Netball: Magic deny salary cap abuse

Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic are scoffing at a suggestion their team have broken the transtasman netball league's salary cap.

Queensland Firebirds coach Vicki Wilson has speculated that some New Zealand teams are going outside salary cap rules, threatening the sustainability of the ANZ Championship.

Wilson told the Dominion Post newspaper the uneven makeup of the New Zealand teams was a concern.

"I can't believe the makeup of the New Zealand lines," she said, unquestionably referring to the competition-leading Magic, who are brimming with Silver Ferns players.

"The Australian teams are all fairly even, but if players all want to go and play in the one team I suppose that's fair enough, but don't try and con us that you're all sitting under the salary cap.

"Unless you're all playing for peanuts, there is no way you can sit under the salary cap.

"If people are doing it for the love of it, that's well and good, but you have to be careful that we don't bring the competition to its knees by going outside the salary cap."

Magic chief executive Martin Ellis told NZPA today that the organisation took pride in sticking to the rules and creating a good environment for the players.

The Magic had been one of two teams audited at the end of last year's championship and had passed scrutiny by independent auditors, KPMG.

"Absolutely, we refute her (Wilson's) speculation."

Ellis said the Magic had retained a number of core players for a number of years before the inaugural transtasman league last year while others had arrived wanting to play for the Magic for other reasons.

"The players want to play for us because they like the family atmosphere, the wider inclusivity of family and friends into the environment and they like the coaching staff."

Under the salary cap, each franchise has $300,000 to spread out among the 12 contracted players, with $12,000 the minimum payment.

Wilson's comments echo those of former Central Pulse coach Kate Carpenter, who said earlier this year she was not convinced the salary cap system had worked effectively in the inaugural season.

"The salary cap was meant to allow even distribution of players but it doesn't seem to have worked - there has to be a different way," Carpenter said.

"If the primary objective is to have five equally-competitive teams, then clearly the salary cap isn't allowing that to happen."

The overabundance of top players in the Magic and Southern Steel - there are 16 past or present Silver Ferns spread between the two - has also created an awkward situation for Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken.

When the Magic beat the Steel 54-47 last weekend, five fringe Silver Ferns hardly got any court time.

The Magic's Jodi Tod, called into the Silver Ferns squad last year, played just one quarter while her teammate Jess Tuki (three caps) did not take the court.

For the Steel, Silver Ferns squad member Erika Burgess remained on the bench all game while Liana Barrett-Chase and Wendy Telfer, with three caps between them, played a half each at centre.

"It's a really difficult situation when we're not fully professional and players' decisions where to play is based on more than their pay packet," Aitken said.

Aitken hoped natural selection would sort out the problem of two teams boasting most of the top talent.

Some players would soon realise they would be losing ground in the eyes of selectors if they did not get enough court time.

- NZPA