So basically they have given Sam a new contract with 50k more per year (the 50k they now have exempt from O'loughlin's salary) and written in a 3 year "no discussion with anyone else" clause.

Smart business, but very fortunate timing...

That is Wilson's take on it. However Leneghan came out and said he was confident he could have offered him a better deal than any club in either code. Its's also widely reported that his new deal makes him the highest paid player in rugby league, so I doubt a £50k increase would provide that.

May be a coincidental combination of lucky timing re O'Loughlin, Joel's departing salary, poor journalism and Leneghan talking rubbish, but I don't think we'll ever find out. The RFL won't come out and explain what has happened and deny the Telegraph's reporting that there are new marquee player exemptions from the salary cap.

Even if the rules had changed, which isn't certain, Hetherington would only be apopleptic at his fellow SL chief execs as they decide the salary cap rules between them; so it is nothing as such to do with the RFL, but that doesn't fit the [iblame the RFL for everything[/i agenda of some people.

For me it's academic. Sam's first serious knee injury is coming, and when it arrives I fear you'll see a totally different player.

You been speaking to those rugby gods?

I'd read the "changes" referred to in the Telegraph article as being the addition of the £50k exemption rather than anything subsequent.

Then again, I don't have an anti-Wigan/Tomkins agenda to promote.

That sounds like the most likely situation, though its much duller to talk about

I wish. Just looking at that twisting turning style and those long legs.

Long levers bend easier is all, and with his style it's just a matter of time.

In conversation with those whom know a lot more of these things than I, I am not alone in fearing it either.

So you know that the RFL implemented this "relaxation" having consulted all the SL boards?
No? Thought not, me neither.
Hetherington's previous grouse seemed to me to be based on the RFL taking decisions without consultation, this may well also be the case here.
FWIW my take on this is that the RFL are paying/subsidising Tomkins' salary by using him as the face of Rugby League & excluding that payment, fee or whatever you wish to call it from Wigan's salary cap.
This only a guess on my part since unlike many on here I'm not privy to player's salaries, contractual arrangements & how clubs comply with the salary cap.
I do have an anti-Wigan agenda because of how they've broken/bent or otherwise circumvented the cap in the past.
Good luck to Tomkins, nice work if you can get it.
The entire issue is important because it defeats the object of having a transparent, equitably applied & enforced salary cap.
On this subject I thought that McDermott's comments immedately after the grand final re St Helens were very pertinent & pointed.

If the above is true, and let's be fair isn't beyond the bounds of possibilities, then it does make a mockery of the cap

A a large tent or tentlike shelter with open sides, especially one for temporary use in outdoor entertainments, receptions player?

Sounds like Tony Puletua's shorts.

From an RFL media release issued this morning:

Super League salary cap amended in the national interest

Super League clubs which develop and deliver talent for the national teams are to be rewarded with significant increases to the amount they can spend on players’ salaries.

Under changes agreed this week at a meeting of Super League clubs in Harrogate, clubs which produce players for England’s Elite Training Squad and England Knights will be given dispensation to spend up to £100,000 more than the £1.65m salary cap limit.

Made on an individual basis, the strategic dispensations will be twofold: one for developing a current ETS/England Knights player and one for the club the ETS/England Knights player currently plays for.

Dispensations will be made on a graduated scale with clubs earning salary cap allowances based on the number of qualifying players they have in the ETS and/or Knights squads.

Under the new system, Super League clubs will receive two allowances per player if they have developed and retained him on their playing register. The two allowances will be shared if a player has been developed at one Super League club and is currently playing at another.

As Catalan Dragons develop and retain the majority of elite French talent, they will receive the full salary cap allowance.

“These dispensations are designed to reward clubs which invest in player recruitment and development programmes that strengthen the national team and the Super League competition itself,” said RFL Chief Operating Officer Ralph Rimmer.

“Whilst all the clubs remain committed to the fundamental principles of the salary cap and to maintaining its current ceiling, the new allowances will enable the clubs to retain their UK-developed talent.

“The benefits of having a successful national team are far reaching: these allowances will reward those clubs who do most to help England achieve that success and incentivise every club to provide elite talent for the Super League competition.”

The allowances will apply for the seasons 2012 and 2013 and will initially be based on squad lists as of August 1, 2011.

