It must be on a lot of peoples mind Dr. Koukash is splashing out a lot of money on the players and he has indicated publicly that he does not care about breaking the salary cap, do you think the RFL will make an example of him if he does break the salary cap with complete disregard for the RFL rules?

IMO i think Dr. Koukash is a character we all need in rugby league, he's not afraid to voice his opinion and he' snot afraid to do his bit to get the supporters turning up in numbers at Salford even if his balance sheet will show a massive minus at the end of the season. The RFL are in a bit of a predicament, if they punish him for saving a club from extinction and turning that club in to one of the big 5 buy using money out of his own pocket when they are recieving no support from the RFL i think that could be catastrophic. For one it could scare off the DR and or future investors into the sport because lets face it the RFL's strategy year on year has been failing, they seem to change their strategy more times than Beckham's haircut without any progress. They have had no official sponsor for the last 2 years which is less money for the clubs that need it and for me the DR could be the kickstart we need in this sport to change the record and keep our cream from leaving. ( I must add for legal purposes this is all theoretical and other Dr.s are available from any good Clinic)

I was only thinking the other day what Wigan's team would look like with Ashton, Sam, Joel, Owen Farrell in it. Add these guys to the the other kids that have come through and you have a golden generation and it's all down to money absolutely no other reason. My point is im happy the DR has come in and changed the dynamic of Superleague, dont get me wrong i would never want it to get like fooseball but these lads work much harder than fooseballers and the wage difference is a joke and that's down the the RFL time for a change if you ask me, the more players that leave the less crowds we get, at the moment were defeating the object of progression.

A very fair and balanced post.

Of course we don't know that he is breaking the cap. Will Hock be on big money - I suspect not. He wasn't on much at Wigan and was desperate to get away. I can't see Morley being on a shed load. He would only have to offered as much as Warrington but over two years. Smith will have been on buttons at Wakey and no-one else was really interested. Hansen and Chase will be on big money but will it be any more than say - Watkins/Hall/Peacock/Sinfield/McGuire/Burrow/Briscoe/JJB at Leeds?
Or Walsh/Masoe/Wellens/Hohiai/Roby/Wilkin/Lomax at Saints?
Or Lockers/Josh/Bowen at Wigan

I think that people are forgetting that Salford have bought a lot of blokes who actually no-one else really wanted - Hock/Smith/Morley/Puletua/Melli. Their contracts may just be longer but not necessarily that much more money.

It will be very difficult for the League to sanction Salford if he does break the cap - especially given the outcome if Koucash walks away. Salford will die. And if they are followed by London/Wakey/Bulls - we have no Super League left. I think they will turn a blind eye.

Given they way they claimed not to have been able to police the licensing because they had to micro manage clubs and could not, the RFL don't strike me as a fastidious and well run enough organisation when it comes to their duty to administer the clubs to spot it if he did.

Completely agree. I'm sure that Koucash can employ a firm of accountants that coulds quite easily fool the RFL!

I think that the Salary Cap will be come a none issue. Given that we can't afford to keep our own stars and can't afford to import any world class Aussies and Kiwis any more.

The RFL owe Koucash big time for saving Salford. They won't be looking to punish him. They only wish that he had a clone to save London,Wakey and the Bulls.

I would agree that the salary cap is too low at the moment, and is leading to the current exodus of players to the NRL. However, there is no evidence whatsoever that Marwan is breaking the cap. You're forgetting that the club has released the majority of last season's squad. We were told earlier in the close season that the salaries of Salford's retained players came to around £400,000. With 14 players signed and £1.25 million to play with, the average salaries of the new players is around £90,000. Do you really think they need to break the cap? Particularly, as someone has pointed out, some of those players might not find places elsewhere.

Morley and Meli are on one year deals.

Isn't it a "live" cap with all signings having to be authorised by the RFL before being made? Though this was brought in to stop teams going over the cap?

Look at their squad. Outside of their best 13 there is very little class and even their top players won't be on stupid money.

MK had said they won't break the salary cap.

Quote ="Orrell Lad"Look at their squad. Outside of their best 13 there is very little class and even their top players won't be on stupid money. MK had said they won't break the salary cap.'" But he's also said they will. www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-lea ... an-1876981 Good luck to him, the more decent teams the better.

Quote ="Orrell Lad"Look at their squad. Outside of their best 13 there is very little class and even their top players won't be on stupid money. MK had said they won't break the salary cap.'" But he's also said they will. www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-lea ... an-1876981 Good luck to him, the more decent teams the better.

If the RFL had any sense they'd inform the good Dr how to increase the squad's salaries way above the cap level but by legitimate means.
Breaking the cap and regulations would open up the RFL to real trouble.
As has been said, Salford wouldn't exist now but for Dr K. They ain't going to upset him by deducting league points for a salary cap breech.

I agree with this. Wire Wigan Saints Leeds, Huddersfield and Catalan all have better starting 13's and better squads. I think Hull kr have recruited very well also, Weyman Costigan and Langley are 3 good signings. Langley is someone I always would have liked at Wire.

Also Salford going for Morley and not getting Carvell as well shows that I dont think they will break the cap.

they've just got a bit excited, and you read stuff like they've signed the parramatta eels fullback, and you go "wow they've signed Jarry Hayne???" no they signed the Reserve grade full back that managed a handful of appearances.....throw in some Batley bulldogs players and its not a world beating squad at all, but better than their last effort.

