OFFICIAL NRL announces record-high salary caps for 2023 season

[Kimlo]

Source: NRL

The National Rugby League (NRL) is excited to announce the NRL and NRLW salary cap for season 2023 at a new record-breaking level for both male and female players.

The 2023 NRL Premiership salary cap will increase to $12.1m in 2023 from $9.6m in 2022, a 25% increase. The cap for top 30 players will increase to a historic high of $11.45 million, a 22% increase from the 2022 salary cap.

The development list will increase from $240,000 to $650,000, capturing the relevant development player payments. The 2023 NRL Women’s Premiership’s salary cap will increase by 153% to $884,000.

To ensure players share in this unprecedented increase, the NRL has announced that the minimum salary for all male players in a club’s top 30 NRL squad will grow to $120,000. As a result of today’s announcement, players who have the standard form ratchet clause in their playing contract will receive an 18% increase to their playing fee, with the increase to be effective from 1 November, resulting in a well-timed year-end bonus.

With the welcome addition of the Dolphins to the NRL Premiership and the NRLW Premiership expanding to a 10-team competition with the inclusion of the Cronulla Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys, Canberra Raiders and Wests Tigers, more elite players will be part of the rugby league family than ever before and will share in these significant pay increases.

Whilst the RLPA and NRL continue negotiations, the parties had extended the current amended CBA.
The above increases will be in addition to the players’ entitlements under the current amended CBA while the parties continue negotiations in good faith

 

[Kimlo]

Basically an extra 500k for development contracts.
Top 30 cap rises by 2.1m

Minimum wage becomes 120k.

Players with ratchet clauses automatically get an 18% pay raise so how many of those clubs have will determine how much cap space they suddenly have free. I'd expect some significant player movement in the next 30 days now that's finalised.

 

[Spoon]

Roosters now have $5m free space

 

[BooKhaki]

Did DCE just become by far the richest player in the game?

 

[Unbreakable]

Minimum wage becomes 120k.

Just to clarify, because some people are confused by this. Minimum wage was already $120K for players 1-26 in the top 30, but there was an adendum that players 27-30 had a minimum wage of $77.5K. That's been removed in today's update, so everyone in the top 30 now has the $120K minimum.

 

[Waynesaurus]

I wonder where the extra money is actually coming from, Vlando sold the game out to his mates on the cheap and it now has an extra team suckling at the teat but no extra game to squeeze dollars out of the broadcaster, its a significant increase in dollars the NRL have to come up with each year.

I reckon the reason its taken so long is because the NRL doesn't actually have the money in the budget for the increase, the RLPA have just forced the NRL's hand and now Vlando is going to have to do some tricky accounting to find the money each year.

 

[tommy]

Presenter Katie brown having a massive whinge about the men getting more money. Supply and demand darling.

 

[Kimlo]

Presenter Katie brown having a massive whinge about the men getting more money. Supply and demand darling.

What did she say

 

[tommy]

What did she say

The entire women’s salary cap is worth one male player. I think it’s just under a mil.

 

[Kimlo]

The entire women’s salary cap is worth one male player. I think it’s just under a mil.

Maybe she should tell her bosses to pay more for the women's game.

 

[tommy]

Maybe she should tell her bosses to pay more for the women's game.

It has always been a really stupid argument that women should be paid the same as men. As I said, supply and demand. If more people watched and followed it they would get more money.

same reason if I worked for peep show I wouldn’t make as much as the ladies working there…….I think.

 

[theshed]

Just let women play in the NRL if they are good enough and dissolve the women’s comp. simple

 

[Battler]

Roosters now have $5m free space

They’re now in the market for Herbie, haas, rts, and Cleary

 

[BroncosFever]

It's a bit ridiculous that women expect to be paid the same, I can't remember the women selling out a big stadium or any of that

When they can, maybe the conversation will be worth having

Also looking forward to player agents trying every single trick in the book to renegotiate a contract or 10

 

[Fitzy]

Put it this way they are playing a 6th of the footy the men are. That’s 2 million to 800 odd thousand for the same period of time. The woman definitely do not generate 40% of the men’s revenue or spectators so I think they doing pretty well for a small period. Obviously preseasons haven’t been taken Into account for the 1/6th part but still the point stands that the women definitely aren’t being hard done by from very quick math.

I wonder how much more Katie Brown makes than another ch. 7 Brisbane/Qld sports journo. Wonder if that comes down to gender as well or rank, clicks, listens and views.

 

[Santa]

It's a bit ridiculous that women expect to be paid the same, I can't remember the women selling out a big stadium or any of that

When they can, maybe the conversation will be worth having

Also looking forward to player agents trying every single trick in the book to renegotiate a contract or 10

I doubt its all women (most likely just the media trying to start something), most of the players probably understand. Reminds me of this interview with Rousey.



I think the pace that they have been taking with the women's game has been great so far. Just wish they would have more games in front of their home crowd.

 

[Foordy]

The RLPA have come out swinging over today's announcement by the NRL, claiming the new salary cap was set bey the NRL and not agreed to by the players. the reports say that the RLPA asked for more details of this salary cap proposal during the week after only receiving a "185 word financial proposal" during the week, that they could not possibly put to their members and have it signed off two days before Christmas.



RLPA Statement

“For a governing body to set its own salary cap disrespects the entire player representation movement and the importance of collective bargaining,”

“Today’s announcement goes against negotiating in good faith and only damages the trust between the players and the governing body.

“While we are fully supportive of increases to the players’ salaries and other key player support programs – increases and support programs which we were attempting to negotiate – a CBA negotiation is more than just agreeing to a new salary cap.

“It was the board’s belief that both parties were acting in good faith, and negotiations were progressing positively and on track to reach an agreement.

“Today’s announcement has the potential to undermine the ongoing CBA negotiations and therefore the rights of players.

“It is not appropriate for the players to be rushed into agreeing to a financial proposal two days before Christmas. Agreeing to this week’s financial proposal, even in principle, would have created even more uncertainty for the industry and players.”

 

[tommy]

So a bloke involved in the honourable sport of horse racing has pulled a swifty.