Tick of approval

Taking pressure off the sponsorship dollar would be one of the biggest windfalls but the move would also even out the competition.

Senior competition in AFL Riverina will soon be subject to a salary cap or points system and the rugby league could be following suit.

Brothers president Riley Mullins didn’t know how well a move would be received across the region but thought there was plenty of merit in it.

“I think it would be something worth while as it is putting a lot of strain on clubs to have to come up with the money each year to play the players,” Mullins said. 

“There’s a lot of pressure on volunteers who are also putting in there time.

“It would release the pressure on the volunteers if something like that was in place.”

Cross town rival, Southcity president Rod Porter, has also backed the idea.

The Bulls are one of the strongest performing first grade teams but would explore a proposed change.

“I certainly thinking it is something we need to be looking at for the future,” Porter said. “There is no doubt that everyone is in the same boat at this stage and have spiralling costs.

“Some players are demanding a bit more money that what they worth and that’s no fault of their own, in a way it’s just the system and the way it works at the moment.”

Group 20 already have a system in place and Porter thought having all of Country Rugby League on board would be the best approach.

A new system could also limit players moving between clubs.

“It’s not getting any easier in Wagga because you have three rugby league teams in one area, Mullins said. 

“It’s getting harder to find sponsorship dollars and there is a lot of chook raffles needed to get the club up and running.”

It’s not just in Wagga clubs getting behind the idea.

Cootamundra president Wayne Berkrey was another to support the idea, believing it would help even out the competition.

“I think it would be a great idea,” Berkrey said.

“I think something like that would work really well.

“Congratulations to all the clubs that can attract big sponsors and raise lots of money as there is a lot of money involved.

“In some towns a lot of big sponsorship isn’t there, there is a lot of little business but the big business isn’t there to raise a lot of money.”