The 2011 ETS and England Knights squads are as follows:

Elite Training Squad

Ryan Atkins (Warrington Wolves, Stanningley)

Chris Bridge (Warrington Wolves, Waterhead)

Tom Briscoe (Hull FC, Featherstone Lions)

Danny Brough (Huddersfield Giants, Thornhill)

Garreth Carvell (Warrington Wolves, Stanningley)

Eorl Crabtree (Huddersfield Giants, Huddersfield YMCA)

Leroy Cudjoe (Huddersfield Giants, Newsome Panthers)

Brett Ferres (Castleford Tigers, Smawthorne Panthers)

James Graham (St Helens, Blackbrook)

Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos, Oulton Raiders)

Ben Harrison (Warrington Wolves, Barrow Island)

Ben Jones-Bishop (Leeds Rhinos, Queens)

Jamie Jones-Buchanan (Leeds Rhinos, Stanningley)

Jonny Lomax (St Helens, Orrell St James)

Danny McGuire (Leeds Rhinos, East Leeds)

Michael McIlorum (Wigan Warriors, Queens)

Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves, Eccles)

Richie Myler (Warrington Wolves, Halton West Bank)

Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Pats)

Jamie Peacock (Leeds Rhinos, Stanningley)

Paul Prescott (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Judes)

Leon Pryce (St Helens, Queensbury)

Luke Robinson (Huddersfield Giants, Siddal)

James Roby (St Helens, Blackbrook)

Michael Shenton (St Helens, Upton)

Kevin Sinfield (Leeds Rhinos, Waterhead)

Joel Tomkins (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Pats)

Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Pats)

Kris Welham (Hull Kingston Rovers, Myton Warriors)

Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves, Normanton)

Jon Wilkin (St Helens, East Hull)

Kirk Yeaman (Hull FC, Myton Warriors)

England Knights

Joe Arundel (Castleford Tigers, Castleford Panthers)

Jodie Broughton (Salford City Reds, Queens)

Josh Charnley (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Pats)

Chris Clarkson (Leeds Rhinos, East Leeds)

Paul Clough (St Helens, Blackbrook)

Mike Cooper (Warrington Wolves, Latchford Albion)

James Donaldson (Bradford Bulls, Wath Brow Hornets)

Liam Farrell (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Pats)

Jamie Foster (St Helens, Blackbrook)

Luke Gale (Harlequins RL, Middleton Marauders)

Zak Hardaker (Leeds Rhinos, Featherstone Lions)

Ben Harrison (Warrington Wolves, Barrow Island)

Danny Houghton (Hull FC, East Hull)

Scott Moore (St Helens, Blackbrook)

Lee Mossop (Wigan Warriors, Hensingham)

Richie Myler (Warrington Wolves, Halton West Bank)

Stefan Ratchford (Salford City Reds, Wigan St Pats)

Chris Riley (Warrington Wolves, Woolston Rovers)

Matty Smith (Salford City Reds, Blackbrook)

Liam Watts (Hull KR, Featherstone Lions

Kris Welham (Hull KR, Myton Warriors)

Joe Westerman (Hull FC, Featherstone Lions)

So Leeds' current spare cap is:

(Buderus salary + Lauititi salary + Senior salary + Cross salary + Burgess salary + £100,000) - (Griffin salary + Moore salary + Differential of new Hall/Watkins/BJB contracts)

Griffin/Moore to cancel out Burgess/Cross. Loads of space.

I doubt there's as much space as many think given the "upgrades/renewals" but no doubt there's enough for at least 1 "quality" addition should 1 become available.

I agree and the way GH has refused to say that there will not be another signing before the season starts and also if the right player becomes available (to make a difference to the squad) they will try to sign him suggests another signing. Remember a few weeks ago GH said they planned to spend upto the salary cap. I would not be surprised if Gary has not already got one or two "irons in the fire" and we will find out in due course. It might be somebody in the 4 Nations?

So is it 100K extra on the cap for all players that get into Knights/England? Considering we have about what, 8 players in the England set up, we would hardly gain an advantage if someone only has 1 but yet gets the same amount to spend?

Edit - bothered to read it properly, Does anyone have of how many players it would take to get up to the full allowance, Would we be getting the full 100k? Or is it too early to tell?

Yes.

I think the principal of this amendment is correct but should have gome further to have more than 2 allowances.

I like the idea of the extra allowence but i would adjust it to include any player who has come through your Acadamy and wouldn't just limit the amount to say 100K.
I'd prefer to see the each Acadamy player who makes the 1st team have the 1st 15/20K of their wage not count on the cap no mater how many Acadamy players you have playing 1st team.

principle

We need some more details. It seems the 100K is the maximum a club can get and it looks like a sliding scale with perhaps the Knights players on a lower allowance to the full England squad.

Its a bit confusing because it only stipulates England and the Knights but then says Catalans will get the full 100K because of their development fro the French side.

Also has the 100k (or part thereof) to be divided only amongst the players that attracted the allowances?

Sorry fingars and fumbs!!

There'll always be an imbalance with Catalans - at least while the RFL is still trying to develop the game out there.

I'm not convinced about the 'principle'. This system will always favour the bigger richer clubs with larger fan bases and better facilities, as they are the clubs to which aspiring youngsters are most likely to look to for development. In this sense it moves away from a 'principled' salary cap which has been lauded as a great leveller for clubs who previously struggled to compete.

I would say too that allowing clubs without significant end of year net profits to find themselves able to increase their salaries for their young players without reducing expenditure elsewhere is madness.

I thought one of the aims of the cap in the first place was to help prevent clubs over spending.