League of ‘Gentlemen’

SECOND-TIER rugby league competition the Queensland Cup is set to implement a revolutionary “gentlemen’s agreement” in a bid to level the playing field.

Meetings with the NRL were held late last week, leading to a likely figure of $40,000 – including educational allowances – as the most a club can spend on any one state league player in 2018. That number is expected to be confirmed this week after further talks.

Plans are in place to make the maximum player spend uniform on both sides of the border to also include the NSW Cup.

Second-tier clubs will have increased importance next year with the disbanding of the under-20 National Youth Competition.

Under-20 action will instead take place in separate statewide competitions. Next generation stars are already being shopped around by managers for large sums but they may be forced to bide their time before hitting the jackpot, with a $5000 limit being mooted – pending agreement from NSW clubs.

It comes as a noticeable gulf has opened up between the top and bottom Queensland Cup clubs in recent seasons, with vast budget differences a key factor behind the issue.

Powerhouses Redcliffe and Townsville are known to have a million dollar-plus kitty to throw about while battlers such as the Northern Pride and Tweed Heads have a comparatively mere few hundred thousand dollars at their disposal.

The last two seasons have demonstrated the widening gap; five clubs have made the six-team finals series on both occasions, while injury-hit Burleigh were this year replaced by Souths Logan, who placed seventh in 2016 anyway. Without the same resources as the NRL to audit clubs and ensure they stay in line, it is recognised that the gentlemen’s agreement will operate on an honour system.

One official questioned whether the concept will work because cashed-up clubs – who already spend more than the proposed maximum – are not bound to abide by it.

The levelling measure too will only have an impact to an extent, given lower-budget clubs are unlikely to be able to offer $40,000 in any case. Nonetheless it has been hailed as a step in the right direction.

“Matt Lodge and players like that who aren’t affiliated with NRL clubs, you don’t get them playing in our competition if you can’t pay them decent money,” one source said.

“We probably need a cap in the state cups but everyone understands that they can’t monitor it and police it yet.”