Pundit slams Super League’s salary cap

Super League is ran with a strict salary cap to try and ensure that all teams have the same available resources, with the current basic limit set at £2.1 million per club.

The salary cap is in place to create a level playing field across the competition, that despite only four teams winning Super League since it was formed in 1996.

For some clubs the cap allows them to keep control of their finances and keep up with rival teams on the pitch, however for those with deeper pockets it limits their potential which has seen many question whether it should be increased more over the years.

The NRL salary cap in Australia is now almost three times larger than in Super League, however Wakefield Trinity boss Mark Applegarth openly stated earlier this season that it was “no secret” that his side were well under the cap.

Despite this, Sky Sports pundit Jon Wells has now had his say on ‘The Bench’ podcast and believes the salary cap should be overhauled to allow the quality of Super League to improve.

“It’s the elephant in the room, the one thing that hasn’t been discussed is the salary cap,” Wells stated.

“I’ll caveat this by saying that I’m not sticking my hand up and saying ‘the salary cap needs to go up’ but I think it needs to be discussed.

“It’s a subject that is central to our sport. We are a salary cap sport and it’s a real skill managing and balancing a salary cap in a league.

“There are some teams that don’t, there are some teams that spend the salary cap plus because of the marquee allowance, but my personal wish is for it to be more transparent and to be discussed.

“The one thing I had thought about was maybe introducing a salary floor, to guarantee a certain level of spend.”

This was a point that was well received by former Man of Steel winner and podcast guest Luke Gale.

Gale added: “It would probably give you a better level of competition, it’s got to give you a better level of competition.”