Many may argue the likes of Kalyn Ponga, Tom Trbojevic and Jarome Luai, who are all on north of $1.2 million a season, are overpaid.

But there are many others in rugby league who are paid far too much for what they do, or more so, what they don’t do.

The list of the NRL’s 100 highest-paid players in 2025, released by Code Sports today, features a new No. 1.

It also sheds light on some questionable contracts for some players who spend their days in reserve grade and one who has even been released from his club.

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About this time last year, Tom Trbojevic approached Manly to take a pay cut, as injuries saw him miss large chunks of recent campaigns.

While he is on a whopping $1.25m a season, when fit and healthy, he is still one of the best players in the game.

Really, the one who should have fronted up to Manly HQ, willing to sacrifice his pay packet, is his brother Jake.

On $1.1m a season, Jake is one of the most reliable veterans, but at 31, he struggles to make much of an impact and is almost certainly set to take a substantial pay cut on his next deal.

See the full NRL Rich 100 at Code Sports including the new No. 1

But he is far from the only overpaid player in the league.

Melbourne’s Nelson Asofa-Solomona is on $860,000 a season and after winning the 2017 and 2020 premierships, can barely make the Storm’s top 17.

Much of the same can be said about the Dolphins paying Kenny Bromwich $600,000 a season to ply his trade in Queensland Cup when he is fit. That deal expires at the end of this season.

Speaking of those who are on egregious salaries and struggle to even make first grade are the Dragons’ Blake Lawrie ($600,000), the Knights’ Jackson Hastings ($720,000) and the worst buy of the year who Wayne Bennett’s Rabbitohs are already looking to offload, Lewis Dodd ($650,000).

But the most overpaid of all would have to be 30-year-old forward Ryan Sutton.

Sutton was brought to the Bulldogs in 2023 on a three-year $600,000 a season deal and managed just 13 games, the last of which came that season.

It was such a disaster that the Bulldogs actually paid out the final year of his deal this year to free up a roster spot, a spot eventually taken by Lachlan Galvin.

Club with most players on NRL Rich List

The rich list also gives an insight into the salary cap profile of a team vying for a premiership.

The Melbourne Storm have six players in the top 100 but only one player (Cameron Munster) is earning more than a million dollars.

Canterbury have six players on the list, including Ryan Sutton and Reed Mahoney, whose deals conclude at season’s end.

The Bulldogs don’t have a player earning a million dollars, with Stephen Crichton (No. 30) their top earner on $850,000. It’s the profile of a team building nicely and ready to push for a premiership.

The Panthers have eight players on the list, but there are 30 spots and $450,000 between their highest paid player Nathan Cleary and second highest in Dylan Edwards.

The four-time reigning premiers have a fairly balanced roster with five players on the rich list between spots 11 and 59.

Compare that to the Rabbitohs, who have a whopping 10 players in the NRL 100 — they’ll be hoping to offload Lewis Dodd and that Brandon Smith gets on the straight and narrow, Cameron Murray recovers from injury and Jack Wighton’s best football isn’t behind him.

The Broncos have seven players in the top 100, but will lose Selwyn Cobbo to the Dolphins next season.

The Cowboys, Dolphins and Dragons each have seven players among the top 100 highest paid players in the game.

North Queensland coach Todd Payten is set to be spared the axe but he will be wanting more from his talented roster next season.

The Knights have one on of the most unbalanced rosters, but will see some relief when Jayden Brailey ($700,000) and Jackson Hastings ($720,000) depart at season’s end.

Minor premiers the Canberra Raiders have four players in the top 100, with Jamal Fogarty a bargain at No. 96 on $600,000. He’ll get a pay rise when he joins Manly next season as Daly Cherry-Evans’ replacement.

Raiders young guns Ethan Strange and Kaeo Weekes are early in their career so they don’t feature, but they will undoubtedly earn mega pay rises in the future.

Read the full 2025 NRL Rich 100 here

Originally published as NRL’s most overpaid players revealed in 2025 rich list