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http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,25699635-5006066,00.html
MELBOURNE Storm five-eighth Brett Finch is poised to take an astonishing $200,000-a-year pay cut - and find part-time work - to save his NRL career.
The 27-year-old is one of 103 off-contract players fighting to stay in the NRL as struggling clubs face the reality of a world economy in crisis.
Who is off-contract: See the full list here
With just 10 rounds remaining to prove their worth, we have every off-contract player facing a nervous few months. Almost every NRL club is affected.
Clubs are being forced to spend below their salary caps, with the economic downturn and loss of sponsorship revenue meaning less money for players. On top of that, changes to taxation laws in the UK means the English Super League is no longer considered a cash cow either.
Related Links
NRL's cash crisis: the players in a tough spot
The Sunday Telegraph last week spoke to players, chief executives and agents who declared many first-graders could be forced into part-time work. That prospect is likely to delight critics, who have argued players have too much time and money on their hands. Forward-thinking Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg urges his players to work part-time.
"What has been lost in the tough economic climate has been that clubs are doing it tough as well and probably many will struggle to afford to spend the cap,'' Greenberg said. "I speak to a lot of other NRL CEOs, and it's across the board."
"Every club is in that situation and it's not actually about how you spend the cap, it's about making sure you've got enough money to be able to spend up to the cap. It's definitely an on-going issue."
"Already, there are some good examples in the current marketplace of players who are playing NRL first grade, but are working either part-time or in their own time to try to supplement income."
"I'm a big believer in giving players an opportunity to do things outside their footy because, for me, allows them to play better football if they've got a balanced life.''
Cronulla duo Scott Porter (lawnmowing) and Tony Caine (financial adviser), Manly's Matt Ballin (personal trainer) and the Bulldogs' Chris Armit (landscaping) are a few players who have resorted to working part-time.
"There's probably going to be even more next year who might do it and maybe in the economic climate where it's something we might see more of,'' Greenberg said.
Finch says he will be willing to consider part-time work if it means extending his NRL career. He joined the Storm in April after seeking an early release from his $300,000 deal at Parramatta.
Melbourne's base-salary offer bumped his earnings up to an estimated $360,000 for the rest of this season. But the club's salary-cap constraints for next season will force him to make a decision of staying on at a deal slashed by up to $200,000 or test the market.
"There's an option for me for one more year if I take a pay cut, which would be a fair bit, and then maybe go overseas after that,'' Finch said. "Obviously, it's going to be a big pay cut and I'll have to get a job or something else outside of footy to help my income."
"That's something I'll have to weigh up in the next couple of weeks. I do love it here in Melbourne. I know if I look back in 20 years and I got to play an extra year of finals footy, I'm certainly not going to be worrying about the money I got that year.''
But Finch maintains there are many players in a position worse than him. "I also know there are plenty of players who've got families and they're still in limbo at this time of year,'' he said. "It's like that in a lot of occupations at the moment, obviously the money is drying up.''
Player agent Allan Gainey said clubs are not spending their $4.1m salary cap. "You'd find some of them have cut back $300,000 to $400,000,'' he said. "I think it's because of the whole economic downturn that clubs are tightening their belts, with the sponsorship earnings not currently there.
``The leagues clubs are also not travelling great and they're not putting in money which would be factored in, so they're using that cap money.''
Penrith chief executive Mick Leary, who will cull his list of contracted players from 38 to 30 next year, said the dilemma is allowing time for players to work without interfering with their football.
"It's good for their personal development and for this to occur there'd be nothing wrong with them working through the summer months when you'd go back to training at six o'clock at night,'' he said. "There's a fair amount of night games now ... and that would be great incentive for players to go and get a four-day-a-week job.''
Waaah. Having to worry about getting a second job when for one single year you ONLY earn 100k a year or so. Talk about whingers. I understand the situation for players on the lower end of the scale, but for someone like Brett Finch to be coming out and stating he needs to get a second job if he wants to stay in the NRL, then that's pretty pathetic. Get out in the real world mate.
