ARU contracting process - how could it be improved?

[Braveheart81]

There is no doubt the ARU was spending a lot more on Tahs top ups at that time, and it was mainly due to imported league talent (who were all actually qlders - not that it matters).

I agree that the ARU did spend more money on NRL players that were coming to play for the Tahs.

In Australian sport, the Sydney market is critical to the overall health of a sport. There is no doubt Sydney sports fans in general are particularly fickle and like to follow successful teams.

A sport that provides a good example is the NBL basketball. This is a sport that has had varying levels of success in the last 20 years going from being relatively popular to completely dying. One thing that remains fairly constant is that the sport is most successful when Sydney is winning. If the Sydney Kings are duds, most people in Sydney stop caring and the sport loses a huge number of supporters as well as financial backers.

Whilst I don't think it is necessarily fair in any way that the ARU bought players for a particular team, I can see the reason why they focused their attention on the Waratahs.

 

[Scotty]

I hope it wasn't an intentional focus on spending more on Waratah players. Just that it worked out that these players wanted to go to the Tahs?

If the sydney market is that important for the success of the sport, then we should be looking at having two teams based there.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Now Now Scotty. Perhaps you don't understand how fickle we are really are down here. Two teams in Sydney, no way.

Our attention span is very limited and we can only focus on one thing at a time.

Sport is an event to be seen at and talked about for the purpose of individual ego. Sports teams only become fashionable when they are winning. Unlike the Mexicans, there is no tribal loyalties for the masses here.

When there is a bandwagon, we will jump on it in our masses. When that bandwagon stops, we will jump off it with the same enthusiasm and speed that we got on it.

We don't want choice between bandwagons. That would confuse us. There can only be one bandwagon down here.

The best outcome, if there had to be a second NSW team, would be to have that based on the Central Coast/Hunter.

 

[Langthorne]

Some good ideas here.

I think there is something of a consensus on at least a couple of points:

- it is reasonable for players to expect the bulk of their income to be garaunteed (as it would be if they were contracted overseas)

- a salary cap for each Super team is a necessary measure


If we take those as a given:

- the obvious way to streamline the system is to make the Super contracts the primary income of the players. I think this should be done in consultation with the ARU (in fact the contract should be between the player, Super team and ARU), with each contract including a requirement that the players make themselves available for Wallaby representation (with a specified fee for each of training, travel, playing etc)

- the payments for Wallaby duty should be a flat rate for everyone

- the Super contracts could be influenced by the ARU through a rating system (players are put into a 'maximum salary bracket' according to their value to the Wallabies).

- Super teams could be allowed a discretionary amount within the ARU contribution to their income, in order to secure (Wallaby qualified) players who are more valuable to the Super team than to the Wallabies.

- I would like to see Super teams given the option of raising (a specified maximum level of) funds beyond the ARU contribution, and spending it on salaries

- This kind of system would, over time, lead to the top players being distributed evenly across the 5 Super teams

 

[TOCC]

Simple...

All Salaries are distributed from the Super Rugby level...

Test allowances remain the same or maybe a small increase, players can earn a guaranteed test allowance dependent on how many tests they have played in the previous 3 years... (The more tests played, the higher the guarantee)

Also salary cap concessions be made for long term serving players(ie one club players)..

 

[KevinO]

I don't know if any one knows the answer to this, but how do the ARU plan to punish Salary Cap offenders??
In League or AFL it's easy enough as all teams are on a equal playing field and set the same guidelines. But correct me if I am wrong here, South Africian and Nz teams have not got a Salary Cap so they can't take a teams points away or strip titles if one of our franchises breaks the Salary cap but spends less than some of our opponents?

Is the Salary cap more of a guideline than official rule?

 

[Braveheart81]

KevinO The ARU provides the bulk of the funding to the Super Rugby franchises to pay their players. I'd guess that the punishment for breaching the salary cap would be to withhold funding in the future.

The CEO of each franchise has to sign a statement each year stating that they stuck to the salary cap. I'm guessing they could force a CEO to resign as well.