Richest non-players in the NRL revealed: best coaches can’t match CEO Andrew Abdo’s $1.5million wage
Richest non-players in the NRL revealed: See which coach is a hair’s breadth and paid as much as CEO Andrew Abdo’s $1.5 million a year salary
- Melbourne Storm’s Craig Bellamy is the highest paid NRL coach
- For Wayne Bennett, Ivan Cleary and Trent Robinson
- NRL legend Cameron Smith paid well for his work with Nine and SEN
The NRL’s richest non-players have been revealed – and it looks like a few coaches and media identities wearing lots of hats are laughing all the way to the bench.
CEO Andrew Abdo tops the list with a salary of $1.55 million, with Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy not far behind at an estimated $1.5 million.
Considering that Bellamy has been at AAMI Park since 2003 – transforming the club into a real powerhouse and winning multiple premierships – you could say he deserves every penny.
Fellow supercoach Wayne Bennett – who now runs the NRL’s newest franchise, the Dolphins – is paid a juicy $1.2 million, slightly more than Trent Robinson (Roosters) and Ivan Cleary (Panthers), who each bring in $1 million .
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is on the same salary as Robinson and Cleary, which raises eyebrows as he has only won one NRL premiership in his coaching career – in 2002, with a stacked Roosters squad largely assembled by the late Graham Murray.
With the NRL thriving when it comes to ratings and corporate interests, CEO Andrew Abdo takes home $1.55 million a year
Veteran Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy reportedly earns $1.5 million a year
Ricky Stuart makes $1 million per season with the Raiders, which is surprising considering he’s only won one NRL premiership as head coach
Bulldogs supremo Phil ‘Gus’ Gould raises a reported $1.3 million, dwarfing workaholic Fox Sports presenter Matty Johns ($1.25 million), who is also on SEN Radio’s books.
NRL greats Cameron Smith ($1.2 million), Billy Slater ($1.15 million) and Johnathan Thurston ($1.1 million) are also doing well financially after their footy careers, with Andrew Johns reportedly having a wages of $900,000 earned from his work on Nine plus as a consultant to the Knights.
When it comes to the players, Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary ($1.3 million) set the benchmark in 2022, earning fractionally more than Sea Eagles playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans, who has a ‘lifetime’ contract on the Northern Beaches from Sydney.
Wantaway Dragons No. 7 Ben Hunt and Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga are both reported to have brought in close to $1.1 million per season, as are NSW Blues skipper James Tedesco and Sea Eagles star Tom Trbojevic.
Enforcers Jesse Bromwich then with the Storm and David Fifita (Titans) commanded just over $1 million, with halfbacks Luke Brooks ($960,000) and Mitchell Moses ($950,000) rounding out the top 10.
Player managers also take home a lot of money from NRL contracts, with SFX Sports being one of the largest, along with Ultra Sports Management, Pacific Sports Management and the Isaac Moses-led Cove Agency, according to News Corp.