General 2021 salary cap and recruitment - 4 key questions

[Mr Brownstone]

A 400k player may turn down $500 because he’s got plenty of disposable income. If he has living costs of $200k, an extra $100k in savings is not much for extra job satisfaction when he has $200k extra anyway.

Relatively, if the cap was halved, a $200k player will give serious consideration to $250k which is proportionally the same under the new cap. He now has $0 excess income with $200k living costs and $50pa could now becomes a significant factor in his post career future.

My understanding is that as the salary cap has gone up the salaries of the top tier players has increased disproportionately more. So if the opposite applies on the way back down then that should also help shift a few away from the strongest clubs.

 

[brightman]

My understanding is that as the salary cap has gone up the salaries of the top tier players has increased disproportionately more. So if the opposite applies on the way back down then that should also help shift a few away from the strongest clubs.

yeah that's one end of the spectrum covered but you've neglected to mention minimum contracts going up with the cap also, the greed of the stars/clubs will never cease until there is a more transparent and central way of contracting players to the NRL. Needs to replicate the NZRU..

 

[Mr Brownstone]

yeah that's end of the spectrum covered but you've neglected to mention minimum contracts going up with the cap also, the greed of the stars/clubs will never cease until there is a more transparent and central way of contracting players to the NRL. Needs to replicate the NZRU..

Yes minimum wage has gone up, so to has the number of squad members, however fairly certain that despite all that the top players are getting a higher percentage of the cap than say a decade ago. Perhaps it might be that more players are earning top dollar because the likes of Thurston were earning $1m back around 2014. Anyway I think a lower cap will be helpful to Warriors recruitment - shit we need all the help we can get because things couldn’t get any worse!

 

[Orifice]

1 - for balance we need an experienced half to partner Chanel Harris-Tavita for another 2-3 years. Also we will have the money. It’s weather we can find a decent one that fits how we want to play

2 - resign as would be cheap, even if he’s only fringe first grade. I personally think we have 3 higher cost and experienced centre/ wingers in Fusitua, Maumalo and Hiku and the fourth person could be saved for internal talent

3 - Katoa and Harris are quality. At 13 we have a lot of lower quality options. I would spend money there as our forward priority

4 - We have Ben Murdoch-Masila and Ah Mau on decent money. Bunty, Paasi and Burr as middles are cheaper. We have a fit for purpose prop rotation if we have quality edges.

my team:

1 - Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
2 - Maumalo
3 - Hiku
4 - open spot - lower priority
5 - Fusitua (back where he belongs)

6 - Chanel Harris-Tavita
7 - priority top dollar signing

8 - Au Mau
9 - open spot - Egan?
10 - Paasi
11 - Katoa
12 - Harris
13 - open spot - invest big dollars

14 - Nikorima
15 - Jamayne Tounua-Brown
16 - Ben Murdoch-Masila
17 - Bunty

hopefully Blair doesn’t take up his option

Interesting you would base Katoa quality up there with harris after only two games? Hes still an unknown at this point imo. I thi k we are lacking real go forward hole running back rowers, I think the warriors in general need to focus on the forward pack because without go forwards and staunch middle defence we wont come close to a premiership! Just imagine our backs running of the back of a big forwards pack for a second.

 

[Geoff Public]

I looked back through seasons past.
Blake Green played at 6 for the Storm , the Sea Eagles and when he was playing with Shaun Johnson.
He has been a 7 since Shaun Johnson left.
Kodi went from interchange to 7 at the Broncos. He has been a 6 for us.
For Turner fans this year in reserve grade AK was 7, Turner started at 6. That looks more like CHTs competition than grooming to partner.
I would start playing people in position. If our starting halves are KN (7) and BG (6) then we need to select our kicker from AK or PH and find a position for them. If we play KN and Chanel Harris-Tavita then I'd give the Fusitua a bit longer. Our halves ineffectiveness flows through to others.
If KN is not our answer then , assuming he has matured, I'd throw our cash at Jackson Hastings. Hes the right age , plays as a genuine 7, can kick goals and wants to direct a team on the field. He also has more game time (albiet Superleague) and we're looking for experience.
With other positions I'd hold off for a bit. If our halves don't function the rest won't. Also if we are a development club we need to do that. Lets see if Katoa, ATG ,Curran etc can do it.
However, we need to have a first choice player who can KICK GOALS. Budget for a quality kicker? Whatever it costs.
This exercise has caused me to question what we've been doing in recruitment and the teams we field.
Thank you Fonzie, for the questions and especially the podcasts.