Chief Executives support cap regulations

National Rugby League Chief Executives today supported the ongoing importance of the current Salary Cap regulations.

As the game prepares for a season launch that celebrates the competitiveness of the 15 teams and as the CEOs had their first view of the advertising campaign which supports this theme, they underlined the role the salary cap was playing in the Telstra Premiership.

The Chief Executives were unanimous in their support of maintaining the cap.

“You’ve only got to look at a club like the Cowboys and what we’ve achieved in recent times to see the positives that the cap has brought to the game,” Cowboys CEO Peter Parr said today.

Wests Tigers CEO Steve Noyce said that the cap had been an important part of last year’s premiership:

“It’s the biggest significant factor in our great game being able to put on 26 competitive rounds each year.

“Everyone would agree that the cap has been at its most effective in the last two seasons and everyone would also agree that these are the best two seasons the game has seen.”

The CEOs also were firm on the need to maintain existing guidelines around employment options post football.

“Everyone in this game is working towards promoting off field education and employment opportunities,” Souths Chief Executive Mr Shane Richardson said.

“Clubs will always value players once they retire but everyone also understands how the Salary Cap Auditor can determine when a rort is a rort in terms of promising income and spreading payments into retirement.”

The Chief Executives also raised ongoing concerns into the roles of both players and player managers in Salary Cap issues and called for direct penalties to be imposed if the circumstances warrant it.

The CEOs also dismissed the idea of an anti tampering period to prevent coaches switching clubs.

The National Rugby League was also today presented with a stark warning from Clubs NSW and the Leagues Club Association that the game’s future funding is in real question as a result of the NSW Government’s poker machine taxes.

Clubs NSW continues to cite an independent financial report which shows that up to seven clubs: Wests Tigers, Canterbury, Cronulla, Manly, Parramatta, Penrith and Souths, will be unable to rely on existing levels of financial support from leagues clubs by 2007.

“The threat to the clubs is very real and it is important that the NRL clubs and the supporters of those clubs understand the threat that is faced as a result of this tax,” Clubs NSW Chief Executive David Costello says.

“The government has mounted an ongoing campaign to tax only revenue and to talk in terms of revenue only, while ignoring the costs clubs incur in generating that revenue.

“Because of the way they have structured the tax the biggest blows are yet to come.

“Junior sports funding is already feeling the effect to some extent but the full effect will take all sporting clubs by surprise.”

The Chief Executives have agreed to support Clubs NSW and The Leagues Club Association of NSW in highlighting the issue.

The Clubs today also agreed to continue the pre season Community Carnival which saw 100 players head to 40 regional locations to promote the game.

Clubs have again agreed to provide six players from the top 17 for three days of community work in February 2007 to destinations nominated by the NRL.

This year’s Community Carnival resulted in a number of areas already recording increases in registrations even before the annual ‘sign-ons’ are completed.