100% Warrior wrote:
In principle I agree. We want a strong domestic comp with the best British players playing here but in order to stop that player drain two things need to happen;
1/ Salary cap is either doubled/trebled enabling clubs to pay players more
2/ Clubs must become financially strong enough to enable those wages
Neither of which are likely. I don’t blame lads who want to go to the NRL to earn more and test themselves v the best. If we want that tide to turn it’s up to the Super League board to make it happen and if clubs can’t keep up - let them drift away. It’s time we stopped the weaker clubs obstructing the games growth and stopped listening to the whinging flat cappers and let the sport flourish.
Something has got to give and very, very soon ... because the British game is not even sitting motionless anymore. It's now going backward. Crowds are shrinking and quality players that we invest time and resources developing are leaving at the earliest opportunity, or are constantly threatening to leave, which makes fair pay for all very difficult to implement and completely demoralises the support base.
And now, these guys based in Aus are not even doing it for us internationally, which was the only advantage we ever gained from this exodus. Whether that would happen with a different, more motivated coach - who isn't completely wowed by past reputations and NRL contracts - I don't know, but at present we are losing on all fronts.
The RFL is slowly crumbling, but it seems like it's going to take time for SL to attain full control of its affairs and even then we've yet to see how it will approach issues like the salary cap, funding etc. I do hear what some chairmen say about the salary cap, namely that it can't be raised until all SL clubs, at the very least, can pay up to it. I see the sense in that. But sticking with the status quo is not working. Nor is tinkering around the edges with 'crumbs from the table' rulings like marquee status signings.
My main fear with Toronto is that, a bit like Koukash, they are prepared to spend big to create a major force in our game and yet the game's strict rules will eventually prove too much of a straitjacket and they'll get irritated and pack in.