Wigan Warriors • Salary Cap Changes Blocked - 11 votes to 1

LAST week the Super League clubs discussed a paper put forward by the RFL that proposed various changes to the salary cap for 2025.

It was based on changes proposed by a small sub-group of club representatives including Kris Radlinski of Wigan, Paul Lakin of Hull KR and Karl Fitzpatrick of Warrington.

Amazingly, the proposed changes would have piled further expenditure onto clubs and it seems that the other clubs hadn’t been consulted about what was being proposed.

The result was that eleven voted against the proposal with only Wigan casting their vote in support.

It was a slap in the face for the RFL and, having obtained a copy of the RFL’s document, I read it with some astonishment.

It’s yet another illustration that the administration of our sport is running aground.

Someone has to do something about it.

And here is the paper that caused so much consternation.

Of course it will not now be implemented.

“Salary Cap changes – 2025.

Following consultation with Clubs, as part of the Salary Cap Working Group during 2024, we are pleased to confirm the below changes have now been approved by the RFL’s Executive Board. The changes will be reflected in more detail in the new RFL Operational Rules and Salary Cap Regulations for 2025.

Unless otherwise stated below, these changes will come into force from December 1st, 2024.

For the avoidance of doubt, the changes to the Club Trained Allowance will be included in the Clubs’ final allowances for the 2025 season. They will be circulated to all Clubs who are competing in the Super League in 2025 on Wednesday October 23rd.

1. Finite Cap to remain at £2.1m for 2025 and 2026.

2. An increase in deemed values for cars, flights and accommodation as set out below (and subject to grandfather rights – so only being enforced on players signed after 1 January 2025)
– Car – Increase from £4,000 per Salary Cap Year to £4,500
– Flights – Increase from £2,000 per adult flight to £2,500
– Accommodation – Increase from £6,000 per Salary Cap Year to £8,000

3. An injury dispensation for players who are injured for more than six games and the injury is caused by foul play that is charged by the Match Review Panel. In such circumstances the player comes off the relevant Clubs Cap for the length of the injury. The player would return to Cap the week he is named in a 21-man squad after the injury. This is a dispensation that would see injured players out for more than 20% of a season and is one suggested on the grounds of welfare. Whilst there is a possibility of a Club trying to game this allowance, the chance of this is limited as the player would be deemed of a value to the team before the injury and so a club would want the player to play as soon as possible to ensure winning matches.

4. A new allowance to be created to encourage clubs to release players for England (and in the case of French clubs, France) that would provide an allowance to increase Salary Cap for the club by £10k per player who is named in the 18-man team for an International Match. This dispensation will be implemented in the following season. This allowance should be capped at four players (£40k).

5. An increase in the Club Trained Allowance for Clubs to increase their club Cap by a maximum of £150,000 up from £100,000. This will be determined by Clubs being given an allowance of £7,500 for any Club Trained player in Super League who has played 10 first grade games and £2,500 for a player who has played at least 10 games for any Championship Club in the relevant season. This will be capped at a maximum of 20 players across both competitions.

6. An increase in the wage limit for Players eligible to play in under-23 level competitions (Previously U21) to not count toward a Club’s Salary Cap to £35k per annum from £30k.

In addition, to allow clubs to sign a maximum of two players over that age on £35K or less and not count on Cap. From current data, it is clear that there are relatively few players on £35k or less in Super League squads. However, this will allow us to start.

7. An increase in what Clubs can pay to players from prize money without it counting on the Cap. Clubs can pay up to an amount equivalent to what will be 150% of the monies allocated as prize money from RL Commercial.

8. Allowing clubs to pay bonuses to players for Young Player of the Year, inclusion in the Dream Team and for these payments not to count on Cap.”

The last allowance appears to have no limit and it gives a ridiculous amount of power to the people who select the Young Player of the Year and the Dream Team.