Chase will be the only BIG earner - he will have been on a lot at Cas, and Salford will, and they had to pay a lot to get him away I'm sure. The rest are a combination of reserves, rejects and pensioners.

The test will come in the next few years when they are in a position to compete for some bigger names. However, like any of the other clubs with good accountants they will never go over the salary cap as there are a million ways to get round it legally.

It is and in simple terms a player is given a "salary cap value" based on what he's paid and any other benefits such as a house or car.

If you read the rules there are a multitude of things that add to a players salary cap value so it looks a hard system to break but at the end of the day it relies on it being administered properly and effectively.

My own view is any club that "breaks" the cap won't be doing so by so buy stuffing brown paper envelopes full of cash in the players back pocket as that sort of thing would come out eventually. I reckon they would do it by arguing the case that certain things are not covered by the rules so should not add to a players salary cap value.

Creative accounting if you like and so for a club to be sanctioned for this I think there would need to be a willingness on the RFL's part to do so assuming they spotted it in the first place.

I don't think there would be any willingness to pursue Salford for doing this sort of thing.

If you remember when Wigan got done for breaking the cap the only way they did us was for "Breaking the spirit of the cap" by deferring wages despite not actually paying the players too much in the season in question and it was common practice in Oz at the time (that was Wigan's defence). There was a determination to "get" Wigan. I doubt there is any such desire to chase Salford.

and it which category will harrison hansen fall into ?

Just so you guys are aware, we aren't going to win the league but for once we are going to be able to go to games with a glass half full. It is such a great feeling for us, we haven't experienced this for such a long, long time. Sure we are buzzing, but I know that you would all agree that it is nice to see a team given a peg up, particularly after how close we were to going to the wall.

I am looking forward to this season with confidence that we won't get relegated, a play off place would be the icing on the cake. I hope in a few years we can emulate what Wigan have in place with a thriving production line that will allow us to produce our own top quality players from within.

We are buzzing too!

What is happening at Salford makes next season and the seasons beyond far more interesting than had the Doctor not got involved in the game.

I am looking forward to seeing Wigan play Salford next season just as much as any other game.

The current RFL board have a very very big job on there hands to justify there very existence IMO under its current guise.

The domestic game is without doubt in a downward spiral, the clubs seemingly dictating to the RFL, the structure of the leagues still to be decided, RL clubs going into admin or repeatedly having to be aided in some way or another (Broncos !)

The evidence is really stacking up against the current board and if someone like the DOC challenges there authority i honestly feel the RFL dont have a leg to stand on and dont seem to have any clout to enforce there policies that have been amended to suit so many times!

The DOC hasnt got to his position by not taking risks and pushing boundaries so a very interesting time for the game domestically.

On the other hand, the RFL have displayed with the RLWC what can be achieved when they really focus there efforts, but as i say the negatives are really stacking up against them

The Salford city home for the elderly and mentally unstable can't be spending above the cap yet. The squad looks ok to a point but it's nowhere near a top 6 team.

They may break the 8 but if that squads breaking the salary cap they've been had!

Nicky,

Who exactly is saying Salford are a top 6 team?

Certainly not any Salford fans. We know we are looking at 8th if we play to our very best. If you could be so kind to have a word with yourself about where you think we think we will finish then maybe you will see we aren't running round arrogantly tell all to bow before us. We have a long road and this is our first step, thankfully in a positive direction for once.

Having a dig at us (First team average age is 28 believe it or not, will be about 20 when Morley retires at the end of the season) is a little low, why don't you do like most of the people on the cherry and white site and actually see it as it is in a positive manner?

Rumor has it that Meli's contract at Salford is eye-watering. If he even gets 1/2 of the figure mentioned Salford are paying well over the odds.

To be fair there have been plenty fans on your board getting way ahead of themselves. One asked whether anyone could not see you making at least a final within 5 years and no one disagreed. Another said your side would give any team in the country a run for their money. I could go on. We're all pleased you have a couple of decent players but I do feel a major reality check is on the way for a lot of Salford fans. Nicky might have put it a little harshly but he's basically on the money. You should make the 8, then it's a matter of rebuilding again when the players you just bought retire.

So the moral of this tale is, cheating (allegedly) is Ok so long as the governing body is gaining from it?

Much of it will come down to the ability to prove anything.

If 'Marwan Koukash Dubai Ltd' (for example) legally pays Sonny Bill Williams £3 million for "racehorse management fees" - how can the RFL prove it? and if they can do that, how can they prove what the salary cap value is?

Can 'Marwan Koukash Dubai Ltd' be legally compelled by the RFL to open their books and reveal what all their staff are being paid? Can Sonny Bill Williams be legally compelled by the RFL to open all his bank accounts to them?

yes they can. If sonny bill williams spends more than 6 months in the country in one year he is liable to pay tax on any earnings.

Someone should tell that to Amazon and Google!!

Grimmy,


You are right of course, we have some madcaps boasting about us taking the world on now but the vast, vast majority are of the same opinion that we are pushing for 8th.

The thread you have just posted on shows some of the madness. Someone suggesting we rotate and not even play our first choice halfbacks in the first game against Wakey. Some crazy talk going on but you can spot the sane from the crazy quite easily.