i know guys get paid at all clubs, i just think that it gets blown out of proportion.. I just spoke to a board member at randwick rugby club who is also a close personal friend about this, and he hadnt even heard of the guy (samu wara) so as for getting paid $1500 a week, i think thats been exaggerated...
i see a problem (as gordon & wests are facing now and souths will soon) when you pay players, everyone expects it. When the sponsor or benefactor decides after a few years to pull the money, lots of players leave (see wests and gordon 2011) chasing money elsewhere.
A couple of years ago one club coach almost sent 2 clubs in 2 years broke because of his player spending...(neither club won the comp or club championship)
I heard in 2008 guys in 3rd grade at parramatta were getting coin!! hahahah. no wonder parra leagues pulled out...
also, some guys will lie on their resume, get paid by a club, but be no good, so the club are almost trying to validate/justify them paying him by playing the bloke in higher grades...
Are you kidding me? Paying Players is a very broad word every club does it. Either it be through Sponsors(not on club books) or accounting it for other things such as coaching, travel expenses, fees paid etc.
Randwick, before Southern Districts came along with Maloney were the most willing of the lot to pay 'big money'. Uni offer players pretty reasonable coin before they make a name for themselves but that is not out of club money the Uni Sports Foundation offer support in that way.
Easts are right up there as well. You only have to look at the clubs who attract the players coming from interstate into the Waratahs programs to realise this.
The only one recently who hasn't got to this 'net' is Dud Roodt who went to Gordon because of a very good connection within South Africa that Gordon have and they got him a car from a Sponsor.