If it ain't broken don't fix it : Wed Apr 12, 2017 10:18 pm  

Yes my views with this are biased because of the budget we stick when using the salary cap but. Does anyone else think the increase on cap and extra marquee player could spoil the competitive side of the game just as it's getting more interesting. Apart from Cas there is quite a lot of games you can't say before kick off who is 100% going to win. To me adding this is just saying sugar daddies either will rule or it's a another way to dig yourself out of the middle eights if need be. It's all to protect us from union and the NRL but looking at how many players have moved it's a small fraction compared to how many we can promote through youth systems if we also removed relegation. For me it didn't need change as over the last couple of years the league gap is closing and all this could widen it again.

Re: If it ain't broken don't fix it : Wed Apr 12, 2017 11:03 pm  

I wholeheartedly agree and it is frustrating.

And I would point out that even we are beatable - look at Salford. We may be favourites and can be confident but I'm not confident to say we will win, which is bordering on arrogance.

Re: If it ain't broken don't fix it : Wed Apr 12, 2017 11:19 pm  

Agree 100% supercat

Re: If it ain't broken don't fix it : Thu Apr 13, 2017 6:28 am  

I do think the cap needs to increase annually based on the rate of inflation.

When players sign new contracts, 99% of the time it's on slightly better terms than their previous one, so if you're spending the full cap as you're entitled to, it then becomes difficult to retain players.

So perhaps a 5% annual increase in the cap would be logical.

As for marquee players ....Well, where do we stop?

1 I can see, albeit a bit gimmicky, adds a bit of flavour. Increasing this, to me just seems like a way to avoid the cap.... Why stop there, why not 5, 10, half the squad.......

Re: If it ain't broken don't fix it : Thu Apr 13, 2017 6:34 am  

Need A teams and colts before anymore money is made available for so called marquee players

Re: If it ain't broken don't fix it : Thu Apr 13, 2017 6:56 am  

I don't think it will make much difference. Marquee players are very thin on the ground and will always be attracted to the bigger clubs.
What marquee players are at what clubs at the moment.
Recruitment will always cause problems and individual players can cause massive problems at all clubs.

Re: If it ain't broken don't fix it : Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:06 am  

There has to be some movement to increase the salary cap year on year, as to leave it the same is effectively telling players that they are worth less, in real terms, than they were the previous year.

The marquee player rule is just a gimmick and there are very few of these in SL anyway but, I suppose it does allow the wealthier clubs to maybe attract some players that we may not see in SL (although the obvious marquee player Tomkins, hasn't exactly played much)

The bottom line is that we cant compete with Union or the NRL as their respective salary caps are double ?? ours, therefore, it's just lip service and the pretence that our sport can compete, when it clearly cant.

Finally, ALL clubs should be looking at increasing their revenue, regardless of S/C and growing their business and try to become less reliant on Sky monies.

This would make the sport stronger and actually improve our bargaining position when the contract comes up for renewal and lets face it, although the headline figure from Sky looks ok, we are the poor man of sport by some distance and they should be paying a hell of a lot more for the air time that they get from RL.

Re: If it ain't broken don't fix it : Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:13 am  

Its harsh on smaller clubs like ours but the sport needs a Cap increase to compete. It's up to the clubs to increase revenue streams (Trinity TV, Set of 6 lottery, club 1873)

We've had the lowest budget in the league for the last 18 years (apart from that 1 year when Halifax popped) and we've competed.

Re: If it ain't broken don't fix it : Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:59 am  

It won't make a difference but might help to keep stars in the Super League. Take George Williams. The cap would squeeze his wage at Wigan, because of the other players (none of whom are world beaters). Would this make him sign for Wakey? Of course not. He'd go to the NRL. When Tom Johnstone's head is turned by money, and that isn't a criticism, it's life, I'd rather see him go to Leeds than Union. I'd rather Leeds be able to keep Kallum Watkins than watch him go to Union for the money.

The salary cap was designed to stop the league being uneven. A time comes when we have to protect the game as well, as we become victims of our own success. Look at the NRL. You could virtually field the whole England side from the NRL. I'd rather see those players over here.

Re: If it ain't broken don't fix it : Thu Apr 13, 2017 11:59 am  

Slugger McBatt wrote:

It won't make a difference but might help to keep stars in the Super League. Take George Williams. The cap would squeeze his wage at Wigan, because of the other players (none of whom are world beaters). Would this make him sign for Wakey? Of course not. He'd go to the NRL. When Tom Johnstone's head is turned by money, and that isn't a criticism, it's life, I'd rather see him go to Leeds than Union. I'd rather Leeds be able to keep Kallum Watkins than watch him go to Union for the money.

The salary cap was designed to stop the league being uneven. A time comes when we have to protect the game as well, as we become victims of our own success. Look at the NRL. You could virtually field the whole England side from the NRL. I'd rather see those players over here.

Personally I would rather my own team be successful rather than the game as a whole.