FAT CATS AND MEDIOCRITY

Never before has the gulf between the rich and poor in sport been more apparent. And, in many cases, it just ain't fair.

Now I have no beef with some of even the world's biggest earners, whose performances and marketability generate vast income in return. Regardless of their pay packets, they are paying their way through revenue.

On the other hand, there is a growing fraternity on the receiving end of far too much largesse. One formula one driver is being encouraged by his team to walk away from his contract -- 10 million euros to do so, if he's able to find a drive with a rival team. If he's unable to do so, his own team will pay him 17 million euros to stand aside. That's close to AUS$30 million!!

Closer to home, we have cricketers and rugby union players who are becoming sport's fat cats. Not all, mind you, but enough to rankle.

As for the cricketers, second-tier players are able to command far greater financial rewards playing in the IPL Twenty20 tournament than many of those representing their country. Some can earn up to $1.5m per year for a few weeks in India -- far in excess of what many can earn with full national representation. Of course, Australian players are well-compensated, but the imbalance between IPL and Test payments are massive for most other countries.

But getting to the crux of the matter is rugby union and the Wallabies. The Australian Rugby Union's annual player salary bill is said to be $27 million, and yet the Wallabies have become international rugby's biggest under-performers. Remember a couple of weeks ago, after a narrow win over England, some were talking up the prospect of an Australian Grand Slam? A pipedream ridiculed in this blog at the time as being little more than a Grand Sham. Well, that's the way it's unfolded, with a draw against Ireland and then a once in a quarter of a century defeat to Scotland, the 9th-ranked team in the world.

The Wallabies need to pay the price of mediocrity. A major overhaul is required to the compensation structure. In a nutshell, the players need to earn their keep and play under a revised wage deal rewarding success. I'm not advocating a reduction in the wage purse, simply a reduction in the guarantees. Top up the contracts with performance-based bonuses. Create some hunger for players to work harder.

Matthew Mitcham was an Australian Olympic hero just over 12 months ago. So, too, Steve Hooker. Sally McLennan won silver on the track in Beijing, again to public acclaim. But Mitcham, Hooker, McLennan and a host of others are operating on the smell of an oily rag, fighting the battle to attract funding and personal sponsorships.

And there are hundreds more just like them. How must they feel when, like so many other sports fans, they tune in to watch some IPL and see State cricketers who haven't reached international status? Or rugby union Tests with players who consistenly fail to live up to expectations? All of them cashing in and pocketing sums Mitcham, Hooker and Co. could only dream of.

It just isn't fair. Market forces dictate who gets how many dollars, but surely some of those corporations paying the bills of under-achievers must start asking the question of whether their dollars may be better spent on the more deserving.