No salary cap change to keep Johns: NRL - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

No salary cap change to keep Johns: NRL

By Adrian Warren 26/05/2004 07:28:25 PM Comments (0)

NRL boss David Gallop stressed there would be no relaxation of the salary cap regulations to help Newcastle keep star halfback Andrew Johns from swapping to rugby union.

League's top player moved closer to becoming a dual international with his manager John Fordham saying he had spoken to NSW Rugby Union (NSWRU) officials and would be meeting them in the near future to discuss John's future.

"I will be talking to them, not Andrew, and that will happen in the near future, I would think certainly in the next week," Fordham said.

NSW coach Ewen McKenzie didn't want to comment on Johns, though NSWRU chief executive Fraser Neill said his organisation was consulting the Australian Rugby Union about the Kangaroo halfback who he said "remains an option for us".

The 30-year-old, who captained Australia prior to suffering a season ending anterior cruciate ligament knee injury early in the NRL season, has no rugby background.

"He's interested to the point where he wants me to find out what rugby want to talk about," Fordham said.

The list of high-profile players to have jumped from league to union in recent years included Wendell Sailor, Mat Rogers and Lote Tuqiri.

"The point of difference with Andrew Johns is that he is the best player in the game," Fordham said.

"Hypothetically, if he did play rugby I have no question he would be the best player in the world."

Johns would command a major salary around the half million dollar a year mark, a figure which could make it tough for Newcastle to hang on to its prize player given the $3.25 million salary cap.

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