Gregor Paul: Provisional agreement is farcical

The New Zealand Rugby Union [NZRU] wants a salary cap in next year's NPC to stop the major unions hogging all the best players and to curb escalating costs. Unfortunately they've reached a provisional agreement with the Professional Rugby Players' Association [PRPA] that seems unlikely to do either.

There is no question the salary cap plans for next year are innovative. The cumbersome plan originally drafted by the NZRU was immediately chucked in the bin by PRPA. It was Draconian in every way, offering crass and simplistic solutions to some very complex problems.

The big unions argued if they were forced to shed their wages by 40 per cent, as the NZRU wanted, players unable to get contracts at the likes of Auckland and Canterbury would jump on a plane to Europe or Japan.

Ambitious players, funnily enough, wouldn't see leaving Canterbury to join Manawatu as an ideal career move. And besides, if Canterbury were forced to let a rising star go, the Manawatus and Hawke's Bays wouldn't have the funds to sign him.

So the PRPA has come up with some clever solutions that, superficially at least, will keep everyone happy.

The bigger unions will be able to hold on to most of their players and, more importantly, will not be penalised for developing talent.

If they create All Blacks, they will not then find they can no longer afford to contract them.

If they are able to keep an individual at their union long enough to play 50 games, they will be rewarded with a price reduction on that player.

Smaller unions will be appeased as they can see that a small number of quality players will be on the open market. Player costs, though, even within the cap are likely to stay at current levels. Rugby has a global market and the reality of supply and demand can't be artificially manipulated.

All Blacks will still want between $80,000 to $120,000 for playing in the NPC. If they don't get it, they will find it overseas. European and Japanese clubs will pay over the odds for anyone who has represented New Zealand. When the agents of senior Super 12 players know what All Blacks are commanding, they set their price at the next tier down.

PRPA, rightly, has agreed a deal that protects the players. But while the players and their agents are enjoying a glass of bubbly in the next few weeks, the NZRU might be feeling a touch empty inside.

With the salary cap unlikely to displace players in any great numbers, next year's NPC is certain to end with four of Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington, Waikato and Otago in the playoffs.

There will be some horrid mis-matches along the way. Manawatu in particular are a worry.

So the whole purpose of revamping the NPC has been defeated. It will be less rather than more competitive, even with the format of a top eight.

The NZRU will trumpet the salary cap and claim they have found an ingenious solution. But it is no more than complex window dressing.

The harsh truth is that the NZRU needed to be brave back in May and only expand the NPC to 12 teams.

But they chose not to. They took the politically correct option and it's one the whole of the nation may suffer.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY