Dobbo on Brisbane radio announced this week. "There’s a thing in Brisbane called a TPA (third party agreement). Brisbane are the best at getting third party deals so you might be on the cap for $200,000 and a company will come along and pay you $200,000 as an ambassador (as well)."
“That’s where Brisbane will get around this but they are very confident they will keep Mam.”
Also reported was Corey Oates on approx $450,000 this year and a player option for 2024 but he is happy to negotiate a pay cut possibly as low as $250,000 to stay at broncos despite being guaranteed more by just accepting his option from current contract. No doubt 1 of those big TPAs or job guarantee with club after footy will assist him with the decision.
Now how someone can be on 50% of their pay in TPA doesn't really fit the nrl stance of paying reasonable market value on the cap. It also doesn't line up with the official TPAs value per club the nrl released a few years ago. Just as no one is buying that a player at end of career would give up guaranteed dollars from a contract option to negotiate a pay cut without some sort of secret reimbursement
This is main reason eels won't be real title contender beyond a small window of opportunity every 5-10 years before losing players and dropping down the ladder again. Then we will have to wait for another group to play well above their value. Meanwhile other clubs rarely spend more than a year or 2 out of contention.
This is why most clubs may make the 8 but fall away for few years before returning. You also need luck to win a premiership even when have great side as injuries, suspensions, referee calls or even a few mistakes in the finals can undo a great season. If you are only in contention once or twice every 10 years like eels than the chance of winning a premiership drops significantly.
People have to stop believing the competition is fair or even, that the salary cap is to make an even competition, that it is coaches, referee mistakes, nrl draw or other reasons why some clubs havent won a title or only have 1 title in past 20-30years
We have not recruited a high quality in form/uninjured player since Pay,Smith,Dymock and McCracken. We also struggle to keep juniors due to poor decisions in recruitment. We have to pay overs and give extended contracts to average players otherwise our results would be more like bulldogs and the tigers. If we could open up TPAs again it would allow us keep our current team and add a star signing in outside backs. Without TPAs we will remain one of the clubs hoping for luck during small premiership windows every 10 years or so. With Moses, Dylan, RCG, Hopgood and gutho I believe we are only a few signings away from opportunity really compete for premiership in next couple years but it will only happen if we can get some TPAs.
Yes cronulla, cowboys, rabbits and saints have upset the staus quo of Storm, Roosters and Manly dominance of the past 15 years and Penrith are enjoying a golden patch now but will it maintain. Penrith juniors are being pillaged now and how many will stay waiting for an opportunity behind current long term players.
Penrith is on a bandwagon now I don't see them remaining at top as long as Storm, broncos, roosters etc.
Replies
There shouldn't be a fixed salary cap when TPA's are allowed to go on, largely unregulated.
Iamnot, agree. A softer cap would suit us more. We could compete more in R&R against other clubs that have more financial clout behind them and can bend the cap rules far better.
It'd help, but still wouldn't address all our cultural issues, though: an area we still need to improve and toughen up on. As well as having more footy nous, imo. Talent or skill isn't near enough.
issue is what is classified development. Some clubs buy best talent 15-18yo then another club grabs them and they debut at 19-20yo. How about someone like Ice? Was nothing at warriors and few seasons at parra became a big signing for the tigers.
Who developed the player?
If a soft cap where do you cut off the cap value for the club player stays at. Someone like Ice we got for 200k or less then offered upwards of 600k by other clubs. Is he a 400k or 500k player for eels still? Then you get situation of who dictates market value for players on the cap which is exactly where we are now where nrl impose cap value as they want. Just never at certain clubs.
Realistically certain clubs would load up on young talent offer young star overs on potential for a year or 2, discarding who they don't want and keeping others through soft cap till team is stacked.
A practical example, Papa.
He's our free agent, he comes off contract and the Tigers make him an offer, let's say $1.8m over 3 years. Now their offer has to stay under their cap, but once the Tigers make a formal offer, we would as the owner of his rights have a predetermined period of time, let's say five business days to match that offer if we chose to, and unlike the Tigers, we could exceed the cap in doing so. So we might only have 450k in cap space the following year, so by matching the offer we would legally exceed the cap by 150k, unless we don't match or if we were to formally renounce his rights.
Who offered DB more than us ?
Maybe no one did because they knew we were going to pay whatever it took. The point is under a soft cap we could wait to see what other clubs might offer and then match it. Under the current scenario we couldn't take that chance.
A soft cap simply means that a team can exceed the cap to retain their own free agents but not to recruit another teams free agents. For example, theoretically last year we could've matched any offer for Reed Mahoney or Papa even if it meant going over the cap to do so. Of course, that then means the Panthers could've done the same thing to retain Hopgood.
The idea is that the cap doesn't punish success, and it rewards internal development because if you're over the cap you can't buy your way of trouble. You can't buy anyone until you get back below the cap.
There's a lot of details beyond the basic principle, but that's the gist of a soft cap.
Scrap the TPA's altogether.
They were brought in when the cap was low and elite players could top up their salaries so the wouldn't be lost to union
Salary cap is now over 10 million and climbing.
No need for them any more except to manipulate and ruin the point of a salary cap
You can't, it's a restraint of trade that players will not agree to. They have the right to monetise their image rights.
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