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.<\/p>\n
But there are many others in rugby league who are paid far too much for what they do, or more so, what they don\u2019t do.<\/p>\n
The list of the NRL\u2019s 100 highest-paid players in 2025, released by Code Sports<\/a> today, features a new No. 1.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n About this time last year, Tom Trbojevic approached Manly to take a pay cut, as injuries saw him miss large chunks of recent campaigns.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Really, the one who should have fronted up to Manly HQ, willing to sacrifice his pay packet, is his brother Jake.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n See the full NRL Rich 100 at Code Sports including the new No. 1 <\/a><\/p>\n But he is far from the only overpaid player in the league.<\/p>\n Melbourne\u2019s Nelson Asofa-Solomona is on $860,000 a season and after winning the 2017 and 2020 premierships, can barely make the Storm\u2019s top 17.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Speaking of those who are on egregious salaries and struggle to even make first grade are the Dragons\u2019 Blake Lawrie ($600,000), the Knights\u2019 Jackson Hastings ($720,000) and the worst buy of the year who Wayne Bennett\u2019s Rabbitohs are already looking to offload, Lewis Dodd ($650,000).<\/p>\n But the most overpaid of all would have to be 30-year-old forward Ryan Sutton. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Club with most players on NRL Rich List<\/p>\n The rich list<\/a> also gives an insight into the salary cap profile of a team vying for a premiership.<\/p>\n The Melbourne Storm have six players in the top 100 but only one player (Cameron Munster) is earning more than a million dollars. <\/p>\n Canterbury have six players on the list, including Ryan Sutton and Reed Mahoney, whose deals conclude at season\u2019s end. <\/p>\n The Bulldogs don\u2019t have a player earning a million dollars, with Stephen Crichton (No. 30) their top earner on $850,000. It\u2019s the profile of a team building nicely and ready to push for a premiership.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The four-time reigning premiers have a fairly balanced roster with five players on the rich list between spots 11 and 59. <\/p>\n Compare that to the Rabbitohs, who have a whopping 10 players in the NRL 100 \u2014 they\u2019ll be hoping to offload Lewis Dodd and that Brandon Smith gets on the straight and narrow, Cameron Murray recovers from injury and Jack Wighton\u2019s best football isn\u2019t behind him.<\/p>\n The Broncos have seven players in the top 100, but will lose Selwyn Cobbo to the Dolphins next season.<\/p>\n The Cowboys, Dolphins and Dragons each have seven players among the top 100 highest paid players in the game.<\/p>\n North Queensland coach Todd Payten is set to be spared the axe but he will be wanting more from his talented roster next season. <\/p>\n 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\u2019s end.<\/p>\n Minor premiers the Canberra Raiders have four players in the top 100, with Jamal Fogarty a bargain at No. 96 on $600,000. He\u2019ll get a pay rise when he joins Manly next season as Daly Cherry-Evans\u2019 replacement. <\/p>\n Raiders young guns Ethan Strange and Kaeo Weekes are early in their career so they don\u2019t feature, but they will undoubtedly earn mega pay rises in the future.<\/p>\n