Hi guys i've never realli used the message boards properly but do troll through them regularly

...anyway as part of my A-levels im doing a EPQ project and have decided to look at the salary cap and its influence on the game. I've spoke to various people around the game but i thought it would be interesting to get some of the fans views on it. If any of you have any view points on it that you wouldnt mind sharing, such as 'good idea, bad idea, too low etc', it would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance

I think overall it's been good but i would like it re-viewed so that say the 1st 10/15k of a homegrown players wage doesn't count on the cap which would give clubs a chance( a small one maybe) to keep players that RU are after.

Its not been perfect but has, at least, prevented some chairmen from bankrupting their clubs chasing glory.

Yes

Double post

It's only two years in as a real "hard cap"
Up to then, it was effectively a "soft cap"
American sports have led the way with salary capping. They utilise two kinds - the soft cap, that allows teams to over spend and then penalises them. That's the way we seemed to run it - you can overspend if you like, and all you will get is a (minor) fine the following year, and a points penalty you will likely overcome. The hardcap (like the NFL) we have now should be more effective.

I feel one of the other factors that delayed the cap equalising talent was that it was set too high for some clubs, so didn't really impact enough teams. Now, through a combination of inflation and increasing financial power at some clubs, it will hit more clubs and see a greater spread of talent, but it will take time.


One thing I would like to see added is a minimum spend too. Being able to make that spend should be a requirement for any team entering SL. If clubs don't spend that much, don't make them overpay for a poor player, but have the RFL take that money from the club to re-invest in the game.

It has been good but needs raising now.

The cap is a good idea but it needs some fundemental charges - to have the same cap since its inception is just plain wrong - you cannot say that the very players we all love to watch are not worth what they were ten years ago.

For me we should reward development of players by clubs and there should be penalties to avoid clubs engaging the host of very average players from down under.

Christ Almighty, I'm agreeing with you twice in the same day. I feel faint.

You all get there in the end

- only joking

The Cap as been good for the game in gerneral however I think there should be a annual increase to allow clubs to reward players for loyalty, At leeds you get a salary on a sliding scale however if you the top then thats is it no more rises so if dor instance we have a 19 year old who crossed all the right boxes he would be top wack but no opportunity for an increase? I know inflation is low to non existant at the moment but has been running at 3% for the last few years. On a £70 K salary thats approx 2K a year decrease. So we need a cost of living upgrade

I agree with you in principle but I believe that the cap is voted upon & agreed by the clubs themselves.
Therefore, they must consider that the game as a whole cannot afford to increase the cap.
I agree also with the earlier poster who suggested some form of disregard for those players that a club has developed in-house.
At least the cap has stopped clubs generally living beyond their means or relying on a sugar daddy & it is creating the mythical level playing field that any sport needs to continue to attract audiences across the board.

The cap has been very good for the sport but I think the RFL need to look into helping clubs retain their local/British talent from the green envy that is the RFU.

Maybe one way is exepmtion for homegrown talent, or an increased allowance. This would imo motivate clubs into investing more in youth, less overseas players, improve the national side and keep the majority of our young players away from the RFU.

A few of them have still given it a pretty good go, which ought to be acknowledged.

I think the salary cap should apply to overseas players only. For instance, teams have £300 000 or so to spend on quota players per season and an unlimited amount to spend on British talent. