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Date July 3, 2015 - 3:21PM
Georgina Robinson
Chief Rugby Reporter
A loophole in the Australian Rugby Union's new contracting rules will allow the Waratahs to count just a fraction of Israel Folau's seven-figure pay packet under their salary cap in 2016.
Folau became Australian rugby's highest paid player by some way this week with a new three-year contract that will allow him to collect close to $2 million a year over the term of the deal through a combination of a joint-funded ARU/Waratahs salary, third-party payments and two short but lucrative seasons in the Japanese Top League.
The announcement left many scratching their heads. Even factoring in the departures of highly paid Test players Adam Ashley-Cooper, Sekope Kepu and Wycliff Palu, how could the Waratahs possibly afford to keep their cross-code sensation on an upgraded deal, retain Wallabies Michael Hooper, Kurtley Beale, Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps, and upgrade Test bolter Will Skelton, all while staying under the ARU-mandated $5 million salary cap?
The answer is a combination of some clever manipulation of the ARU's marquee-player contracting rules and an upside to farewelling South African character Jacques Potgieter.
And the result is that just $150,000 - a little more than a quarter - of Folau's NSW salary is counted under the salary cap. The rest, an estimated $250,000 or more based on a conservative 50-50 split of an $800,000 total package, excluding third-party deals, will be footed by the 2014 title winners, but will not impact their ability to fund the rest of their roster.
The move would not have been possible last year, when the $150,000 marquee-player clause will be applied only to Test-capped foreign players. From next year, the ARU will allow Australia's five Super Rugby teams to use the clause in two more scenarios: if they are bringing home an overseas-based Wallaby, or recruiting a player from another code.
It is the latter under which the Waratahs are writing off the bulk of Folau's considerable price tag, even though he was recruited from AFL three years ago and will be on his third contract in rugby next year.
And while few would argue there is a player more worth finding a loophole for than the 29-Test dual international, and the arrangement required the express approval of the ARU, the news will raise eyebrows in the other states, where the Waratahs' Wallaby-stuffed roster has been a point of contention for some time.
Waratahs chief executive Greg Harris said the franchise was merely making use of the new concessions, which are designed to help all five Super Rugby teams recruit well.
"There's a strategy the ARU's put in place to enable marquee players to be affordable without a substantial impact on the club's capacity, through the salary cap restrictions, to recruit other players," Harris said.
"We've simply utilised that strategy, which is a smart strategy on the ARU's behalf, because marquee players are what attract people to the game."
Meanwhile, the Queensland Reds appear to have lost another player to a rival club, with 7-Test centre Ben Tapuai believed to have signed with the Western Force.
Tapuai will join ex-NSW and Reds player Jono Lance in the Force back line next season, as the struggling franchise look to augment the talent of backs Kyle Godwin and Dane Haylett-Petty with some much-needed experience.
Stormers five-eighth and former Springbok Peter Grant has also been linked to the club.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/wa...03-gi4aef.html
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Bullshit
Last edited by The InnFORCEr; 03-07-15 at 14:28.
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
What a load of rubbish..... anything to get them to keep their 'stars' and let the others struggle... Shame on all of them.
I understand that Folau is definitely worth keeping in rugby and worth the big dollars but the salary cap is a farce. If the waratahs want him then they should have to release other players like Skelton, Horne, Phipps, etc to fit under the cap. This then has a flow on effect to teams like the force and rebels who can pick up these other players.
As it stands we probably have a player like Godwin who is taking up more under our salary cap than Folau does with theirs!
Complete and utter bullshit. But what's new?
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Stay tuned for next years loophole, If you wear a blue strip and your name starts with W you can identify any 15 players and the ARU will pay their Salary.
C'mon the![]()
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Bloody disgusting! He's not new from a another code FFS! ARU are bending over for the Tahs yet again and probably taking it from the Reds as well for KHunt.
Time for the Force to bend the rules and tell the ARU to stick their cap were the sun don't shine.
May the FORCE be with you!
Big thanks to Georgina Robinson folks. Without her incisive article none of us would ever have known this sort of book-fiddling was happening over at Moore Park.![]()
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David