The NRL has reportedly granted St George Illawarra salary cap dispensation after the club requested to get Cody Ramsey’s contract removed from this year’s salary cap.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the NRL has finalised its review into the request, deciding to make an exemption in light of the ill fullback’s unique situation.
Earlier this month, the Dragons met with NRL powerbrokers in a desperate bid to be handed salary cap relief for Ramsey, who has undergone multiple surgeries since he was hospitalised with ulcerative colitis in November last year.
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“Cody was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel condition, in late 2022 which required an extended stay in hospital,” the Dragons’ General Manager of Football Ben Haran revealed in a statement earlier this year.
“This means that Cody won’t be available to play NRL in the 2023 season.
“Our focus will be on Cody’s medical rehabilitation and wellbeing in the first phase. From there we’ll work towards what the future looks like for him.”
As per the NRL’s rules, relief can be granted to a club for a player who is forced into retirement through injury or if an injury has been suffered while playing at a representative level.
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Although Ramsey’s situation doesn’t fit the criteria as it stands, the NRL has made an exemption for the Dragons, who are adamant they will pay the 23-year-old until his contract expires at the end of 2024.
According to the report, the Dragons can’t use the relief to upgrade a top-30 player and need to replace Ramsey with someone deemed to be a like-for-like replacement.
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Prior to being struck down with the disease, Ramsey was Griffin’s No. 1 choice at fullback and remains a part of the club’s plans moving forward.
The Dragons, who are currently 14th on the NRL ladder with two wins in seven matches, will next face the Bulldogs in Wollongong on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 4.04pm AEST.
