Smith sees salary cap rise as essential to avoid flood of exits

Super League clubs need to be allowed to increase the salary cap to avoid losing more players like Kyle Eastmond, according to former England coach Tony Smith.

St Helens half-back Eastmond ended speculation over his future by confirming his intention to switch codes at the end of the season, when he will join Bath on a three-year contract.

Saints must wait to see if they will lose another England international, with joint captain James Graham pondering a move to Australia’s NRL when his contract runs out at the end of the year.

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Warrington head coach Smith, who gave Eastmond his England debut in the 2009 Four Nations series, is not overly concerned by the latest loss of talent but would like to see the Rugby Football League take a pro-active stance to prevent a trickle becoming a flood.

While Super League clubs are restricted to spending £1.65m on players’ wages, their counterparts in rugby union’s Premiership can go up to £4m and NRL outfits can spend up to £2.6m.

“I won’t say I’m not disappointed because Kyle’s a talented kid and I don’t like to see talent go away from our competition,” said Smith. “If we have too much of it leave, that’s when I worry but the odd one here or there is going to happen.

“There are some dangers and we need to be careful. The NRL are increasing their salary cap and, if we just stay where are, we might just get slowly plucked off.

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“The other code has got more money than us and we need to do more to limit the damage if we can. The salary cap has been good for us in evening up our competition but how many years are we going to stay on the same amount whilst other codes and competitions are increasing theirs?”

Twenty-one-year-old Eastmond will hope to emulate the feats of Jason Robinson, Shontayne Hape and Chris Ashton, who all went on to play for England after taking up the 15-man game.

Leeds prop Kylie Leuluai has been ruled out for up to six weeks after scans revealed he had suffered a pectoral tear during last Friday’s home defeat by Harlequins.

The Samoan, 32, has not missed more than three games at any one time since joining the Rhinos more than four years ago from Manly Sea Eagles.

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Rhinos are already without Brent Webb, Carl Ablett, Brett Delaney, Ryan Bailey, Jamie Peacock and Danny McGuire through injury for Saturday’s trip to Warrington.

Halifax’s Northern Rail Cup game at Whitehaven last night was abandoned after 10 minutes due to a power failure in the ground and surrounding areas. The match has been re-arranged for March 16.