POLL: Cap just doesn’t fit, insists Rhinos’ Sinfield

The Leeds Rhinos talisman also feels the record-breaking £200m five-year broadcast deal with Sky Sports, starting in 2017, is insufficient given the sport’s continued appeal.

The vast discrepancies in the amount of money being spent on wages in the Super League compared to the Australian game and the 15-man code alarms Sinfield.

Since its introduction in 1999, Super League’s cap has increased by barely 10 per cent to £1.85m, yet in the same time frame its rivals have enjoyed exponential growth of up to 300 per cent.

When union’s Premiership put a cap system in place in 1999 it stood at £1.2m but is now £4.76m while the NRL’s level that same year was around £1.7m but is currently approximately £3.6m.

It is, then, no surprise many of the sport’s elite players, like Sinfield’s former international colleague Sam Tomkins, have departed for the NRL, or switched to union as did ex-Bradford Bulls star Sam Burgess last month when joining Bath.

In an interview with The Yorkshire Post, Sinfield – the competition’s most successful captain – was asked what one aspect of the sport he would like to see change following his expected retirement in 2016.

He replied: “Our salary cap needs to be looked at and our broadcasting deal.

“I don’t want to be too outspoken here but, although we agreed a record-breaking contract, I don’t think it’s enough when we look at who we’re competing against in this country – rugby union – and, wider afield, the NRL.

“When we go back to 1999 when we all started with the cap, ours was bigger than the other two yet look at where we are now.

“We’ve gone up 200 grand but rugby union’s is £5.5m from next season and the NRL’s is constantly increasing and double ours at the minute.

“But I think for our cap to be able to increase there has to be an increase in our broadcasting deal.

“We’re competing for each other’s players (union/NRL) but, unless there is a change, people will continue to leave (league) and you can’t blame them.”

Sinfield, examining the subject for his Sports Business masters degree dissertation, believes more cash could have been secured via the new broadcast deal brokered in January, despite it being a significant increase on current terms.

This said, the 34-year-old feels the players need also to take more control of their own destiny and not rely on their clubs and the governing body to set the agenda.

“When you look at those other two competitions – the NRL and Aviva Premiership – both their salary caps have been agreed through a collective bargaining,” he added.

“Their players unions have 
negotiated each of those deals, but here we just get dictated to as players and I don’t think it’s fair or good enough.

“But we effectively have two players unions at the minute – 1eague3 and GMB – who are bashing it out between them and with very little gain.

“I know it will take time but in five years’ time it’s not unrealistic that the next Sky deal – if it is to be Sky – needs to be increased so we can move our cap up.

“I’m not asking for something that is unachievable, but for us to move with the times why shouldn’t we, in five years’ time, be aiming for £2.5m?”

Sinfield feels that could have been attainable this time around given rugby league is one of the most viewed sports on Sky.

“I’m not saying there had to be substantially more on that deal, but enough to take our cap to £2.5m,” he added.

“That’s not a massive leap is it? I could be saying we need to be at £4m. But when you look at that (Super League) top flight, for those 12 clubs an extra half million each is six million quid.

“It’s not a massive deal we could have tried to entice and make sure our best players stay in this country.”

Meanwhile, one player did take matters into his own hands yesterday when one of the more surreal pieces of rugby league business was concluded.

James Feather agreed to pay his own transfer fee to leave Hunslet Hawks and re-join hometown Keighley Cougars without having played a game.

The hooker only signed a 12-month contract with Hunslet on October 13 for the 2015 season, but made a shock request to be released just a week later.

Feather, 30, had spent his entire career at hometown Keighley but said his thinking was “blurred” when he “crazily” agreed to switch.

Hunslet would not tear up the deal, though, and so, with Keighley unwilling to pay a fee, Feather has now stumped up the compensation. The sides will also play in a pre-season friendly in 2016 as part of the bizarre package.