Hayne calls for salary cap overhaul

Parramatta full-back Jarryd Hayne believes NRL clubs should be rewarded for bringing through talent, in light of Melbourne’s salary cap misdemeanours.

Storm have been hit hard after it was revealed they have breached the salary cap by $1.7m over five years in an attempt to retain their squad, many of whom had come through their youth system.

The likes of Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Greg Inglis and Cooper Cronk have been at Melbourne for their whole careers, and their Australian international team mate Hayne believes more should be done to reward clubs who develop their own players.

“I think there’s something that needs to be done to the salary cap, I’m not sure what and that’s not my position to comment on what to do but it has been an issue for a long time,” he said.

“It does seem like it’s a major issue, especially when I think you play with mates you’ve played with the majority of your career and then you see them have to leave a club they’ve been brought through.

“That’s a sad thing about the salary cap and maybe something they can look into.”

The Eels were defeated in last season’s NRL Grand Final by the Storm, and they too face the prospect of having a few of their young stars squeezed out due to salary cap restrictions – with Feleti Mateo and Krisnan Inu rumoured to be leaving the club at the end of the season.