I agree with the sentiment, but that was back in the time when Union had their "amateur" status.

I can't imagine that professional RL could indefinitely prevent a player's registration nowadays without the employment lawyers and the human rights brigade getting involved and arguing that you're essentially preventing somebody from working.

The issue is potentially massive though. If the RFU has enough resource it could centrally entice all the best RL players to RU by just offering big wages (and no transfer fees) and RL clubs would either have to match inflated wages or concede the player. Given the financial state of many RL clubs it wouldn't be sustainable for them to do this. I would assume too that the RFL doesn't have enough financial resource to take on the central RFU either in support of the RL clubs.

This could have a devastating effect on RL in this country.

I like it !
IF RL didnt have to pay a transfer fee, each club could go for a Union player as their marquee signing and perhaps in the NRL as wwll (where they have greater spending power). Of course, there would then just be the small issue of players wanting to come to RL, with it's mickey poor International profile

I'm not sure, employment in a particular job isn't a given human right, they wouldn't be stopping him gaining employment elsewhere, just not for their organisation. The other way to do it would be to value every single player who leaves to join union at £1,500,000. That technically wouldn't stop them being able to return to League, they'd just have to find a club who was willing to place them into team and absorb 80% of the salary cap in a single player

The thing is, even if we don't get them. It damages the RFU clubs. We go directly every single England player pool. Offer them all 500k to 1m a year. Even if none of them sign. They are knocking on their clubs door for more money. We probably can't compete in a financial war. We can probably disrupt their market enough to force them in to a truce.

Our point isn't to outbid them. Our point is to disrupt their market. They may have more money they may have more wiggle room. Make them use it. If George ford is worth 750k a year. Bid 1m and have him knocking on the RFU/clubs door asking for more. Even if he stays with them and with their international game stays for 900k we have cost them 150k a year to keep a player they already had. And we can do the same thing in a years time and go to 1.1m. And Force his wages up again. And a year later. We aren't trying to beat them. Just to create a salary inflation bubble them. If we can't make them pay for taking our players we can try and make them pay to keep theirs.

But for that you need clubs who have the available space on their cap or the offer won't be taken seriously, all it would take is one of the RFU clubs to call our bluff and say "go on then, sign for them...", then if the RL club can't do it, we're the ones who look stupid

I've just had a quick look at the operational rules and there are a couple of ways I can see it working to prevent a player being able to re-register with the RFL after leaving to union;

The RFL can refuse registration if they consider the registration would negatively affect the reputation of the game (C:1:2:1:b:e)

The RFL can refuse registration if the player is subject to any suspension in any professional body (C:1:2:1:h), if the RFL were to give every player a 5 match ban for switching to any other sport then they would be unable to fulfill the terms of their ban so would be unable to be registered on their return

Why wouldn't we allow them to do it?

We would only need to do it a few times to have an inflationary effect. It won't be very long before clever agents of players we haven't even bid for are ringing RU he'd coaches about their RL value being higher than their RU one.

What's the worst case scenario here. We sign a good, high profile rugby player.

Which club currently has £1m of cap space to accommodate a top union player? The more realistic option would be to target the lads who are on the lowest RU wages and get their wages driven up, but then you run the risk of RL clubs paying well over the odds for some fat mess who can't play league. I can't see a scenario where league would win in a battle of players switching codes, so we need to look at ways to retain our current players and prevent them for being able to come back if they do decide to leave. Without a safety net, I don't think many RL players would take the plunge into union

Doesn't matter who has the space. Why fight with one hand tied behind our backs? If we have to make a cap exemption for George ford. Do it. The principle is already in the regulations.

In this scenario the can get Solomona for nothing. So they can get everyone else for nothing. The ban on returning didn't stop RU players moving to RL years ago. It's not going to work for us now.

The difference was that RU players moved because they needed a formal contract and a wage which wasn't available at the time in union, they were being paid in RU but it was in a brown envelope, and mortgage advisors don't take brown envelopes into account when you're trying to buy a house.

Lets's face it, it's mainly wingers where the risk is, as that is the most transferable position. Union wingers always did well in league, but other positions didn't transfer as well. It will be the same for league to union. It's not the switch that is the problem but the method used. There is no great crisis, certainly no greater than the player drain that was going on anyway. Players have been transferring to union regularly for the last ten years. All that has changed is that there no longer seems a need to wait for a contract to end. Cas and the RFL going after Denny personally might change that, as well as the acceptance that returning will involve coming under a cloud.

When Harris went to union, it was effectively a loan agreement, with a year remaining on the contract with Leeds, which would come into effect as soon the loan ended (which is what stiffed Bradford). The RFL and Cas have two options:
1. Sue for breach of contract, which will bring an end to the contract, meaning that if he failed (or got bored) in union, he could sign immediately with Wigan or whoever or for an NRL club (greater likelihood).
2. Not sue but have the RFL determine that Cas still hold two years of his registration, so that he can only return to Cas if he returns to league (or Cas get a transfer fee).

As the latter may scupper any hopes of an NRL career for two years after leaving union, the latter may prove a more tempting solution for the RFL, as it may prove to be a greater disincentive to other players.

Proving breach of contract doesn't mean Cas surrender his registration. They can both sue him and hold is rfl registration.

