Quote ="Rogues Gallery"The bonus does NOT count on the cap. Operational Rules part 5 Section E1 See Section 5C 5.7.1 It's a very good reference document. www.therfl.co.uk/about/page.php?id=161&areaid=44'" Along with that, taken from sportinglife.com If they need any extra incentive, the Leeds players will share the £50,000 prize fund if they are victorious on Sunday. "It's something we've always done," said chief executive Gary Hetherington. "It is a way of getting around the salary cap."

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"The bonus does NOT count on the cap. Operational Rules part 5 Section E1 See Section 5C 5.7.1 It's a very good reference document. www.therfl.co.uk/about/page.php?id=161&areaid=44'" Along with that, taken from sportinglife.com If they need any extra incentive, the Leeds players will share the £50,000 prize fund if they are victorious on Sunday. "It's something we've always done," said chief executive Gary Hetherington. "It is a way of getting around the salary cap."

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"The bonus does NOT count on the cap. Operational Rules part 5 Section E1 See Section 5C 5.7.1 It's a very good reference document. www.therfl.co.uk/about/page.php?id=161&areaid=44'" That all seems reasonable to me - basic pay + some performance related pay(excluded from the cap) for final standings in the 3 competitions you are involved in. +MoS of course - I didn't realise the MoS got a bit of cash for it?

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"The bonus does NOT count on the cap. Operational Rules part 5 Section E1 See Section 5C 5.7.1 It's a very good reference document. www.therfl.co.uk/about/page.php?id=161&areaid=44'" That all seems reasonable to me - basic pay + some performance related pay(excluded from the cap) for final standings in the 3 competitions you are involved in. +MoS of course - I didn't realise the MoS got a bit of cash for it?

Its an interesting exception that, doesn't really sit with the idea that the salary cap is used to level out the competition.

A £100k contract at Leeds or St Helens over the last 6 years must have been worth significantly more than a £100k contract at castleford or even Wigan

IIRC though, don't bonuses paid for being selected for the GB squad count in the cap? This is what Bradford and Wigan claimed pushed them over the cap limit a couple of season back I think.

Don't know about them but it was the excuse given by St Helens one year for a minor breach after Ade Gardner somehow managed to get himself a mid season International cap.



If winning trophies is a method of getting round the cap I wonder why everyone doesn't do it.

Those players you alluded to have been busting a gut every time they walk on to a rugby pitch, is it the lack of effort or form you are upset about because every players seem to give 100% effort to me. And if its form that is a factor that players have limited control over and have to continually work on, Are you at the "top of your game" every time you go to work?

But surely this particular game would be exceptional to the salary cap.

Only one team can appear in it. Therefore it would be unfair to penalise that team that appears in it by including any payments in the cap. That would immediately put that team at a disadvantage to the other sides, as the other sides are not taking part.

The cap for leveling out the competition is exactly that, for the Super League competition. The WCC is outside the super league competition.

Very astute Gotcha.

I, for one, would prefer if this were kept inside the dressing room, at least until after the event.

Yet you were fairly critical of him last year for not spending up to the cap and not strengthening the 3rd consecutive title winning squad to your satisfaction.

I've never heard of the reigning SL Champions being given a different salary cap allowance to the rest of the comp in recognition of this extra fixture.

The Leeds players are contracted from November to October. That they will have to take part in this extra fixture (over and above their SL duties) by comparison with the rest of the SL teams is the price they pay for being successful the previous year.

The only payment I've seen as been outside the salary cap calculation is the payment of any bonus received as a share of the prize money paid out by the RFL.

But that's being fairly obtuse when the regulations themselves envisage and allow the club to pass on all or part of any prize money without it being included in the salary cap.

I know you're discussing the issue with Gotcha but I thought he was being clear and you're attempting to knit fog.

As was the CEO himself who perhaps like me had ambitions of retaining the WCC and having a successful run in the Challenge Cup given a favourable draw, as well as retaining the title.

I blame the up coming X factor gig for our poor start to the season...very distracting IMHO.

You also lauded Hull for the signing of Sam Moa and this Lueaki character who you were only this past few weeks praising very highly.

You might wish to speak to Paul Cullen about this Leuaki chap.

I had a few opinions last season (I'll likely as not have a few more this one also as it unfolds.) I'm out there.

I have no wish to speak to Paul Cullen ever (has he divulged or withdrawn last weeks 'tip of the iceberg' drug abuse allegations yet?) but I will still take note of what he has to say, I presume this will be on Boots 'N All will it?

Any news on Donald yet?

It was on a bit I saw (I am recording it for later viewing). He basically highlights this Leuaki character as the reason for Hulls defeat. Does a real hatchet job on him.

That was all I saw. I hope but don't expect, Eddie to ask him about the RFLs response to his rambling rant.

Just watching it now, Cullen hatchet job is right. From that I'd say Lauaki just needs to reign it in slightly otherwise an excellent example of the type of niggling away that ruffles the opposition set.

Some might say reminiscent of what Ryan Bailey does so effectively for Leeds when he's on his game.

Effective being the key word. That didn't look effective.

McClennan himself and Sinfield have said things along the lines Eastwood has about the whole team being focussed on the WCC. Lets hope if they lose they don't go and lose a bunch more games afterwards in another WCC hangover.

TBH if that's been the attitude its no surprise at all if we've struggled to date. Personally I think its the wrong way to warm up for a big game - I think the old Wigan approach of playing harder if anything in the run up to a cup final is the way to go. It's also a red rag - if any were needed - for our opponents to be effectively treated as pre-season games.

Who would you drop and who would you bring in?
For mine the only player who seems to have had a raw deal is Burgess.

It's all in the editing. Three penalties in three games is an acceptable price to pay if getting under the skin of the opposition is part of carrying out your coach's game plan.

Just as the Headingley highlights appeared to concentrate on Leeds targeting one of the Salford wingers with considerable success. Though Cullen still managed to describe the Salford number 5 (Gibson is it?) as the centre caught out of position when to everyone else he played on the right wing all night.

Then it could be argued that you pay a big chunk of your cap on this one game - thereby creating significant space under your cap for the rest of the season?

Isn't that what Sinfield alluded to in his post match interview after the WCC

The prize money is £50,000 shared. That is what is been talked about. If the players were getting £100k each for this one game and £2 a week for the rest of the season, then I understand the argument.

But what we are talking about there is one exceptional game, that only one team in Super League can compete in, with it been clear and upfront what they are doing.

You are stating the obvious - so Sinfield had a poor game on Friday, Peacock was so so - you would not drop Sinfield if he had 10 bad games on the trot - experienced players have earned the latitude that McClennan gives them.

Again I come back to a point I have consistently made - why do we as fans expect the players to have the same priorities as us. The WCC is the least important of the so-called major games, so important to Melbourne that they have left half a side in Australia targeted with being fit for round 1 of the NRL. Maybe the players also have a similar view - it is a nice to win but pales into insignificance compared to the CC final, GF or even a win away at Saints.