Dolphins the poor cousins
THE superstar Sydney Roosters roster is now worth over $13m – at least $1.5m more than the salary cap.
Our analysis of the true value of more than 500 NRL players at the 17 clubs reveals the Roosters are ‘on paper’ worth almost $5m more than the newcomers, the Dolphins.
There are no suggestions of salary cap rorting but more the attraction of playing for a powerful club under three-time premiership winning coach Trent Robinson and influential chairman Nick Politis.
Colleague Brent Read and myself valued the rosters of every club.
And just to be crystal clear – this is not what these players are getting paid, but what we think they’d be worth on the open market right now.
The valuations expose an alarming gap between the premiership heavyweights the Roosters, Panthers, Rabbitohs and Storm over a handful of weaker NRL clubs, threatening the possibility of a season of blowouts.
The Dolphins have been unable to sign a marquee player and are rated at just $8.7m.
It showed the Roosters are worth even $1m more than the premiers, the Penrith Panthers.
They have two players worth $1m or more – James Tedesco and Joey Manu – plus a host of players valued at above $700,000 – Joseph Suaalii, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Brandon Smith, Angus Crichton, Luke Keary and Victor Radley.
The Panthers are worth $12.38m.
Champion halfback Nathan Cleary is now rated a $1.5m player – the most valuable in the competition, $100,000 more than Latrell Mitchell at the Rabbitohs.
The Panthers also have fullback Dylan Edwards, five-eighth Jarome Luai, centre Stephen Crichton, second-rower Liam Martin, prop James Fisher-Harris and lock Isaah Yeo worth over $700,000.
Our analysis shows the South Sydney Rabbitohs are number three in true playing strength at $12.285m.
They have two milliondollar players – Mitchell and Cameron Murray.
The analysis shows the Dolphins will definitely struggle. Their highest rated player is second-rower Felise Kaufusi on $700,000.
Their entire three-quarter line – Jamayne Isaako, Tesi Niu, Brenko Lee and Edrick Lee – is worth just a combined $905,000. The same four positions at Penrith are valued at $2.3m.
Dolphins recruitment manager Peter O’Sullivan insists he is not concerned.
“We were always building for the long-term future,” he said. “We will eventually get there.”