: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:06 am  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

Indeed, this is not new and has been ongoing for a good 6 months or so. IIRC it started from the divorce proceedings of Ray Parlour.

I can't see it affecting the cap retrospectively as it was accepted at the time, however I wonder if it will cause problems for ongoing contracts? Though the removal of NICs from the cap calculations will reduce the impact of it. Given that it's been common knowledge for a while, I'd have expected most clubs to have phased this out.

If it is in line with the Ray Parlour "agreement" then it may not be only overseas players who are affected.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:08 am  

Of note is the following statement in the article

At least 10 of the 14 Super League clubs are thought to be affected

Now safe to say we can take away Catalans as French
Celtic as only been in existance for 3 years and started out from a low base.So they wont be impacted.

So that leaves 2 clubs who havent probably used this tax saving method.

I would suggest the two other clubs are likely to be Salford and Castleford due to fact that until recently they were lower division clubs and therefore limited in the overseas signings they could make.

I can only assume that the interest shown in Saints by fans of other clubs is nothing short of trolling. As it fails to take into account the fact that Saints have consistently run with a smaller overseas player pool than other clubs, and this year are running significantly below the cap level.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:11 am  

But even if they've all done it it still does not make it correct, and there's just as big a discussion on the Wigan and Leeds boards with fans of other clubs having their say.

I don't see that as trolling.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:12 am  

The Chair Maker wrote:

Of note is the following statement in the article

At least 10 of the 14 Super League clubs are thought to be affected

Now safe to say we can take away Catalans as French
Celtic as only been in existance for 3 years and started out from a low base.So they wont be impacted.

So that leaves 2 clubs who havent probably used this tax saving method.

I would suggest the two other clubs are likely to be Salford and Castleford due to fact that until recently they were lower division clubs and therefore limited in the overseas signings they could make.

I can only assume that the interest shown in Saints by fans of other clubs is nothing short of trolling. As it fails to take into account the fact that Saints have consistently run with a smaller overseas player pool than other clubs, and this year are running significantly below the cap level.

It doesn't just affect overseas players though, plenty of UK born players in other sports have taken advantage of this loophole.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:20 am  

I must admit that I would quite enjoy seeing the self righteous Mr. Perfect Hetherington squirm a little.


If that's trolling, then I'm guilty as charged, and yes, I have said the same on the Leeds board.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:23 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

I must admit that I would quite enjoy seeing the self righteous Mr. Perfect Hetherington squirm a little.


If that's trolling, then I'm guilty as charged, and yes, I have said the same on the Leeds board.

I can't wait until you lot are implicated in it, then we'll see squirming

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:25 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

I must admit that I would quite enjoy seeing the self righteous Mr. Perfect Hetherington squirm a little.


If that's trolling, then I'm guilty as charged, and yes, I have said the same on the Leeds board.

Dont be daft, Leeds can do no wrong

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:27 am  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

I can't wait until you lot are implicated in it, then we'll see squirming

If we are then look what I said in reply to the Chair Makers post.

As far as I am aware it did not happen under the Whelan / Mo administration, as I know it was mentioned at a shareholders meeting three or four years ago.

Whether it has changed under the new regime I don't know.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:59 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

If we are then look what I said in reply to the Chair Makers post.

As far as I am aware it did not happen under the Whelan / Mo administration, as I know it was mentioned at a shareholders meeting three or four years ago.

Whether it has changed under the new regime I don't know.

Mo and Whelan two men of their word

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:57 pm  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

It doesn't just affect overseas players though, plenty of UK born players in other sports have taken advantage of this loophole.

HMRC see it as evasion not a loophole. And as I understand it the reason why its concentrating on overseas players is that you combine it with the "Singapore Parachute" so that the overseas player becomes entitled to the money when he is no longer subject to UK tax but before he becomes subject to tax in his home country - meaning a loss to the UK Revenue, since the income was earned whilst the player was subject to UK tax. So goes the argument, anyway.

Talk in the game for ages was that Saints were one of the clubs making particular use of this device - anecdotal, and time will tell - obviously. I think people who look to Saints also point to Saints (and others, like Wire) appearing to get more bang for their bucks out of the salary cap than some other clubs - that's obviously purely subjective. If indeed CM is right and Saints are running below the "salary cap" this year, again this might be in anticipation of the grossing-up of image rights payments being brought intot he cap spend?

Only those close to the detail will know, and its all speculation at that point - especially from the hack, although my understanding is he's not a million lmiles out.