League: Warriors okay with salary cap increase

The New Zealand Warriors today said they were comfortable with the increase in the National Rugby League (NRL) salary cap to A$4 million ($5 million) from next season.

Chief executive Wayne Scurrah said the figure represented a balance between club bosses' starting point for negotiations and the Rugby League Professionals Association's (RLPA) original expectations.

"We're reasonably comfortable with it," he said.

"It's a very competitive environment. There had to be some increase and what we are heading for is not unreasonable."

Scurrah was at a meeting in Sydney yesterday of club chief executives, who supported a package of benefits to be presented to the next round of collective bargaining.

The proposals included lifting the cap from the present base figure of A$3.36m.

The RLPA had initially wanted the threshold raised to A$5m.

Scurrah said the agreed new figure, and the falling New Zealand dollar, would help to ease a continuing "tight" situation at the Warriors.

In March, the Warriors were fined and docked four competition points for past salary cap breaches, the repercussions of which are set to continue through to next year.

"Things are still quite tight at the club, because you don't have all players coming off contract and you also have some upgrades," Scurrah said.

"But certainly that [the increase] and our exchange rate expectations for next season are probably going to favour us slightly."

RLPA president Simon Woolford welcomed news of the chief executives' agreement and expected there to be no hitches in the NRL signing off on the deal next week.

NRL chief executive David Gallop said he was pleased the RLPA had scrapped their original target of A$5m.

At the chief executives' meeting, clubs also agreed to a 25-week competition next year -- when the Gold Coast Titans will make their debut -- with one bye for each team.

They backed changes to the playoffs next year, with the McIntyre system being retained but higher-ranked teams getting more home-town advantage.

- NZPA