Official Dean Pay says NRL is not doing enough to help clubs with salary cap relief

[Heckler]

Bulldogs coach Dean Pay believes the NRL is not doing enough to help clubs with salary cap relief for injured rep players after Canterbury lost another player for the season.

Paul Crawley, The Daily Telegraph

A fired up Dean Pay says the NRL is not doing enough to help clubs with salary cap relief for injured rep players after Canterbury’s horrible run continued over the weekend.

As if losing marquee playmaker Kieran Foran to a shoulder injury while playing for New Zealand at the end of last year wasn’t bad enough, now the Bulldogs have suffered another loss with reliable forward Chris Smith going down with a potentially season-ending ACL knee injury in the All Stars clash.

While Smith might not be one of the game’s bigger stars, he did a quality job for the Bulldogs last season and his boots are going to be hard to fill at this late stage of the pre-season, especially given the cap concessions the club will get under the current guidelines.

Pay tried to maintain his composure but was understandably upset when he spoke to The Daily Telegraph on Sunday from Papua New Guinea where he had been to watch the Bulldogs play Cronulla in a trial.

Pay is off contract at the end of the season and is fighting to save his own job but he said that was not the issue.

Canterbury only received $350,000 in salary cap relief for Foran despite the fact the five-eighth is on $1.2 million for the season, while Smith’s estimated $200,000 wage is now a wipe-out as well.

While the Bulldogs will naturally apply for the salary cap concession to cover Smith’s absence, it will still be on the club to foot the entire bill and come up with an extra $200,000 if and when they can find a suitable replacement.

Pay didn’t hesitate when asked if he thought the current $350,000 salary cap relief limit was enough.

“No, I don’t,” he said.
“We pay them, we prepare them to go and play in the rep teams.

“They get hurt and we are the ones who get left in the lurch.

“I have two players out now who are regular first grade players each and every week.

“How in the hell can we buy a like-for-like with Kieran Foran?
“When you get rep players and they are playing for New Zealand or Australia, they are not on $350,000.

“They are the highest paid players in the game so it needs to be a percentage on what they are on.

“Do you think if James Tedesco goes down the Roosters are going to find a player to replace him for $350,000?”
And Pay said at the other end of the scale a player like Smith is equally hard to replace.

“You go and find me a player for the same money,” Pay said.

“I am venting a bit here but Chris was going to play a big part for us.
“I just think this really needs to be looked at.

“I don’t want to make this about me because it impacts everyone at the club and especially the player who is injured.

“And I understand injuries are part of the game and I don’t want to stand in the way of any of my players playing rep footy because that is a great opportunity for them.
“But there has to be a better deal for the club if something does go wrong.”

There were also fears that star fullback Dallin Watene-Zelezniak had suffered a serious back injury but Pay said he had received word from physio Tony Ayoub that Watene-Zelezniak should be okay to play against Canberra in this Saturday’s trial in Port Macquarie.

In other injury news coming out of the weekend Blake Ferguson looked to have suffered a late shoulder injury in the All Stars clash but Ferguson is said to be fine while Wade Graham’s ankle injury is not serious and John Morris says Graham wants to play in this weekend’s trial.

The news isn’t as good for luckless Cronulla hooker Cameron King who suffered a suspected ACL knee injury and is likely to miss the entire year.
St George Illawarra forward Josh Kerr also suffered a suspected MCL knee injury in the All Stars match and Sione Mata’utia also a suspected MCL problem in Newcastle’s trial loss to the Dragons.

The other major concern was with Gold Coast half Tyrone Roberts who looked to have done his Achilles in the All Stars game.

 

[Moey]

It was concerning when PAY said Smith was going to play a big part of this season...

But on a bigger note, the NRL has to change the rules in regards to consession, the club affected should get that players whole amount covered not a max of 350..

 

[CrittaMagic69]

I actually agree with Pay here, not the part about Smith playing a big part for us but the other bits. Only issue I guess that could come from raising the concession is that clubs could tempt bigger name players away from other clubs and create a bigger shit storm with player movement.

 

[Heckler]

Wether he wanted to play him this year or not, he emphasized his view to point out that the system is flawed and exemptions need to be made.

 

[c-b-b]

If the NRL want these rep games they also need to provide better support to the clubs for injured players. The system is crap.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Smith and what we do, best bet might be to promote someone to the 30 from within at this stage.

 

[TwinTurbo]

I always try and keep any rebuttals to the subject at hand, rather than the poster. Apologies in this case as the stupidity of the posts defies logic.

Seriously, wake up guys, telling the NRL that a player was a “big part” is much smarter (ie; maximise the Cap relief) than saying he didn’t really feature in our NRL plans (ie; minimising the Cap relief).

FFS your predetermined bias against anything Pay says or does is just plain ridiculous. It taints almost every post you make, as a result nothing absolutely nothing can ever be a positive. Everything is seen through your eyes as being a negative and therefore always contributes to confirming your biases.

It taints your contribution to this forum because when your posts are read any valid opinions therein get lost in the biased negative vitriol that dominates your thinking and results in prejudged outcomes. I know it’s wasted effort but how about you try just a little bit to occasionally look at something positive as actually being positive based on it’s content, rather than tearing it down because of your biases against the person involved.

