The lack of an increased salary cap is a bit of a red herring - most clubs struggle to spend up to the current cap. The real issue is the lack of money in the game over here. If most of the clubs were rolling in massive profits year after year, then the cap would no doubt increase, but they're not, the majority are run on a shoe string and are only ever a couple of poor decisions away from oblivion.

There would be a few clubs who could and would spend more - but I don't think that would have an impact on the quality of the league. The NRL is so far ahead now, players in their prime do not want to come over to Super League as it's seen as such an inferior competition - so you'd still not get the better NRL players and certainly not in any great numbers. The only way we'd currently get a top NRL player is if there are issues forcing them away from the NRL, or if they were offered ridiculous money - and in reality, if they're just going to chase the money, there will be higher bidders in Rugby Union, so they'd go there.

The game is fast becoming more and more of a mess over here. There needs to be a 'whole of game' review, from drains up. The pathways and lack of a decent reserve grade mean if kids haven't made it by 19, there's minimal chance they'll come through, the game is losing its traditional fans by moving away from the combatitive nature that has always attracted them and our national exposure is at an all time low. Rugby League is losing its identity in this country.

Non-rugby league folk I work with can all name players from the 80's and 90's - your Schofields, Hanleys, Edwards.... But the only ones any of them have heard of nowadays are Burgess (because of his time in union) and Sinfield (because of his sports personality appearance). I think the loss of the 'Great Britain' team has had a massive impact on that.

I'm a die-hard rugby league man - brought up on the game and still play in the NCL and am heavily involved in amateur rugby - which is also in a complete mess with the whole summer/winter shambles. But even I am losing patience with the game - I watched less Super League this year than ever, the standards awful in comparison to years gone by (and the NRL) and the sanitised version of the game simply doesn't have the appeal of yesteryear.

BIG changes are needed - because there are plenty of folk who are feeling not too dis-similar to me.

The marquee player rule will soon run into the problem of MAD. The Williams to Warrington rumours, regardless of how true, demonstrate it perfectly. With Tomkins tied up long term, and not looking great value, any club with the marquee space free can be whispering in Williams ear about how he would be their marquee. Soon enough the conclusion will be to avoid filling the space at all costs, just in case another club comes sniffing at any of their other players. If Williams had of joined Warrington as a marquee, I would of expected someone else to be in Hills ear. If all clubs had jumped on it, and there were very few clubs with space that could of been avoided, but caution meant there are too many clubs with free space and it puts the clubs that have used the rule at a disadvantage in the recruitment market.



If I recall correctly 11 clubs spent up to the cap last year?

I agree absolutely that there are bigger issues than just raising the cap, but the decision to peg the cap with inflation would be a massive symbolic step in terms of accepting it needs to grow. Clubs are still suffering from overspend of the early 90s and clubs are only just on their way to resolving those issues, so we always had to accept a period of limited growth, but the problem isnt that we limited growth, its that we stagnated.

If the game in this country didn't employ so many Oceanics, who take money out of the game, then this wouldn't be an issue

Top players will not move to England, why would they unless they get double what they get in the NRL.
It would be like Ronaldo moving to the Australian Hyundai A League.
The English game has not attracted top shelf Australians for two decades without paying massive overs for them.
Only a couple come to mind, Buderus and King.
Others have moved because they had been blackballed in the NRL like Carney and have come for a well paid Holiday.

You might have to explain that one ??

Surely every player who earns a living from RL is entitled to spend their earnings as they choose.
It doesn't matter if they are from Batley or Brisbane, Cronulla or Castleford ??

And we obviously dont. Like I said on another thread, if our juniors cant displace the second rate aussies that come over compared to what we used to get its a problem with either quality of kids coming through or problems deep at the start stemming from junior coaching at amateur clubs. I presume its the latter as well as the RFL making kids have to have made it by 19 with their money saving measures

where the hell are you going with this. Please explain how oceanic take money out of the game.

He's an idiot who thinks every club should have players from amateur clubs in their area only

You REALLY cannot work that out!!!!!

No, neither can anyone else.

That explains,to me and quite a lot of others, why the game in this country is in the position it is.
So at least I have a better understanding of what is now acceptable and the low requirements/ standards the game in this country must aspire to.

Can you explain how "Oceanics" take money out of the game?

I dont think he can and now he's hiding behind the "if you dont know, I'm not going to tell you"

Here's a clue, UK are not the same countries as New Zealand or Australia. They use different monetary systems and the money goes there.
Economics 101

The £ is only going to be worth less and less as the next decade continues, especially when we leave the EU.

And where does the money paid to British players go?

Holy crap.

It makes no difference if players are from Bondi or Batley. I don't see English players doing something magical with their salary to help the sport that overseas players aren't doing.

Brilliant logic.

And what do British players do with their hard earned money? Do they pour it back into the game? Does Sam Tomkins give away half his salary to community clubs or buy all his clothes from the Wigan shop - what are you going on about?

It's not necessarily a lack of quality in the juniors, some clubs don't seem to want to take a chance on them to give them the experience needed. They'd rather play a 25 year old from the Queensland Cup/NSW Cup who has made 10 NRL appearances in 5 years and realised they're never going to be NRL first grade players.

I'm sorry are you suggesting that RL clubs should introduce some sort of scrip/truck system for paying players so the don't spend it on things you believe unacceptable?

They'll pay tax over here, buy food and consumer goods, they'll basically contribute to the Uk economy because they'll be living here. Not sure what relevance this has specifically to money in the game, as has been said no is donating their salary into the game they are just using it to live their life, whether from workington or timbucktoo. Do you give half your salary to our employer for investment?

Am I missing something?

The one ex international player I've talked to about their time in England said that their family took the chance to do the tourist thing all through England and Europe, and they ended up spending more money than they earnt. Not that they were complaining. They said it was a great experience for the whole family.
I suspect the exchange rate isn't that big a thing for older players, who are more looking for a paid holiday than to make themselves rich - because they are rich already.

The pound will shoot up approx 2 years after Brexit as other countries leave

Thats right and some clubs need to do more to produce better junior players.
The quality of the avergge overseas player is no better than the average Super League player we have in the country.