THE NRL has a salary cap and Ipswich Jets chairman Steve Johnson insists it is time for the Intrust Super Cup to have one as well.
Intrust Super Cup clubs will receive a grant of $100,000 from the NRL this year, but it is not a salary cap as such and Johnson said it was not nearly enough.
Johnson has proposed a salary cap of $250,000 to $300,000.
He said it was needed to preserve an even competition and to recognise the status that the Intrust Super Cup has attained and the work its respective clubs do.
“We’ve worked really hard to achieve our status as the second best rugby league competition in Australia and the third best in the world.
“If you look at the NRL clubs they get paid a grant from the NRL that is at least equivalent to the salary cap.
“We believe given our status and what we bring to the game, particularly our relationship with Channel Nine, that we should be paid in the same manner.
“A good figure would be $250,000 to $300,000.That will then enable us to continue the great work we all do as clubs in development at junior level.
“We do a lot more work than the NRL clubs. That is no disrespect to them, but we have the ability and time to do that. They are more focussed on their success and their competition.”
Johnson said the cap would also ensure that the equality of competition in the Intrust Super Cup competition would also be maintained, although that is under threat.
“There have been nine different winners of the past 10 competitions,” he said.
“But the gap between the clubs with good leagues clubs and those without them is going to widen. There is a little bit of that creeping into the competition this year.
“A couple of clubs have got some wonderful squads together on the back of being able to offer better money.”
The Redcliffe Dolphins have a supermarket on their land and it provides the football club guaranteed funds from rent asides from leagues club grants. Johnson said the Dolphins deserved their success and praised their vision.
“But the downside for the other clubs is that, unless we get a benefactor, we’ll never be able to compete,” he said.
“We have a wonderful camaraderie (between clubs) in the Intrust Super Cup and we share a great vision of continued success.
“None of us have tried to better ourselves to the detriment of the competition, but we need a salary cap for that to continue.”
Thanks to the QT, Joel Gould, Sarah Harvey , for more go to –http://www.qt.com.au/news/call-for-salary-cap-in-intrust-cup/2134728/