That is probably the way forward. He might be thinking of trying out for union and then heading for the NRL if it doesn't work out, or if he gets a better offer. Cas keeping the registration will make his move an all or nothing. That in itself might be enough of an incentive to make players wait to the end of their contracts.

What it doesn't do, however, is deal with the player drain out of the Super League.

Cas have currently got a 'hot property' but if he goes off to RU for say 9 months, fails miserably then tries to return to RL, then Cas (by retaining his registration) will likely get just a fraction of his current value assuming another RL club wants to sign him.

As opposed to nothing if they give it up though.

The first step should be ridding the game of Solomona's agent, Andy Clarke.
He is under investigation by the RFL, but the SL clubs should be refusing to do business with him whilst this is ongoing, and if he is found to be guilty of any offence. This would result in his current players being forced to leave him and find a more respectable agent to represent them.
Also worth considering that Andy Clarke's brother, Phil Clarke, probably stands to profit from this. He jointly owns the company who represent Solomona. I wonder how Sky feel about one of their employees making profit by stripping the assets of a sport they hold the broadcasting contract for?

Ultimately, Castleford don't want him back now. He has shown himself to be the lowest of the low. Cas just need to use the legal options available to persue Solomona.
If Castleford begin an ET case against him and they find he has breached his contract, he is facing a significant financial loss. If I were in Denny Solomona's shoes, I'd be a worried man.

Sale have now registered him as part of their Champions Cup squad: www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/37908110

Sale have now registered him as part of their Champions Cup squad: www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/37908110

Quote ="shinymcshine"Sale have now registered him as part of their Champions Cup squad: www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/37908110'" Classy move. I hope we start the ball rolling now and serve some litigation - whether that's Denny, Sale, his agent or what. Dirty little weasels, the lot of them.

Quote ="shinymcshine"Sale have now registered him as part of their Champions Cup squad: www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/37908110'" Classy move. I hope we start the ball rolling now and serve some litigation - whether that's Denny, Sale, his agent or what. Dirty little weasels, the lot of them.

What litigation? On what grounds? There is only one person at fault here, no one else.

Regards

King James

Breach of contract against Denny, and possibly his agent, in that he is a party to that contract. One of the orders that can be obtained is an order for specific performance, namely that the player must perform the contract. Alternatively, the cost of a transfer fee that they could have got for him, most likely whatever sum Sale offered (if any) or whatever it would cost Cas to recruit a record-breaking winger in his early twenties, as well as any other quantifiable loss.

The RFL need to ruin Denny financially and leave Sale alone, to stop other players doing the same.

You, on the other hand, should stop fantasising about playing at an online persona who revels in posting persistently negative comments and signing off in a ridiculous way. Certainly,you should stop commenting on an apparent legal vacuum, which is what you seem to be referring to, unless you know something about the law. I'm guessing you don't.

Haha looks like Sale getting beat every week and a cup match looming and having a record breaking winger training with them has made them crack, now they have made the foolish decision to sign Solomona we can take them to court too, I won't be happy unless Cas get £500,000 for him and I hope he gets fed up and quits after a year like most do, thier owner really does have more money than sense.
Amatures indeed.

Eh? I can see the case against Solonona for a contractual breach, but I can't see it against Sale. There is no cross code registration rules, even if there was, that would be a matter for sports ruling bodies not a court of law.

Quote ="Slugger McBatt"Breach of contract against Denny, and possibly his agent, in that he is a party to that contract. One of the orders that can be obtained is an order for specific performance, namely that the player must perform the contract. Alternatively, the cost of a transfer fee that they could have got for him, most likely whatever sum Sale offered (if any) or whatever it would cost Cas to recruit a record-breaking winger in his early twenties, as well as any other quantifiable loss. The RFL need to ruin Denny financially and leave Sale alone, to stop other players doing the same. '" Agree. Although, Inducing breach of contract>>> articles.rollingsons.co.uk/2012/ ... tract.html

Quote ="Slugger McBatt"Breach of contract against Denny, and possibly his agent, in that he is a party to that contract. One of the orders that can be obtained is an order for specific performance, namely that the player must perform the contract. Alternatively, the cost of a transfer fee that they could have got for him, most likely whatever sum Sale offered (if any) or whatever it would cost Cas to recruit a record-breaking winger in his early twenties, as well as any other quantifiable loss. The RFL need to ruin Denny financially and leave Sale alone, to stop other players doing the same. '" Agree. Although, Inducing breach of contract>>> articles.rollingsons.co.uk/2012/ ... tract.html

It would be particularly difficult to prove that Sale induced him to breach this contract. Even with the evidence of a Sale vehicle parked on his drive and Solomona at their training ground, they could just claim he was discussing terms for the 2019 season, when his contract would end.
It is Solomona who, it seems, has breached his contract. Castleford should pursue him as an individual for the financial loss his breach of contract has caused. It's not an exact science, but ETs make much more complex decisions that in this case. Castleford will be able to submit to an ET the offers made for Solomona from other clubs, evidence of the loss of direct player sponsorship and the increase in salary he took on the basis of staying at the club to 2019 when he signed a new contract in 2015.
If Castleford win the case, Solomona will need very deep pockets.