and backended deals to get their piece of the pie.
“There will be some agents who will say we don’t want to do anything until 2018 because we want to have a clear picture of what the cap is,” Millward said.
“Then there’s some people who are prepared to sign so you’re actually working a little bit in the dark.
“Then there’s some players you sign and you’re actually putting a little bit of the potential that you think they have on the top end of their salary and hope they are going to fulfil that.
“At the moment the market is getting more expensive because everyone is factoring in an increase.
“But you’ve still got to have valuation, and don’t forget we’ve still got a salary cap, and if we go over certain positions it’s going to have an impact on the quality of other positions.
“We work pretty hard on working out what we think is a fair valuation.”
As far as recruitment goes, Millward says the Dragons are hunting a middle forward to replace the outgoing Cooper.
It’s no secret the club is in the market for a half, but the future of Marshall and the upgrade of young playmaker Drew Hutchison will play a part in determining how much the Red V can spend.
THERE’S a perception around rugby league circles St George Illawarra has plenty of cash to throw around at the moment.
But the man that helps juggle the books says it’s not all champagne and caviar down in sunny Wollongong.
The Dragons have been one of the big players in the ever-shifting NRL market of late, most publicly missing out on the signatures of Lachlan Coote and Luke Keary.
They snagged Tariq Sims and managed to lure him down from Newcastle mid-season, and it’s rumoured a couple of off-contract hookers are also in the Red V’s sights.
Their off-contract list is headlined by veteran playmaker Benji Marshall, backrower Joel Thompson, and local junior Mitch Rein.
English forward Mike Cooper has already informed the club he will cut his contract short and leave at the end of 2016.
The Dragons were also one of several clubs floated as a possible home for cross-code star Jarryd Hayne, although that rumour has died down of late.
So it’s easy to conclude the Illawarra club isn’t strapped for cash or salary cap space.
But Ian Millward, the director of rugby league pathways and one of Paul McGregor’s assistants, says there’s one big factor often overlooked by outsiders.
“Every club will let a couple of players go each year and people think you’ve got X amount of money but there’s a lot of players that get upgraded, the young guys,” Millward told the Fox Sports Market Watch podcast.
Dragons recruitment boss Ian Millward joins Ben Ikin, Ben Glover and Nathan Ryan as they run through potential new signings, what needs to change at Souths and the challenges facing Brisbane.
You can also subscribe via iTunes or for Android users, listen on the iPP Podcast Player app.
“I think for next year we have about $900,000 in upgrades through our ranks, so that’s already factored in.
“If you get one or two over-inflated players that’s when you get problems.”
Backended contracts and bonuses mean several players on St George Illawarra’s list will get a payrise in 2017.
The $900,000 set aside for upgrades is roughly the amount a club might spend on one marquee player, or up to four lesser lights.
Without that wad of cash going to current Dragons players, the club could have lashed out on a Hayne or Cooper Cronk.
Millward admits it’s also an awkward time to negotiate deals with players due to the impending salary cap increase.
The NRL’s top-tier salary cap, which covers a club’s best 25 players, will increase from $6.1 million to about $11 million in 2018.
Player managers will be asking for bigger contracts and backended deals to get their piece of the pie.
“There will be some agents who will say we don’t want to do anything until 2018 because we want to have a clear picture of what the cap is,” Millward said.
“Then there’s some people who are prepared to sign so you’re actually working a little bit in the dark.
“Then there’s some players you sign and you’re actually putting a little bit of the potential that you think they have on the top end of their salary and hope they are going to fulfil that.
“At the moment the market is getting more expensive because everyone is factoring in an increase.
“But you’ve still got to have valuation, and don’t forget we’ve still got a salary cap, and if we go over certain positions it’s going to have an impact on the quality of other positions.
“We work pretty hard on working out what we think is a fair valuation.”
As far as recruitment goes, Millward says the Dragons are hunting a middle forward to replace the outgoing Cooper.
It’s no secret the club is in the market for a half, but the future of Marshall and the upgrade of young playmaker Drew Hutchison will play a part in determining how much the Red V can spend.
