2026-2027 Salary Cap

[jstigers]

How do you think we are in terms of the Salary Cap?

2026:
*We are still paying a little bit for Bateman
*Jayden Sullivan- We might be chipping in for 2026 or pay overs for him for 26/27
* Had quite a few leave in 2025, Miller, Olam, Klemmer, Galvin, De silvia,
*We are cutting a lot of dead wood at the end of 2025. Lots of underperformers that don't deserve a top 30 contract, Brandom Tumeth, Justin Matamua, Josh Feledy and maybe a few others.

Overall salary cap rating in my opinion given we are still paying overs for 2 players 8/10.

2027:
*Still paying overs for Sulvian
*Alot of players contracts will be up which will give the club flexibility to resign performing players and new players.
*Will be interesting to see if Luai will take up player option

Overall, I rate the salary cap 9/10 for 2027

I reckon we have a good shot at making the finals if we recruit well, 2026 or 2027.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Here is a table of approx salaries of our currently contracted players for 2026 (including Bud). All based on internet research and putting an approx $150K (just above minimum) on our bottom tier players.

PS the year listed is the final year of the contract.

If anyone can help with Seyfarth, Pole, Sione & To'a ...

Luai	2029	$1.2M	PO for 27,28,29
Seyfarth	2028
Pearce-Paul	2028	$550K
Hunt	2027	$425K
Turuva	2027	$450K
Terrell May	2027	$650K
Twal	2027	$400K
Latu Fainu	2027	$500K
Samuela Fainu	2027	$500K
Pole	2027
Sullivan	2027	$600K
Bula	2026	$700K	MO for 27
Sione Fainu	2026
Bird	2026	$400k
Skelton	2026	$230K
Koroisau	2026	$700K
T'oa	2026
Luke Laulilii	2026	$150K
Saukuru	2026	$150K
Kit Laulilii	2026	$150K
Sukkar	2026	$150K
Mason	2026	$150K

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

Just for sh*ts'n giggles, I've roughly worked out we have $1.54M remaining in the salary cap for next season with 7 spots remaining. This is out of the full cap of $11.55M.

This equates to an average of close to $220k per player, equivalent to Skelton or Sione Fainu value.

I've factored in Bud Sullivan's contract as still on our books.

So if we secured a $700k player, we'd have spend the minimum on the remaining 6 players.

For the above reason, I do think we'll give top 30 contracts to the likes of Tristan Hope, Charlie Murray, Izaak Tui'tupou, Krystian Mapapalangi & Jaxson Rahme who would probably take $140K contracts. That would leave us about $850K to fit in Taylan May and one other.

Interesting exercise.

 

[Chainlink]

Any thoughts/corrections?
Never going to be able to get it 100% - because dont have visibility of contracts we are still paying for or how much game payments for non-top30 players are included in cap etc.



Blue text are salaries reported. Red are guesses/estimates.

 

[weststigers]

Any thoughts/corrections?
Never going to be able to get it 100% - because dont have visibility of contracts we are still paying for or how much game payments for non-top30 players are included in cap etc.

View attachment 26150

Blue text are salaries reported. Red are guesses/estimates.

I thought Bird was on 250k. Twal on 400k?

 

[TheEnz]

Where this gets complicated is front loading and backloading.....which I think is something Richo has been doing a fair bit of this year and last year and I know he has done something for KPP next year....that could throw the numbers out significantly. Unfortunately trying to predict salary cap is an exercise in futility...however its also a bit of fun.

 

[Mccarry]

Excellent work.
Prob worth having Sullivan in for 2025 as most of his pay. I think I read Souths covering 250 of the 500?

 

[TheEnz]

I do agree that your numbers are in the "ballpark"

 

[Mccarry]

The 2025 total should give us a bit of an indication of how much we may have front loaded this year. Surely more than $1m.
Hence, next year we may have more to spend than expected

 

[Chainlink]

Where this gets complicated is front loading and backloading.....which I think is something Richo has been doing a fair bit of this year and last year and I know he has done something for KPP next year....that could throw the numbers out significantly. Unfortunately trying to predict salary cap is an exercise in futility...however its also a bit of fun.

yeah i heard that, other sites reporting $550k per year but i front loaded with reducing over the years for KPP.

But yeah, with having no visibility of the structure of contracts, we're never going to get it 100%

 

[Merlot]

thought our cap was in better shape then that . Kind of explains chipping in to get rid of players like Klemmer and Bateman (high wage /little return)

 

[Chainlink]

The 2025 total should give us a bit of an indication of how much we may have front loaded this year. Surely more than $1m.
Hence, next year we may have more to spend than expected

yes teams have to spend 95% of cap. So there would def be some additional payments for Sullivan and Bateman. But also i believe match payments for non-top 30 players also count in the cap, which I havent tried to estimate.

 

[Chainlink]

thought our cap was in better shape then that . Kind of explains chipping in to get rid of players like Klemmer and Bateman (high wage /little return)

you have to spend 95% of the cap each year. Cant save it up. so prob some front loading happening which might create 'room' in future years caps.

 

[Merlot]

i for 1 would LOVE the NRL making it common knowledge on all contracts.

 

[Merlot]

you have to spend 95% of the cap each year. Cant save it up. so prob some front loading happening which might create 'room' in future years caps.

from memory there is only so much you can front load .that with having to spend 95%. Law of the jungle .Weak stay weak and the stronger etc.

 

[TheEnz]

i for 1 would LOVE the NRL making it common knowledge on all contracts.

I would say this will only happen when the salary cap is up around the $20m and the minimum contract value is close to $500k