If Koukash comes up with some sensible salary cap amendments then good for him, he can put them to the other club owners and if they find them suitable then they will probably be implemented. That's not really relevant in any way to anything that you have posted on this thread, which appears to amount to some sort of bizarre insinuation that the RFL are not competent because Koukash was able to spot 'problems' that you have created in your own mind.

You're letting your imagination run away with you. You'll find things less stressful if you focus primarily on what someone has written rather than trying to conduct an amateur mind-reading and then commenting on all the things [iyou think[/i they meant to say.

AKA - He wants to be able to spend more money on wages, and he's not wanting this for the good of the game or teams on the whole, he wants it solely based on Salford's needs.

That has absolutely ZERO to do with you trying to turn every thread you comment on into a 'Nigel is ' thread. And even if he did 'single handedly' bring him the Salford.....what's the problem there???

I don't see the problem with Koukash wanting to spend money based solely on Salford's needs, he owns them FFS. It's about time the sport had more people like this in charge willing to push the game on where it needs - and deserves - to be. God forbid a multi-millionaire with ambition, wanting to pour money into the game

Why are we trying to compete with the Aussie RL, thats like Aussie football trying to compete with the likes of Man Utd and City.

The sport has been close to going bankrupt over the past few years.

Let the sport sort itself out. We are seeing far more British youth playing which can only be a good thing.

It's funny seeing people talking down Koukash's ambition. Some people are clearly worried.

Koukash needs to invest heavily in player development in and around Manchester so he can produce (and attract) his own young stars over the years to pad out the squad with as good quality as possible. The better they get as a club, the more likely people will want to come.

So basically what he is saying is that Salford are already spending up to the salary cap and their team is still gash so he cant see any way to improve it because who wants to play for a team when he cant pay them over the top wages?

I don't think he's saying anything like that at all.

Please explain the flatcappers sucking the life out of him bit please?

Seeing as us flatcappers did not invent the salary cap us flatcappers did not invent the close shop mentality which is the franchise system

I have no objection to any multi millionaire/billionaire taking over any club and wishing to sign the best 13 players on the planet,be that club leigh, hemel hemstead, bramley


The thing stopping these clubs being taken over are your happy clappy super league rules,under our flatcap bad old days any one could invest what they wanted and take any club from the bottom to the top i.e wigan in the 80,s.Second division to world champions in a decade,what chance any lower level team doing that on the restricted happy clappy close shop???

Ah but clubs went broke...hmmmmm not like these days eh



So as I pointed out on a few other thread that once he realises the salary cap nonsense he will either try to change it or walk away as the top couple of clubs have got it boxed off under the current rules.

I f a club cannot improve under a owners leadership whats the point of him putting money in to scrap along the bottom.

Scrap the salary cap,raid union for there high profile players and down under for there stars if the owner is willing to fund it.

of course its all guess work but it does seem odd that a club owner should moan about the SC when his club will be spending nowhere near the cap

I think we're in heated agreement! The flatcappers I refer to are the ones who think today's flat salary cap is right. I agree with everything you said, especially the bit about raiding Union.

I'm worried that, as you mention, he may walk away if the current powers that be, whether RFL, existing clubs, or whatever mix of those stick to the status quo and leave this guy frustrated. The sport has a chance to embrace the arrival of a guy with pots of cash. Lets not blow it.

Spot on. We need to make the rules work for people who want to spend money. It is perfectly possible to design rules that neither send clubs broke, nor make it grossly unfair on others. Though if finding a great investor makes it "unfair" I'm not sure what we're supposed to do. Ask everyone to wait until every club has one? Only two key protections are needed. One rule to stop clubs being greatly indebted, and another ( very tight 'star' squad limits) to stop a ridiculously rich club stuffing the extended squad as well as the first team with all the best players, thus keeping them away from other teams, depriving them and the fans.

And Printer, what planet are you on where these rich people will pour in money for the good of the game? They'll almost always come in behind a particular club. Its up to others to design a system which ensures a knock-on ( no pun intended ) benefit to the game. Salford's not my club, but I think what's hopefully going to happen there is brilliant for the game.

Yeah, if only lower league/poor clubs of the past 10/20/30/40 years could over the SL period have built themselves into decent sides with or without wealthy backers, if only it were possible under the oppresive, awful, soul-destroying SL evil rules, what would we call these mythical teams? Wakefield? Huddersfield? Warrington? Hull FC? Hull KR? Catalans? Nahh silly names, it could never happen.

Why wouldn't Salford be spending near the cap? You've lost me?

