ALMOST half of all players in the A-League have their salaries topped up by sponsors, but Jets coach Gary van Egmond says these service agreements are creating an uneven playing field.
Each club can use $475,000 25 per cent of the $1.9 million salary cap in additional service agreements (ASA) sourced from third-party sponsors.
The Jets are the only club who do not use such payments, which equate to three players of the calibre of captain Jade North.
All clubs, including the Jets, signed off on the use of service agreements for the 2008-09 season in December.
The Jets have since had a change of heart.
Chief executive John Tsatsimas outlined the club's objection in a letter to Football Federation Australia in April.
The issue of scrapping the ASAs and rolling the money into an increase of the salary cap was raised at the A-League chief executives meeting in June.
Again, most of the clubs were in favour of retaining the ASAs in their current format.
FFA has agreed to review the ASAs before the 2009-10 season, but for now they remain, and it is unlikely the other clubs will agree to a change.
"Additional Service Agreements were introduced to assist Hyundai A-League clubs with player retention and professional development, brand development and budget relief," FFA chief executive Ben Buckley told The Herald.
"Nearly all Hyundai A-League clubs use them to a greater or lesser extent, as it gives clubs flexibility in structuring arrangements for individual players."
That leaves the Jets at a disadvantage.
"At the moment the playing field is not even," van Egmond said.
"There is an extra $475,000 some clubs utilise but not all clubs utilise.
"That is where it becomes more difficult to a) secure players and b) retain players."
Van Egmond said the smaller clubs like the Jets did not have the same access to third-party sponsors compared with those in capital cities.
"If you look at Newcastle compared to Sydney or Melbourne, there is no way we would be able to attract as many corporate sponsors," he said.
"For us, if the cap was to be made higher, the chairman [owner Con Constantine] is prepared to spend that money. It would make everything a lot clearer.
"If it was to stay the way it is, the bigger clubs may start to dominate more than what they have already done.
"That is something we do not want to see.
"We want to see quality games and see the salary cap is still doing its job.
"The quality players will be dispersed to eight to 10 teams and we have a very equal competition."
Buckley disagreed.
"It is difficult to accept that Newcastle Jets are disadvantaged due to geographical constraints," he said. "Newcastle Jets are the reigning Hyundai A-League champions, which will put Newcastle on the map in the Asian Champions League next year. I would suggest there is scope for the Jets to attract both sponsorship and ASA support."
The Jets have been in talks with a potential major sponsor for three months and Tsatsimas remained hopeful a deal would be struck before the season kicks off on August 14.
"We are in negotiations with an Australian-based organisation," Tsatsimas said.
"In terms of time frames, I would have liked it last month and the month before that.
"We are working on something. All indications are that it will bear fruit."
The Jets still have three places to fill on their roster.
Van Egmond can bring in a marquee player whose wage does not come into the salary cap and move James Holland to Olyroos marquee status, which attracts a further $150,000 salary cap extension.
Other than that, van Egmond's best selling point is Newcastle itself and a chance to play with the ALeague champions and compete in the Asian Champions League next year.
Buckley will be the special guest at the Jets' corporate lunch today.