If the NRL Salary Cap Rises Then There Must Be A Draft
The Rugby League Professionals Association will negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement this year. The current labour arrangement runs out on October 31 and the push is strong after the Storm salary cap drama and the defections of Sonny Bill Williams, Mark Gasnier and Karmichael Hunt to other codes for a big rise in the cap.
At present, the NRL really can’t afford a significant increase in the salary cap. The current club grant is only $3.35 million, 18.2% short of the $4.1 million cap. The NRL already has a commitment in the current collective bargaining agreement to commit 30% of all future revenue above budget to the players via the salary cap and the retirement fund. There is no doubt that in the current climate that the NRL would at least push the annual grant to the level of the current salary cap which could, in turn, lead to a boost in the cap level.