That being the case it seems strange to criticise Koukash for doing what Hetherington did, and also for voting the same way and complaining that the proposal again didnt get through as it hasnt for the years GH has proposed it.

Eh?
GH never suggested being allowed to buy other clubs "marquee signing" Golden ticket did he?
So it's not exactly the same thing the proposal by MK is loaded so he can still effectively "buy who he wants" with maybe 3/4 other bidders but add in his ditching the SC he will pay daft wages.

im not sure the selling of the golden tickets is a problem or fundamentally different. Clubs dont have to sell them if they dont want, and he doesnt have to buy them if he can't afford it.

If Koukash wants to add some of the best players in the world to our league. I fully support it. Thats what i want to see, what i want to pay my money for.

If Koukash was allowed to buy other clubs "golden Tickets" it might make some very insolvent clubs, solvent. I'd imagine the Bulls might've welcomed such an opportunity last year, Wakey too.

If he wants to follow the Leeds RLFC 1990s model that is fine with me.

If you buy Golden Tickets, what would happen the following season? Do you have to buy new ones to keep your expensive players? If you've sold one, what if you want it back next season? What if one team buys them all?

I think it should be like school sports, with captains picking the players in turn. Hmmm, who would be last to be picked in SL?

Agree 110%!

What's wrong with that?



Where has MK ever said he wants to scrap the cap? I haven't seen it, would be happy for you to point me in the direction of an article or interview though.



We need to build the club from the top downwards. We finished bottom last season, we needed to become competitive and quickly. I think he's done fantastic to get us to that level in such a small space of time, there were some bumps along the way Brian Noble, Tim Smith etc but that's to be expected when such drastic wholesale changes are taking place. He's been very vocal on how he wants to produce the best youngsters and have the best academy facilities, but it's pointless doing all that if your first team are hanging around the bottom of Super League. If our first time can be challenging and even winning trophies, the best young talent are going to want to join Salford. At the moment they're not.

Lets not forget this season Theo Fages, Jordan Walne, Adam Walne (injured for last couple of months granted), Niall Evalds, Jason Walton and Marc Sneyd have all had fantastic seasons thus far and all have come through our academy. Add in Jordan Turner, Stefan Ratchford and Kalumn Watkins who are all plying their trade elsewhere after coming through our junior and academy system and it doesn't look as bad as some would have you believe.



No it's the people who disagree with him, but don't come back with any alternatives on how to progress the sport and clubs like Salford that are holding the sport back.



Yes, stick to horse racing Marwan becauase RL didn't need you. Salford would have just gone to the wall and last Fridays game would have been a one-sided white wash without MK's involvement. In comparison to last season our attendances are well-up and that's after a massive mid season slump that seen us without a win in 8 games.

Watkins? Developed by your Academy system or signed very young after very few games and actually developed by OUR system?

I never said he was developed by our academy system, I think he only spent one year in our academy. He was on a scholarship at Salford all the way through his junior career, then joined Leeds at 17-years-old I believe? I was going to add Michael Platt to that list too, but after his stint back with us this season his glory days we saw from him at the Bulls are long behind him. So I'll just stick to the 9 talented youngsters mentioned previously.

Michael Platt had glory days at the Bulls?

Why is MK called the 'good' doctor? Is this a reference to something / someone in past popular culture and I have missed the boat with it?

I've never heard of a doctor (whether in medicine or education) being referred to as a 'good doctor', yet invariably hear it when MK is mentioned.

It's a Sky thing - Eddie I believe always refers to him as the 'good doctor', God knows why.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The phrase "the good doctor" is a cliché which is commonly used in reference to any physician, sometimes with an ironic tone. Its first use was almost certainly by Shakespeare, at the end of Act V, Scene 1 of Macbeth:

Doctor: ...So, good night:
My mind she has mated, and amazed my sight.
I think, but dare not speak.
Gentlewoman: Good night, good doctor. (Exeunt).

Good points. Ateotd, folk are just ed there's a new kid on the block with deep pockets and splashing the cash, I wouldn't worry, Warrington got much the same shrift too on Their ascent. Chairman isn't as gobby though mind, but with the warry ultra uber fans about he lets them take the slack.

Personally don’t have a major problem with the Dr, sure his cash is welcome and he seems to have a passion for Rugby League. But like most other sugar daddies in Super league he should conform to the current rules within the RFL. If he doesn’t like them then by all means try to cajole and convince his counterparts by persuasion and reasoning, rather than appear to tantrum to get his own way. He has said he would defiantly smash the salary cap, which is wrong.
With regard to the good Dr term I understand it’s a racing moniker which has morphed from Mad Dr, to Lucky, to Good.

Sorry only just seen this. I've been at work.

He has done nothing of note, similar to Richard Branson.

"After several weeks of rumour and negotiation, Richard Branson's Virgin group has taken a majority shareholding in the London Broncos - with a promise to make them the best club in the world."

And of course he's done more than me, I'm not involved in the game at all. Nice try though. Served big style.

Just because you work, that's no excuse for you not to get involved with the game like Richard Branson and Marwan Koukash have. They work too - what's your excuse?

Been too busy trying to get people into jobs and contribute to society to invest my £900m Fortune into just one club. But if I ever do invest, I don't like the idea of this Salary Cap Gubbings! It would make me have to wait for and build success over time, rather than achieve it in my first season. The RFL is run by people who have no knowledge of the game and I think they need a rocket up their Harris's. But investing in a Club to give back to the game I love SO MUCH would be a Noble venture. Investing in Grass Roots is important to me. Yes, that's the Golden Ticket!

....I don't want to be accused of bullying but you brought someone's work into the discussion.....


Isn't it a bit rich of you to lecture people about what they should do with their time outside of their working hours?

Some good words from Koukash here.....

"I'm big enough to admit I've made a few mistakes. I learned from my mistakes and I think the mistakes I've made will help me be a better chairman in the future.

Earlier in the season I was a novice. I really believed that you could just buy individuals and slot them into a team that can compete.

That's never going to happen because a team needs to gel, and possibly some of the players we had were not the right balance for the team."

..............

Can't argue that that's not a good honest realistic appraisal of himself and how the season has gone for Salford.

Finally he realises. Let us hope he invests in the correct areas now.

I don't find him an easy character to warm to (his public persona, I have no idea what he's like really) and I would prefer him to get things done in the right places and not make damaging comments in the press.

But is he really "bad" for the game? If we have another team able to spend the full cap, and he can do it long term and bring financial security, maybe bigger crowds, and he's in it for the long term, then that can only be good for the sport. The sport needs outside investment. He brings that.

Salford's academy has never had a problem producing players. Keeping them has been the hard part, when bigger salaries and silverware come calling. If he can help them do that, so much the better.

I think (would hope) that's what we all want so long as they lose to the Rhinos when it matters!

What the "good doctor" has done with Salford can't be questioned but the things he's done from the image of RL on the whole could be regarded as damaging - Like El D says, he's public persona comes over as a bit of an ar$e.