The NRL has finally announced a record-breaking salary cap for the 2023 season

The NRL has announced a record-breaking salary cap increase for their 2023 season for both male and female competitions.

In a statement, the league confirmed the cap would increase from $9.6 million to $12.1 million in 2023, a 25 per cent increase.

Meanwhile, the cap for the top 30 players will lift to record-breaking $11.45 million, which is up 22 per cent from 2022.

Developmental players will also benefit from a cap lift from $240,000 to $650,000, to ensure the future of the game.

The women’s game will see a monumental increase of 153 per cent to $884,000.

The statement read: “As a result of today’s announcement, players who have the standard form ratchet clause in their playing contract will receive an 18% increase to their playing fee, with the increase to be effective from 1 November, resulting in a well-timed year-end bonus.

“With the welcome addition of the Dolphins to the NRL Premiership and the NRLW Premiership expanding to a 10-team competition with the inclusion of the Cronulla Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys, Canberra Raiders and Wests Tigers, more elite players will be part of the rugby league family than ever before and will share in these significant pay increases.

“Whilst the RLPA and NRL continue negotiations, the parties had extended the current amended CBA.

“The above increases will be in addition to the players’ entitlements under the current amended CBA while the parties continue negotiations in good faith.”

NRL sides had become increasingly frustrated with the delay in finalising the salary cap.

Many teams were waiting on the finalised numbers before they could register their full squad for the 2023 season.

Journalist Phil Rothfield told Big Sports Breakfast earlier this week: “Nathan Brown is like a lot of players in the NRL - Marty Taupau is another one - that are waiting for the salary cap to be finalised and it’s causing enormous problems across the game.

“A player like Matt Lodge at the Roosters has actually signed a contract with the Roosters but it cannot be registered because they’d go over the salary cap and it hasn’t been increased yet.

“The Wests Tigers are waiting for finalisation of the salary cap also before they can formulate their actual offer to Nathan Brown and what Nathan Brown does is going to have a knock-on effect around the game because I think Marty Taupau will finish up at Parramatta once they have the cap space from Nathan Brown going, so it’s still really, really messy.

“It’s not right on a lot of these players, that they’re being held up by these CBA negotiations.”

The discussions had been raging on since February, so clubs can now breathe a sigh of relief at the new changes.