Just joined and first post. I was thinking long and hard about the importance of this season, versus for example the importance of next season. I would definitely suggest (as a thought !) that the relevance of 'gaining momentum' and winning the first place position comes at a price.

How much have Leigh spent (of the 500K they will deservedly win). For example maybe they have thrown in 250k above what we have, just to secure this 'momentum'. Of course, we will never know....

As for our BOD, like you all I cannot understand their absolute silence, but is there anything up their sleeves ? Are they considering that next year is where it needs to go ballistic as against this year ?

There is no promotion this season.... have Leigh bolted or are they smart ?

cheers Graham

There's no winnings as such,just 500k funding for next season.Leigh will need all of that and more to compete next season.Any overspend this season will be an investment.
It was seen that top two was desirable this season,as this is now unlikely i would expect a reappraisal of our future intentions.

The thing I can't understand is how Leigh in particular, and Featherstone to a slightly lesser degree, are doing it. Even if they had unlimited funds at their disposal we still have a salary cap. Is this still £300,000 with an increase to £400,000 if you prove you can afford it?

It strikes me that they are either:
a) In breach of the Salary Cap

or

b) Breaking the law by paying their players less than National Minimum Wage

I doubt whether it is b) but, as the saying goes, "you do the maths"

I doubt very much that Sam Barlow, for one, is playing for £12k / year.

I haven't fully given up on 2nd place as yet.

As it stands, if Fev lost to us and Leigh and we both won all our other games I believe we would finish 2nd. That is obviously without taking Donny into account.

.... and those bloody bonus points as well.

I considered the Leigh game as defining to wether we could still finish second.

2nd place is very much up for grabs for a few clubs yet. As people know Fev arnt doing too well at the moment so it's still all to Play for. Regarding salary cap there's a few at Fax on a good few quid. Fax Machine what do you think your players get I doubt that most of your team are on less than £12 000 a year. Players like Murrell wouldn't play half a season for that money The salary cap is pointless there's ways round it we all know that

Any team in any season needs to spend what they can afford to spend whether the ceiling is the cap or what you have available, once you go over that then you are skating on thin ice there are a number of rugby league clubs who have done that and gone bust.

That being the case the most important thing for this year or any other is not to overspend, this year the temptation to do so is there.

I for one are glad that Fax seem to be not being drawn in, the down side is we might be of the pace a bit.

We are off the pace, but then 2nd is still not written off too. And also interesting to confirm the 500k is not for this year, but an investment into next for finishing 1st.

All above board and legal...............we can spend a bit more before reaching the cap. It's been checked by Red Hall etc.
If your BoM can't (or Won't) match the effort being put in by the Leigh board then it's up to them, but to make out it's illegal just sounds like sour grapes.

Seems to me it is YOU Mitremultiplex who is off the pace



please tell us something we don't know

the said 500k was known about well before this present Season started , I was present at a LISA Meeting late last year when a couple of Leigh Directors told the fans anything less than a Top 2 position this year would be considered a FAILURE ,we as a Club , Team , and Fans have ALL risen to the challenge the rest is there for all to see ,SUCCESS .

As for Fax ?I stated before your Game at the LSV , that is was a MUST win game for you , it didn't happen , neither will 2nd spot , theres chance of Dane Manning getting off scot free than Fax getting that 2nd Spot .Charlie knows .

We've got to go to Donny yet. Win all our games and 2nd could be ours.

Come on just take a look at Fev and Leigh's squads as against ours and you can see you both have invested heavily in your squads, fair enough if you have the money, not sure Leigh are within the salary cap but its easy to circumvent so who knows???
We admit as a club we have not got the money so cannot buy 1st or 2nd spot.
I think that we will finish 3rd now, that is a MUST.

Man for Man, Fax have a fine squad and can play some top rugby. OK, you maybe lack a bit of depth but you can go toe to toe with Leigh and Fev thats for sure. Loosing and drawing silly games seems to be your achilles heel !

The Leigh board have done miracles this year and finishing in the top 2 this season is mere preparation with a majority of the SAME players being made up to FT next season. With crowds now topping 2500 and budgeting for 2000, the investment seems to be paying off.


I am in agreement that next season is the big one and top 4 a must. But with 2 SL sides going down, you would expect London and Bradford to be 2 of the 4 next season. Promotion next season is still heavily in favour for these fancied sides as the middle 8 will be 6 SL sides and 2 Championship sides In my opinion.

I feel this is the logic of finishing top 2 to finance what will be one hell of a competative division next season. Going FT can only help and the 500k would go a long way to helping that.

Leigh have taken a gamble, and it seems to be paying off.

Looking at the way Leigh played Leeds, and Fev have stepped up against some SL teams in the cup in recent years I would say London and Brad are beatable - bring on next season. Brad fans are not taking it for granted...

This is what I meant Charlie - finally 'something meaningful' to play for - I would love to see all 3 - Fev, Fax and Leigh stepping into SL this way in the next few years, just even as a reward for going through a load of seasons with no promotion !

Leigh have gone up some gears this season from BOD, marketing and players and so on - is this something Fax can do next season ? Deathly silence and KH are 2 things I worry about tho'....

Good post, I can see Bradford being competitive but there is a slight doubt as to whether London will go into free fall but lets say they don't.

That would have Bradford, London, Leigh, Fev and a couple more all vying for the top spots.

For Fax if this years form and results are the benchmark that would mean a very real chance of not getting into the top 4 and completely missing out on the 8 playing off for the SL places and the implications that would have both on and off the field.

The comment on the SAME players is also very apt.

Same players just on more money and it depends on whether or not a full time environment will improve their game as the return for the higher wages otherwise the club has now got more of a liability with little to show from the same group.

Others will be brought in but there is no guarantee these will be any better than those they replace, their is a shortage of quality in the game and rival clubs will not want to release their better players.

Paul Rowley is very shrewd when it comes to recruitment so if anyone can do it he can.

It is a bit of a gamble to try and take the next step but is it more of a gamble not to try with the danger of stagnation or going backwards, who knows, rugby league seems to be littered with clubs having problems in these areas as maintaining success year on year is hard to achieve with the resulting yo yo scenario.

2nd spot for you isnt impossible. Fev's continuous announcements that they are trying to sign all the players out of SL must have a damaging effect on their current squad. Morale will cost them games, thats what may cost them their current league spot