: Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:27 am  

Let's just bin the salary cap.

See how fast St Helens slip away then.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:32 am  

Katie Price wrote:

Cheating the salary cap is nothing new, there are too many loopholes in it. I'm sure it was a coincidence that Brett Dalla's missus used to be paid £200,000 a year working in the club shop.

That loophole was closed years ago. IIRC, it was after it was revealed that a certain Mrs Renouf was by far the best paid part-time secretary in the North West.

As for the article linked to, Aussie agent releasing scaremongering comments because his 10% looks like being slightly less than it was last year. Move along people, nothing to see here.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:37 am  

expatrhino wrote:

I can't help but think this is going to be a blessing in disguise. As it will limit the number of overseas journeymen coming over.

Having said that Wigan apparently didn't use this loophole anyway so maybe not.

Will it though?

Isn't there a danger than it will just stop the big name superstars coming over who really want to stay in the NRL but their clubs cannot give them what they want so they come over to SL for the pay packet,sorry experience.Now their agents will just accept lesser terms been offered by their NRL clubs to stay as its probably still more than they will get over here now?

Won't we therefore just end up with the journeymen who cannot get contracts with the NRL clubs or unknown youngsters/players who may turn out to be gems (like Dobson) who just want a chance to get noticed or they may turn out to be no better than the juniors clubs already have and therefore a waste of a quota spot?

I agree though that it should/could stop the number of overseas players coming over full stop and force clubs to rely more on their youth systems,although it would be a shame to lose out watching some of the NRL top players that have graced SL over the years if it suddenly makes it less attractive to come over to SL

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:55 am  

Would it be a bad thing if these so called "big name" aussie players stopped coming over though?

God forbid teams to have to use upcoming English talent!

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:56 am  

cheekydiddles wrote:

Will it though?

Isn't there a danger than it will just stop the big name superstars coming over who really want to stay in the NRL but their clubs cannot give them what they want so they come over to SL for the pay packet,sorry experience.Now their agents will just accept lesser terms been offered by their NRL clubs to stay as its probably still more than they will get over here now?

Won't we therefore just end up with the journeymen who cannot get contracts with the NRL clubs or unknown youngsters/players who may turn out to be gems (like Dobson) who just want a chance to get noticed or they may turn out to be no better than the juniors clubs already have and therefore a waste of a quota spot?

I agree though that it should/could stop the number of overseas players coming over full stop and force clubs to rely more on their youth systems,although it would be a shame to lose out watching some of the NRL top players that have graced SL over the years if it suddenly makes it less attractive to come over to SL

I'm not sure it will make that much difference, I was kind of hoping. If what Rogues Gallery was saying on the earlier thread about this topic is true and Wigan don't use this tax loophole anyway. It hasn't stopped them bringing over numerous average ageing Aussies and also the top players like Trent Barrett. In fact they probably have been the worst one's.

How much this has been due to breaking the salary cap. We could only speculate.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 12:01 pm  

expatrhino wrote:

Not according to this.

That is horse doo-doo.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 12:10 pm  

getdownmonkeyman wrote:

That is horse doo-doo.

Fair enough. Kind of destroyed all my theory's on the subject. Hopefully it will reduce the average players coming over then.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:11 pm  

Just for a second when I saw "Aussie's will flood home" my heart lept with joy. Then the rest of the page loaded and I realised they were only talking about Rugby League players.


I wonder if the Union clubs will have this loophole closed as well? Or will they get the same treatment from the Revenue as they get from people that hand out work Visa's?

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:04 pm  

I lost interest after the first sentance, have Saints broken the salary cap again?