A lot has been made in the media of Israel Folau playing Union, Sonny Bill possibly going back and Benji Marshall having a whinge etc but also finding a way to keep and attract best and brightest stars to the Greatest Game of All.
Now most people suggest raising the cap or as Andrew Johns suggested bending the rules for certain players. Which bending the rules will ultimately lead to more bending for every other player who cries out Rugby Union. Detrimental point number 2 is whenever they raise the salary cap without raising the minimum wage a lot of players start asking for cheques their talent can’t cash, case in point Chris Sandow being paid $550,000 per season, I wouldn’t pay 550,000 bottle tops for Sandow on his best day.
The best and fairest way is to change to a marquee player system in which the NRL pays select players directly. SBW, Folau, Benji, Hayne, Barba, Inglis, Thurston, Tomkins and Cronk etc all paid directly by the NRL capped at 1 Million per season.
To keep if fair only one marquee player per club no exceptions and these players will be the NRL’s property, you will be the role models of the sport subjected to the highest discipline standards and behaviours, available for any and all media opportunities, TV commercials, sponsor events, grassroots campaigns, kids coaching clinics, representative matches and most importantly you will be the face of your club.
In freeing these stars up from their Club’s existing salary cap the first thing is the minimum wage and second tier cap and NYC players will receive a modest rise so we can look after our juniors and can continue to develop the marquee players of the future.
Moving to a marquee allowance will free up space to maintain our existing talent whilst keeping a fair and equitable salary cap.
Alternatively the NRL could start looking at talent from other codes such as George North, James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale, Berrick Barnes, Will Genia and Quade Cooper.
Start stealing the best and brightest from other codes, imagine the devastation you could do to Rugby Union a sport that is already drowning in a sea of penalty goals, the talent depth is already lacking to compete on a World scene let alone if we started stealing these players.
This would be one huge step towards cementing Rugby League as the premier Rugby Code in Australia.
