NRL salary cap jumps to record $12.1m as CBA talks continue
December 23, 2022 — 12.52pm
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The NRL has announced the salary cap will rise to a record $12.1 million in 2023 while the minimum salary will jump from $80,000 to $120,000.
In a Christmas boost, players who have ratchet clauses will receive an 18 per cent increase to their playing fee, which will be back-dated to November 1.
Clubs have been working to a cap of $9.5 million but had anticipated the figure jumping to as around $10.9m.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo told the Herald they were still working with the Rugby League Players’ Association to finalise a collective bargaining agreement, but said of Friday’s news: “The ARL Commission are taking a leadership position, we don’t have to do this, but we want to provide certainty for contracting purposes, certainty for clubs, certainty for the players, and there are record increases for the male and female players, which is exciting.”
Abdo said talks with the RLPA would continue in early January, “with a view to try and finalise everything as soon as possible”.
“There are a range of matters we still need to find some common ground on, and some of them are financial, some of them are not financial,” Abdo said.
The RLPA only became aware of the new 2023 cap on Friday afternoon.
The cap for the top-30 squad will increase to $11.45 million, a 22 per cent rise on this year’s figure. The development list will increase from $240,000 to $650,000.
Clubs were expecting $1000 match payments for every player to be included from 2023, which would have worked out to be around an extra $450,000 a year. But those payments were rolled over into the new cap.
The NRL women’s premiership’s salary cap will also increase by 153 per cent to $884,000. The 2024 cap will be finalised once the CBA is in place.
NRL chief Andrew Abdo said talks with the players’ union would continue in early January, “with a view to try and finalise everything as soon as possible”.
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