Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet delivers considered verdict on Super League salary cap ahead of meeting
Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet has delivered a considered and detailed view of Super League’s salary cap, with club representatives set to meet this week regarding potential changes in the coming years.
Representatives from across Super League clubs will come together this week to discuss the salary cap, and whilst no decision will be made immediately, there will be more of an understanding of the clubs’ stance ahead of more conversations further down the line.
Peet was asked about what his solution would be to the salary cap debate, bearing in mind the other factors like the NRL’s growing competition, with the PNG Chiefs and Perth Bears set to arrive in the next few years.
"It’s complex, that’s the first thing I’ll say, it’s multi-faceted,” said Peet, who believes more should be done to help support young players financially in the early stages of their development.
"We need to make sure that the solutions are answering the right question, if that makes sense, so what’s the ambition of the game? Is it growth? Is it development? Is it retaining talent? Is it helping England win? And then we design a salary cap system to fit it.
"Personally, I’d say it’s all of the above. We want clubs to be sustainable, we want clubs to be ambitious and promote growth.
"I think there should be some recognition for developing English-qualified players and homegrown talent, so for me, a system that rewards all those things would be the right one.
"Sustainability has to be right at the top of the list, but I also think that there needs to be room for ambition, and if clubs are driving things forward in terms of revenue, ticket sales, merchandise, and bringing money in – I think it should be theirs to reinvest and help protect talent from the NRL.
"They (NRL) are only going to use us as a feeder system more and more, and I think every club in Super League will be feeling that threat now around the young talent, and we’re no different.
"Some of our players who are yet to play first-team receive offers, receive phone calls, you probably only have to have a few good games in a Scholarship now, and you’ll be on the radars of NRL clubs, so I do feel we need some protection and also some reward for developing those players.
"The overseas quota has been lifted, so you will get to a point where it makes more sense to bring a 30-year-old Q Cup player and pay him £50k, rather than give a 21-year-old £50k who might be looking to move on the year after… That won’t be a route that we go down, but I understand why clubs would. As I said, I think we’ve got to make sure we’re answering the right question.”
Peet was then asked if it was a frightening reality that promising youngsters are catching the eye in Scholarship games, when players are between the ages of 14 and 16.
"It depends on which way you look at it,” he added. “We should take it as a compliment that our players do have the quality to go over there and add something, but we’ve also got to question why people would pay us more for a TV deal when we don’t invest, and we don’t grow our own game and our own salary cap.
"So the TV deal, attendances, new eyes for me – it all relies on keeping some of the talent in this country, and it is a concern, but it is also a credit to our own junior pathways and community game in England.”
Super League has already seen some deals confirmed for players heading over to the expanded NRL for 2027 and beyond.
Leeds Rhinos pair James McDonnell and Harry Newman have agreed to join Perth Bears, as have Catalans Dragons duo Toby Sexton and Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui, whilst Leigh Leopards star Owen Trout has been strongly linked with a move to Cronulla Sharks.
Peet was asked if he thought that people had clocked on that Super League’s salary cap is an issue, now there are two more NRL clubs to add into the mix when it comes to the player market, thus affecting Super League’s player pool.
"I’m sure people are aware of it, spectators and certainly people within clubs,” he continued.
"I think some of the ones you talk about there are just the tip of the iceberg, in terms of some of them are established Super League players and familiar names, but I think some of the lads that are getting spoken about going to the NRL, some of them have played less than five games or have not played at all. So you’ve got to remember these clubs need a top 25, but they also need development squads as well, so I think anyone who is playing well and British RL could be seen as easy pickings at the moment, given the difference in the two caps.”
As for Wigan, Peet and chief executive Kris Radlinski have made no secret of their salary cap limit over the last 12 months, with the price of success making it more and more difficult for the successful clubs to retain the talent they wish.
"We’re up to cap as it stands,” Peet added. “Someone would have to go out for someone to come in, but it’s not something I’m planning on doing.”