MELBOURNE Storm five-eighth Brett Finch is poised to take an astonishing $200,000-a-year pay cut - and find part-time work - to save his NRL career.
The 27-year-old is one of 103 off-contract players fighting to stay in the NRL as struggling clubs face the reality of a world economy in crisis.
Who is off-contract: See the full list here
With just 10 rounds remaining to prove their worth, we have every off-contract player facing a nervous few months. Almost every NRL club is affected.
Clubs are being forced to spend below their salary caps, with the economic downturn and loss of sponsorship revenue meaning less money for players. On top of that, changes to taxation laws in the UK means the English Super League is no longer considered a cash cow either.
Related Links
NRL's cash crisis: the players in a tough spot
The Sunday Telegraph last week spoke to players, chief executives and agents who declared many first-graders could be forced into part-time work. That prospect is likely to delight critics, who have argued players have too much time and money on their hands. Forward-thinking Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg urges his players to work part-time.
"What has been lost in the tough economic climate has been that clubs are doing it tough as well and probably many will struggle to afford to spend the cap,'' Greenberg said. "I speak to a lot of other NRL CEOs, and it's across the board."
"Every club is in that situation and it's not actually about how you spend the cap, it's about making sure you've got enough money to be able to spend up to the cap. It's definitely an on-going issue."
"Already, there are some good examples in the current marketplace of players who are playing NRL first grade, but are working either part-time or in their own time to try to supplement income."
"I'm a big believer in giving players an opportunity to do things outside their footy because, for me, allows them to play better football if they've got a balanced life.''
Cronulla duo Scott Porter (lawnmowing) and Tony Caine (financial adviser), Manly's Matt Ballin (personal trainer) and the Bulldogs' Chris Armit (landscaping) are a few players who have resorted to working part-time.
"There's probably going to be even more next year who might do it and maybe in the economic climate where it's something we might see more of,'' Greenberg said.
Finch says he will be willing to consider part-time work if it means extending his NRL career. He joined the Storm in April after seeking an early release from his $300,000 deal at Parramatta.
Melbourne's base-salary offer bumped his earnings up to an estimated $360,000 for the rest of this season. But the club's salary-cap constraints for next season will force him to make a decision of staying on at a deal slashed by up to $200,000 or test the market.
"There's an option for me for one more year if I take a pay cut, which would be a fair bit, and then maybe go overseas after that,'' Finch said. "Obviously, it's going to be a big pay cut and I'll have to get a job or something else outside of footy to help my income."
"That's something I'll have to weigh up in the next couple of weeks. I do love it here in Melbourne. I know if I look back in 20 years and I got to play an extra year of finals footy, I'm certainly not going to be worrying about the money I got that year.''
But Finch maintains there are many players in a position worse than him. "I also know there are plenty of players who've got families and they're still in limbo at this time of year,'' he said. "It's like that in a lot of occupations at the moment, obviously the money is drying up.''
Player agent Allan Gainey said clubs are not spending their $4.1m salary cap. "You'd find some of them have cut back $300,000 to $400,000,'' he said. "I think it's because of the whole economic downturn that clubs are tightening their belts, with the sponsorship earnings not currently there.
``The leagues clubs are also not travelling great and they're not putting in money which would be factored in, so they're using that cap money.''
Penrith chief executive Mick Leary, who will cull his list of contracted players from 38 to 30 next year, said the dilemma is allowing time for players to work without interfering with their football.
"It's good for their personal development and for this to occur there'd be nothing wrong with them working through the summer months when you'd go back to training at six o'clock at night,'' he said. "There's a fair amount of night games now ... and that would be great incentive for players to go and get a four-day-a-week job.''
Waaah. Having to worry about getting a second job when for one single year you ONLY earn 100k a year or so. Talk about whingers. I understand the situation for players on the lower end of the scale, but for someone like Brett Finch to be coming out and stating he needs to get a second job if he wants to stay in the NRL, then that's pretty pathetic. Get out in the real world mate.
