And I'm struggling to make sense of how the numbers work at the Cowboys.
Before I get down into the weeds with the Cowboys squad, it's important to understand how the salary cap works and what a few people are apparently being paid.
The NRL salary cap in 2025 is $11.4 million. And the salary includes match day payments, bonus structures, etc. Apart from relocation expenses & education programs, there's very little else that can be bundled to a players' package.
The average NRL player gets paid around $370-400K per year. Now the question is what does "average" mean. I'm thinking a regular in the first 17, solid reliable footballers, but certainly not a star players who either makes the State of Origin or is on the fringe of selection. So In Cowboys terms I'm thinking people like Griff Neame, Viliami Vailea or Sam McIntyre.
Position also matters. Spine players (1, 6, 7, 9) get paid more, wingers the least. Props are also handsomely paid. Centres. 2nd rowers and locks fall somewhere in the middle.
Top draw rep guys get paid a little over $1 mill a year: Cleary, Munster, Latrell, Hass. All are a bit over the million/year.
At the other end, the minimum a player on the top 30 can make is $125K per year.
So I'm thinking the juniorish guys coming into the squad are that lowest number ($125K), unless there is some real buzz around them. Once they've earnt their stripes and played some first grade, that soon jumps to $200-250K, until they become a regular one we're looking at $400K or so (unless they are spine or a prop, then you can add $50K, or a winger and you deduct $50K). Anyone who is either rep level or a first grade gun (that's goes to $700K plus, depending on how bright their star is.
So let's look at some of the the Cowboys squad (and some recent departures) and what has been reported about their salaries:
- Big Jase: $950K/yr
- Cotter: $800K/yr
- Nanai: $775K/yr
- Robson: $775K/yr
- Drinky: $725K/yr
- Dearden: $625K/yr
- Hess: $550K/yr
- Val: $850K/yr
- Chad: $700K/yr
(In case you are wondering where those numbers come from, many can be found at Zero tackle or by googling the player name and annual salary cowboys)
I think those numbers also make sense in the context of the valuations I outlined above. Do though keep in mind timing of contract renewal matters - I doubt we'd get Dearden for $625K now given he's starting in SOO.
Ok, so over the last few years, we've lost Val (850K), Chad (700K), Finefeuiaki (estimating he was on 200K or so), Lemuelu (again, on 200K or so), the Hammer (thinking $250K there), Feldt (350K), Gilbert (250K or so) - keep in mind most of those guys were looking at the first renewal having come thru our junior system, hence the relatively low valuations. That adds up to $2.8 million in salaries taken off our cap. Robson going takes that to $3.55 mill in 2026.
On the flip side, we renewed Cotter, Nanai, Luki, Dearden & Drinky. Even if you thought we needed to find $400K/player over their initial contracts. That's $2 million. That means we have around $1.55 million/yr left over.
Yes we signed Bateman, but we also lost Leilua. Like for like. Bateman might even be a bit cheaper given he arrived under a cloud.
(and yes, there has been some churn outside those players - Derby, Burns, Lawton - but these aren't big dollar guys, and we equally had cheap squad types back in 2021 & 2022 - Condon, Dunn, Hampton, Tauona-Brown)
$1.55 million/yr. That's a lot of cash.
So what do we have to show for it? Bugger all that I can see. That's why I say the maths isn't mathing. Where has the cash gone?
We also know the Cowboys are a heavyweight financially. There's no reason to think we're not spending the full cap.
It also really burns that we've lost FineFui, the Hammer, Gilbert & Lemuelu. We clearly find it hard to attract top draw players, but the flip side of that means we should be able to retain the bulk of the talent we develop. Granted Gilbert has had a horrid run with injury, but the other 3 are carving it up at the Fins.
We've also literally got no-one joining us in 2026 at this stage......
No comments:
Post a Comment