The NRL has introduced new measures that make player contract offers and third-party agreements more transparent in a bid to reduce the incidence of salary cap cheating.
The initiatives come as the governing body put expansion back on the agenda on the same day Football Federation Australia announced plans to add two new sides to the A-League.
Making change: NRL COO Nick Weeks and CEO Todd Greenberg.Credit:Ben Rushton
The NRL may have to take action against a third club for salary cap cheating in as many seasons after launching a probe into Cronulla. While the Sharks self-reported potential anomalies dating back to 2014, Rugby League Central is still investigating whether there were more widespread issues at the club.
TPAs have been a common denominator in recent rorting scandals, a system that has been criticised for undoing the equalisation work of the salary cap. However, the NRL has released the figures each club attracts in the arms-length payments, which show the total sum – as well as the discrepancy between the clubs – isnt as large as most pundits predicted. The total number of TPAs in 2018 equated to $4.2 million, with Melbourne attracting the most with just over $1 million. While that is well above the average of $264,000, the anomoly owes to the fact the Storm have had the fortune of having all-time greats Billy Slater and Cameron Smith on their books at the same time.
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"For the first time, fans, clubs and others will be able to see for themselves exactly the volume of third-party agreements that exist in the game – and we think thats a good thing," NRL chief operating officer Nick Weeks said.
"One of the challenges weve seen is some misconception of the volume of TPAs, which has caused some clubs and others to make bad decisions around salary cap rules.
"Being able to understand the proper picture is a good thing that will help clubs, players and agents."
Clubs will also have to table all contract offers to players to the NRL. That will help alert the NRL to potential salary cap red flags, such as a player taking up a deal that is considerably less than what has been offered by a rival.
"We think its another tool in our armoury to help us monitor what is going on with contracting activities," Weeks said.
"What we have tried to do through this process is put in more checks and balances to help identify any non-compliance with the rules.
"What it also does is require clubs, agents and the players to jump through more hoops before they register third-party agreements or sign playing contracts."
In the last CBA, the NRL earned the right to access the phone and bank records of players that they reasonably suspect have violated the games code of conduct. Player managers have also been given until Friday to apply to a new agent accreditation scheme that properly regulates them for the first time.
Meanwhile, the NRL said it would undertake a study to determine whether expansion was feasible. Questions to be considered include whether the standard of the competition would be watered down, the impact on participation, financial costs and the will of broadcasters Fox Sports and Channel Nine.
"What we'll do is spend 12 months putting a lot of analysis together to consider whether we make a recommendation to the commission about what the future footprint looks like beyond the next broadcast cycle," NRL boss Todd Greenberg said. "Theres some very big questions for us to answer."
Greenberg said any possible expansion would not happen before the expiry of the current broadcast deal which runs until 2022.
"To be fair and honest its going to take that long to even consider a future footprint – where you would invest and how you would do it?"
A second Brisbane side and Perth are widely considered the front-runners to receive franchises should the NRL expand while Queenslands western corridor, central Queensland and New Zealands capital Wellington have also been touted as options.
Adrian Proszenko is the Chief Rugby League Reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald.
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