Dr Koukash's comments about us struggling to compete with NRL and RU for players due to the cap are not necessarily just about Salford and him wanting them to be the Chelsea or Man City of RL. Obviously the Salford club will be his primary concern as he wants to see an upturn in their fortunes. The issue of the salary cap and it reducing our relative competitiveness in wage terms against NRL and RU clubs though is one that potentially hampers all clubs. The issue is not merely with one newly rich club wanting to buy up the game's best but with all clubs' ability to keep hold of their own players when RU/NRL clubs come sniffing about.

If at the end of this year after the world cup RU and NRL combined decided that they wanted Sam Tomkins, Josh Charnley, Ryan Hall, Zak Hardaker, Tom Briscoe, Jonny Lomax, Stefan Ratchford, John Bateman, Keiron Dixon, Daryl Clark, Theo Fages, Eloi Pellissier (all just examples so no arguing over the merits of players listed please) our clubs would be in a very poor position to even hold onto those players, as RU particularly would be willing and able to offer silly money compared to what any RL club could offer under the cap. Our competition and our international squads would suffer greatly from such a raid. Some form of cap dispensation for 1 or 2 players per club would help this situation and providing clubs could afford it (whether through a rich owner or other means) then it may be a solution to what is likely to be an increasing problem with our talent being cherry picked. Dr Koukash is certainly not the first to call for some form of reforming of the cap and I am sure he won't be the last.

Do you actually follow rugby league? Have you seen the players Salford have? Even the local village idiot would be able to tell you that Salford are nowhere near the salary cap.
The good Dr seems to be a very astute businessman unlike our last board members. He feet are very much grounded. There's no way he will pay OTT wages to mediocre players.

This is why he's trying to broker a deal to purchase the stadium and surrounding land.
His aim is to build better training facillities, including a centre of excellence with on site boarding for the young players to live in. He fully understands that he needs a good youth system to make this work in the long term.

No, but he will have to pay OTT wages to entice good players to Salford and with a Salary Cap in place he's probably limited to about 3 signings - And we all know Salford need a lot more than 3 good players to get them competitive.

Salford's problem at the moment is that they have nothing which would appeal to a top player, bar the cash incentive....Low crowds, lousy squad - Can you imagine the talks with Tomkins had Wigan accepted their bid?....



'So you're telling me I'll be playing with a load of donkeys, be expected to carry them, and be playing in an atmosphere that resembles the moon??... Hmmm, I don't think so Mr Koukash '....

I heard Koukash's comments as reported here www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/21642083 as they happened, but didn't catch Vievers' remarks. If that's accurate and Koukash is serious, I give Vievers until Monday lunchtime.

I heard Koukash's comments as reported here www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/21642083 as they happened, but didn't catch Vievers' remarks. If that's accurate and Koukash is serious, I give Vievers until Monday lunchtime.

It's easy to laugh and mock when you've been watching Saints steamroller their way through SL for the past x amount of years.

Some one with vision will realise that being the first person to sign up for what potentially could be one of the best things to happen to Euro SL eventually is worth the risk.
I agree it will have to be a very brave player, but that player will also have a huge confidence in his own abilities and pulling power to help entice the beginning of the new era.
We all know Sam Tomkins is to much of a onetrick pony ehouse to have the balls to pull off something like that


It's players with that brave vision who go on to become the greats of Rugby league.

I follow Warrington actually....



I agree with what you say to an extent, but the reality is that Koukash is expecting far too much, too soon.

Using Wire as an example, Simon Moran started throwing his cash about in 2002 - It took him almost 10 years to see any reward for his efforts....The quality of signing was a steady improvement over that time - At the start, the quality of player we have now, simply wouldn't consider coming to Wire.

Koukash has to realise this isn't football - He cant just do an Abramovich. He desparately needs somebody to rein him in and advise him properly....Personally, I'd sack Vievers immediately and bring in Brian Noble.

Dont assume that is necessarily a good thing.

He will have no choice. There is literally no other reason that any decent player would want to play for Salford.

Oooops sorry





Don't think that Koukash hasn't got a long term plan. All the sounds I've heard are that he has a well structured , realistic one in place, From increasing revenues to help the club become self sufficient. (Hence why he's in discussion to purchase the stadium and surrounding area) To installing the best junior development system possible. That's why he's brought in two of the most well respected names in Rugby League from the other side of the world. He's stated quite openly that he's not here to be a sugar daddy.

What he is trying to do is get a few benchmark names in to increase interest in the club, start winning some games which in turn will encourage people to come back and watch Salford. He realises a winning team is paramount in ensuring this works and then build on it year from year.