THE leading Welsh clubs are trying to bring in a wage cap next season -- with Newport calling for restraint by the players over their wage demands.
They will propose at one of a series of vital meetings this week a limit on what they can all spend on player salaries.
One of the reasons is to urge restraint at a time when there is no proper structure in place, and another is to send a signal to the Welsh Rugby Union.
Despite the threat to withdraw their leading players from the Welsh team to face England this month because of growing anger at their lack of funding, the clubs want to send out the right message.
There is a fear that if the WRU do grant them more money to run their affairs and their own businesses, it will all go on players.
But the clubs are determined that will not be the case, and they are anxious to follow their English counterparts and bring in a salary cap.
The Zurich Premiership clubs are restricted to £1.8m a year, though that is more than double what the WRU give their clubs.
The rest of the salaries the top Welsh clubs pay their players is made up by benefactors like Newport's Tony Brown.
But that could be about to change, or at least be modified after massive personal investment.
"In a period of restructuring, players are going to have to be realistic about their expectations," said Newport chief executive Keith Grainger.
"Those players we have looked after for the past two or three years have to be realistic in their expectations in a time of substantial change.
"We've had to sit on the fence longer than we wanted because we don't know whether Newport will be part of the permanent Welsh future, whether it will be four clubs, which they will be, or whether it will be on the record of the past few years or the last 10 or what."
On the coaching situation at Newport, with Ian McIntosh likely to finish at the end of the season, Grainger said: "We are keen to locate a coach with the style of play Mac brought in, which the players enjoy. One possibility we want to look at is whether Mac has a consultancy role, which depends on whether we can find a coach confident with the same style and with that situation."
Meanwhile Grainger has warned that time is running out to set up the Celtic League for next season.
Grainger, who represented the Welsh clubs at the latest meeting with Ireland and Scotland, said: "Clearly it's important that commercial partners can see some light at the end of the tunnel for next season. We're trying for a compromise that suits all."
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