Go Dogs

 

[Spoonman84]

I always try and keep any rebuttals to the subject at hand, rather than the poster. Apologies in this case as the stupidity of the posts defies logic.

Seriously, wake up guys, telling the NRL that a player was a “big part” is much smarter (ie; maximise the Cap relief) than saying he didn’t really feature in our NRL plans (ie; minimising the Cap relief).

FFS your predetermined bias against anything Pay says or does is just plain ridiculous. It taints almost every post you make, as a result nothing absolutely nothing can ever be a positive. Everything is seen through your eyes as being a negative and therefore always contributes to confirming your biases.

It taints your contribution to this forum because when your posts are read any valid opinions therein get lost in the biased negative vitriol that dominates your thinking and results in prejudged outcomes. I know it’s wasted effort but how about you try just a little bit to occasionally look at something positive as actually being positive based on it’s content, rather than tearing it down because of your biases against the person involved.

Go Dogs

Pay saying he was going to play a big part in our season means absolutely diddly squat in terms on compensation from the NRL. It all goes on his contract amount and that’s it.

 

[Ribo Flavin]

the salary cap is a farce..it was supposed to make the competition a level play field. but then allows third party deals..how are clubs out in the suburbs supposed to compete with clubs owned by the rich with association with business?

 

[Scoooby]

nrl is corrupt thats why !! It has the big successful clubs best interests first, just how it goes. All about money first. Hidden agendas etc.

gone are the days of equality lol.

 

[B-Train]

Good on Pay for saying what needs to be said and sticking it to the man..

Other coaches and administrators need to do the same and speak out as soon as possible. This affects every club, so it's in their vested interests to make sure the rule is changed.

Even if certain clubs have avoided major injuries to their players on rep duty to this point, eventually it will happen to them too..

 

[Daustin]

as far as i see it if the nrl want to stage internationals other rep games to increase the money they can make then they should foot the bill if a player goes down. no clubs releasing players = no rep games and no money for the nrl

 

[Dannyboi88]

The funny part is when he said if Tedesco goes down injured do you think the rooster will find a replacement for 350,000 of cource they would

second of all it’s all good and great to wanna get these salary cap exemptions but if we don’t actually replace the player what’s the point in whinging to get one .

 

[LordSidious66]

I know this won't be a popular opinion but I would rest DWZ until round 1. That way we won't risk aggravating his injury and his ready for the season opener. I agree with what Pay has said here. I reckon the NRL would move heaven and earth to help there golden children if they were in a similar situation to us.

 

[DogsOfWar1704]

I know this won't be a popular opinion but I would rest DWZ until round 1. That way we won't risk aggravating his injury and his ready for the season opener. I agree with what Pay has said here. I reckon the NRL would move heaven and earth to help there golden children if they were in a similar situation to us.

Yeah I’d defiantly rest him until rd 1
I’d play Meaney at 1 for the trial if he’s fit and past he’s injury. If not give the fb job to hoppa to share with averillo

 

[Vlasnik]

I have to admit what Pay lacks in coaching ability, he makes up for with his no Bullshit stance in defense of our club. Who can forget the loss to the Broncos where Dean spoke out against the referees......"it's like we're not supposed to win" Respect Deano. He said what we were all thinking at the time!!!

 

[steeliz]

It was concerning when PAY said Smith was going to play a big part of this season...

But on a bigger note, the NRL has to change the rules in regards to consession, the club affected should get that players whole amount covered not a max of 350..

Pay is just playing it up to prove his point and try and get bigger salary cap relief.

 

[Kempsey Dog]

Until Robinson, Bellamy or Bennett are affected the rules won't change

 

[Alan79]

The NRL seems to only care for the budget. Getting the best possible 17 on the park for regular competition games is of secondary concern if they can find a way to make an extra few sheckles regardless of it risking many of a clubs better players. And at the end of the day they justify paying themselves bonuses when fans seem to be leaving the game.

I know that money is important, but it's only generated because the fans have an emotional attachment for their chosen teams. Often fans will see their best players injured and just stop watching in the knowledge that their team is going to be far less competitive. One off rep games in the pre and off season are of less importance than getting fans watching for the regular 24 games of the year.

I think part of the issue lies with the fact that those selling the tv rights such as Foxtel hope to have people signing up earlier to see pointless competitions like the nines etc and those running the game are far too happy to pander to their wishes.

 

[Tassie Devil]

Pay saying he was going to play a big part in our season means absolutely diddly squat in terms on compensation from the NRL. It all goes on his contract amount and that’s it.

Of course it won't mean diddly squat in regard to compensation however I doubt that Pay expects that. Imagine he's just trying to make a point using this to bring back the Foran stuff and further build on it with the Smith injury. @TwinTurbo simply saying what should be basic understanding for people on here. What else is Pay going to say?

Whether you like him or not he's done well to come out with these comments, and should be commended for it rather than have people typically trying to score points with their personal vendetta against the man. Now, I'm NOT saying this to be in this camp or that. Just calling it how it is which I think @TwinTurbo is trying to do and I think he makes a very valid point ...

 

[Natboy]

The funny part is when he said if Tedesco goes down injured do you think the rooster will find a replacement for 350,000 of cource they would

second of all it’s all good and great to wanna get these salary cap exemptions but if we don’t actually replace the player what’s the point in whinging to get one .

Who doesn’t want to replace the player?