Like in many sports in Australia and around the globe, there is as much money in the NRL as there ever has been, and the money being earned by the league’s best is testament to that. Once a seemingly impassable barrier, there are now seven players on seven-figure sums, and that number is only going to go up. Let’s take a look at the highest paid players in the game in 2022.
- Daly Cherry-Evans ($1.2 million)
It’s now been seven years since Cherry-Evans signed a monster contract to stay with the Sea Eagles, and he’s still reaping the rewards all those years on. That eight-year deal was worth $10 million, or $1.2 per year, which is enough to make him the highest paid player in the league in 2022. The experienced halfback is still a pivotal in Manly’s side at the age of 33, particularly now that Tom Trbojevic is out for an extended period, but it will be interesting to see what kind of contract he signs at the conclusion of his current deal next season.
- Ben Hunt ($1.1 million)
After nine seasons and 187 games with the Broncos, Ben Hunt was lured across to the Dragons for the beginning of the 2018 season on a multi-million dollar contract which will see him earn $1.1 million in 2022. Five years into his stint with them, St. George aren’t exactly competing for Premierships, but Hunt is captain for the second year in a row, was the starting hooker for Queensland in Game 1 of the State of Origin series, and was leading the Dally M Medal after 12 rounds of the season, so it’s hard to argue that he’s not fulfilling his end of the bargain.
- Cameron Munster ($1.1 million)
Over the course of his eight-and-a-half seasons with the Storm, Munster has developed into one of the best players in the game, and a hefty contract which came across his desk at the end of the 2018 season was testament to that. That contract will see him earn $1.1 million this year, and the way he’s playing it’s more than justified. He has been a key cog thus far in what looms as another Premiership tilt for the Storm, was best afield in Queensland’s Game 1 State of Origin triumph, and is well and truly in the conversation for best players in the game.
- James Tedesco ($1.1 million)
The contract James Tedesco signed in 2018 was initially slated to end at the conclusion of last season, but he was unsurprisingly given a contract extension in 2020 to take it through to 2024. Long one of the best players in the game, the Roosters’ captain has been pivotal throughout their recent period of success. As they attempt to work their way back into the upper echelons of the NRL ladder following a less successful 2021, he will again play a major role in their fortunes.
- Tom Trbojevic ($1.1 million)
Tommy Turbo, as he is affectionately known, has developed into the best player in the game in the eyes of many, last year winning both the Dally M Medal as the NRL’s best and fairest and the Brad Fittler Medal as New South Wales’ best in the State of Origin. In Round 11 of the 2022 season, he unfortunately dislocated his shoulder and will subsequently almost certainly miss the rest of the season, but despite his absence few would begrudge the superstar the $1.1 million he will earn this year.
- David Fifita ($1.1 million)
David Fifita’s prodigious talent has always been clear, and was evidenced by the fact that he signed the deal currently earning him $1.1 million in 2022 at the age of just 20. That contract saw him make the move to the Gold Coast after three seasons with the Broncos, but it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing since then. The Titans have had a disastrous 2022 so far, and Fifita’s own personal fortunes have been closely aligned with those of his team; something which has many questioning his current deal. At 22, however, he still has a long and hopefully prosperous career ahead of him, so while he may not be justifying a $1.1 million price tag right now, there’s every chance he will one day.
- Kalyn Ponga ($1 million)
In 2016, Kalyn Ponga signed a deal set to begin in 2018 which ultimately made him the highest paid teenager in NRL history. That was extended until 2024 a couple of years ago, and at the age of just 24 years he will likely have at least one more significant contract after that one concludes. Ponga is already nearing 100 games for the Knights, and they will be banking on him being a key contributor as they look to work their way up the ladder.
- Luke Brooks ($950,000)
Luke Brooks has long been a stalwart of the Wests Tigers, and the 27-year-old’s pay packet is indicative of as much. Unfortunately, while his career has brought him plenty of financial success, the on-field results haven’t been quite as fruitful. He’s played nearly 200 games for the Tigers without ever making a finals appearance, making him the most capped player to have not played a final, and that won’t be changing this year. The $950,000 he will make this year should ease that hurt somewhat, but there’s no doubt he would be keen his on-field fortunes to turn around in the back half of his career.
- Jason Taumalolo ($950,000)
Five years ago, the imposing Jason Taumalolo signed a monster ten-year contract designed to see him stay with the Cowboys until 2027, by which time he’ll be 34. Having already racked up well over 200 games for the club, he looks likely to become one of their most decorated players by the conclusion of his career, and the way they are travelling so far this year, it’s not out of the realms for him to add another Premiership or two to his arsenal at some point in the near future, having already been a part of the team’s 2015 triumph.
- Nathan Cleary ($940,000)
In isolation it’s a surprise to see Cleary this far down the list, but from next year onwards he’ll skyrocket towards the number one position. The co-captain of last year’s Premiers and the outright favourite to do it again this year, at least according to our list of online bookmakers in Australia, Cleary is the most important player to the league’s best team, and for this season at least is on a bargain contract for the Panthers.
Few of the names on the above list will come as a major surprise; for the most part, they are the cream of the crop, and well and truly worthy of the hefty pay packets they are earning. The concept of a one-million-dollar player, once an implausibility, is now commonplace and becoming increasingly more so, and in the years to come it’s likely this list will contain players earning even more than those above.
