There are growing calls for NRL players wages to be made public in a bid to stop salary cap breaches that have ran rampant over the years.
NRL 360 host Paul Kent claimed on Tuesday night that he knows of several cases where players have been paid outside the cap.
The veteran rugby league journalist argued it was time to make salaries public to maintain the faith of supporters.
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“There have been demands for a long time to make salaries public and I just think we’re getting to the stage in the game, given some of shenanigans that have done on, that integrity is so important to the game going forward,” Kent said.
“To continue to grow public faith, we at some point we need to start disclosing what they are on.
“Players, I totally get, don’t want that made public but there are many jobs around the country, you only need to google the Prime Minister’s salary and it comes up and that is a show of maintaining public faith.
“It should be this is what X player earns and if he’s driving around in a million-dollar car and only earning this amount of money well you say, hang on something is going on here.”
Kent revealed several former players have admitted to him that they were involved in cap rorts with their clubs.
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“These things can be corrupted, I know of people who have cheated the cap, I know of it. I’ve spoken to players and ex players who in moments of relaxing they’ll tell you different stories,” Kent said.
“We’ve all heard it. The case that then comes is well prove it, why don’t you write it. I’ve got no proof other than a guy saying to me a guy walked up to me and gave me an envelope with $20,000 in it and said give this to your wife.
“He’s not going to confirm that on the record, but it happens, we know it happens.
“There’s all different ways that they cheat the cap, what you’ve got to do is if you make it public at least then some clubs are insulated and it’s not about holding players to ransom with what they’re earning.”
Fellow journalist Dave Riccio said NRL salaries were an open secret inside the industry and that it was time to let fans in on it.
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