CLUBS could sacrifice up to $200,000 for winning this year’s NRL premiership, leading to renewed calls for an increase in prize money.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the Sydney Roosters have not gained any financial reward for winning this year’s minor premiership with their $100,000 cheque from the NRL not even coming close to covering coaching staff bonuses accrued due to their success.

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While all eight clubs involved in this year’s finals series would do almost anything to raise the prized NRL trophy on October 5, the price for going all the way to rugby league’s holy grail comes at a cost.

Almost every coaching contract in the NRL is under written by winning bonuses and it’s due to the incentive triggers penned into the deals of head coach Trent Robinson and his staff which includes England coach Steve McNamara and assistants Craig Fitzgibbon and Jason Taylor, the Roosters are currently in arrears of just over $100,000.

media_camera Roosters celebrate their Grand Final win. =

It’s an all too familiar proposition for the premiers, who forked out a total of $200,000 to win last year’s premiership.

From the combined total of $500,000 secured last year, which included claiming the minor premiership ($100,000) and premiership, which includes a cheque for $400,000, the Roosters distribution of winning bonuses to coaches and players, the additional outlay for the purchase of finals tickets for staff and sponsors and the logistics involved with travel costs and hotel stays ahead of matches, Roosters officials estimated a loss of $200,000 last year.

A lucrative guarantee of a minimum $90,000 for all 16 NRL clubs who compete at the NRL Auckland Nines has led to debate that the NRL prize money should be increased considering the physical and emotional investment required to win the game’s greatest prize compared to the $2.25m on offer at the kick and giggle tournament in New Zealand.

media_camera Sonny Bill Williams is cheered from the ground by teammates.

The Melbourne Storm are one club in particular, who have previously campaigned for an increase in prize money.

However, the NRL have defended the current cash prize on offer by pointing to an increase in the annual grant for each club, which stands at $7.55m.

Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan said it was important that the NRL recognised the financial investment required to win a premiership as well as the impact on the club’s and the player’s who contribute to one of the toughest competitions in the world.

“It costs you money to win the premiership,’’ Canavan said.

“It (increasing prize money) has been raised informally at CEO’s meetings as a discussion point only.

“At this point we have accepted it because we’re looking to maximise the grants for each of the 16 clubs.

“But as the game stabilises, we’d love to have prize money be revisited.’’