At the end of Part 2, I asked you to consider the salary cap strategy implemented by the Parramatta Eels, both in 2014-2015 seasons, and more importantly what it might look like this season. This is what I hope to cover in this article.
Before I begin, I should state I could barely be more impressed with the roster changes we’ve made in preparation for season 2016, and this was even before the outstanding new addition of Origin centre Michael Jennings. More so than who we’ve signed, I’m impressed with the way Parra have told players (Roberts, Lafai, Hiku, and even some of our current crop hoping for new deals) “this is what we think you’re worth, take it or leave it.” What a terrific change from years past where we needed to effectively beg certain players to come play for us, and their extraordinary deals reflected this mindset (Chris Sandow, Hoppa or Justin Poore, anyone? I could go on, and I will – Daniel Harrison, Willie Tonga, Lee Mossop, Reni Matuia, Darcy Lussick, Aaron Cannings) (I’ll admit writing that out was a little therapeutic). Assuming Kieran Foran isn’t a total waste of money (surely not) we seem to be set up for a good period of sustained, logical salary cap flexibility. Kudos to Daniel Anderson and his band of merry men.
In regards to our current cap distribution, I think Parramatta have elements a couple of the strategies discussed in Part 2, without committing to any of them comprehensively.
Now with all due respect to the passing games of our current forward pack, we don’t have a natural ball playing forward in the same passing league as James Graham. However, BA has been known to utilise the passing skills of players like David Gower and Joseph Paulo to draw in defenders to the middle of the field, before shooting the ball out to create space out wide. Still, this could not be said to be the focus of our team DNA, nor the strategy implemented by our salary cap spending.
The strength of our roster in season 2016 is consistent both across our spine (Foran, Norman, Peats and Gordon), and across a robust, hard hitting forward pack (Mannah, Paulo, Wicks, Watmough, Edwards, Scott, Moreoa, Mau, Alvaro, Gower) (yes, that was fun to actually write out). Still, it would be a stretch to put our spine on par with three potential future immortals, any of our halves in the same category as JT, or our engine room pack on par with the blokes wearing the higher numbered jerseys up in Townsville.
I think Parramatta is a hybrid of Melbourne and the Cows; very, good halves, particularly strong back row and a classy (now even classier) backline. You know which team that most reminds me of?
Funnily enough our salary cap structure will not be unlike the 2014 Manly Sea Eagles. You’ll recognise a bunch of them from the Eels team photos, both past and present. Here’s their typical line up from 2014 –
1. Brett Stewart, 2. Jorge Taufua, 3. Jamie Lyon, 4. Steve Matai, 5. Peta Hiku,
6. Kieran Foran, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans,
8. Jason King, 9. Matt Ballin, 10. Brenton Lawrence,
11. Anthony Watmough, 12. Justin Horo, 13. Glenn Stewart,
14.Jamie Buhrer, 15. Tom Symonds, 16. Josh Starling, 17. James Hasson
Similar to Parra in 2016, Manly of 2014 had money tied up in an experienced fullback; a couple of young and efficiently priced wingers; a lot of money poured into their talented halves; a no-nonsense hooker on the rise; and another big chunk of cap sunk into a couple of star players in the backrow.
To be fair, Manly’s class centre pairing of Matai and Lyon probably overshadowed ours until we landed Jennings, but the team wide similarities to me are still very apparent.
This Manly team had their strengths and spending relatively evenly distributed into the three main sections across the park (halves, backs and forwards) and this spread of talent allowed them to adapt to the opposition team’s defensive strengths week to week. Assuming Parra 2016 matches the salary distribution of the 2014 Manly side – there’s some good news for Parra fans. This Manly team (give or take a few players) was incredibly successful year after year; they featured in the finals series for 10 years straight, and won a couple of premierships in the process. Say what you want about the Silvertails, Eels fans would love their team to mirror the success the maroon and whites have enjoyed this past decade.
I told you they were close.
The bad news? In the end, it spectacularly blew up – leading to public spats between high profile players, several club legends ended leaving the club (welcome Choc and Kieran!), and DCE then held management over a barrel before signing the most expensive deal in NRL history.
Let’s hope history doesn’t exactly repeat itself, but nonetheless Parra seem to be on a good wicket in regards to their salary cap distribution.
In the final instalment, Part 4 I will attempt to answer some FAQs about the cap itself, the second tier cap, Holden Cup cap and how teams are currently required to deal with injury. Feel free to post any questions you’d like answered below.
Go you Eels,
Mitch
Part 4 (coming soon)
Hi Miatch. One question I do have regarding the cap is:
Let’s just say Foran gets injured in the early rounds and is gone for the season (God forbid!)… His salary takes up a large chunk of our cap. Now say there is a player at another club looking for a switch and we would be interested in signing them as a replacement for foran but we can’t afford it due to the cap being full, would the NRL allow an exemption in this case?
Thanks for the question mate. I’ll do my best to cover this in part 4.
Short answer – snow ball’s chance. 😉
once again Mitch, you’ve tackled the raging beast of the salary cap head on with a clear succinct style that cuts through much of the hype and hysteria that all too often surrounds this heated topic.
I’ll go on record as saying, in aiming up at the salary cap, you’re doing a literary equivalent to taking on the task of tackling a raging Junior Paulo as he smashes his way, Pershing Tank style, though an opposition defensive line (and taking on Junior or the salary cap are BOTH tasks I’d rather not do!)
Well it’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it!
A well thought out and constructed article, once again .
Ha that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me anonymous. 😉
Yeah good to see Anonymous willing to go on record.
I’ve always liked his work – the classic commenter.
Good stuff mate…
Am I right in assuming that if the cap is $6 million with the top 25 players, we can only use that figure in total for any game inclusive of usage of Wenty players too and their value? If that makes sense.
My point being how do we or clubs ask for dispensation about other players due to injury..?
And do we know of any parra players who are long term players and therefore reviving the discount? I would’ve thought Mannah may…?,or has he not been in 1st long enough..?
Great questions mate. Short answer is that the top 25 for that week need to be used before wenty contracted players can be used in a game. Hence when parra wanted to used a player from wenty last year, this was not approved as we still had positionally eligible players in the top 25 available.
I’ll cover this in more detail in part 4.
Good post, miatch. However your formatting of the 2014 Manly side is a bit off.
Thanks mate. One of the blessings of an auto fix function – always so helpful. Fixed now.
solid, top shelf article as always Mitch.
Well researched, solid construction, great way to cut through to the facts and cast aside the disinformation that we often get with the cap.
Can’t wait for part four!
I find your parallels to the Manly side to be an interesting take. Why do you think it blew up so badly? Could it have been mateship cliques, a poorly balanced cap leading to squabbles amongst personnel or did the coach simply lose the shed?
this mightn’t be popular – but in a system where a lot of very talented players were being told to take unders for the sake of the team, it only took one player to want as much money as he could get his hands on – that in term upset some of the older heads (as they were to some extent, apparently on unders).
From here, once one player was taking what he knew he could get, you were never going to be able to convince anyone else to do so from that day forward.
with that said, I don’t think there’s a lot of players in Eels colours on unders, and if they do, there’s a good reason (ie Semi locked up before he became as big a sensation as he is now, and on a four year deal mind you).
Hopefully we don’t end up in a similar situation, needing to convince players to take less for the good of the team, in order to fit them in.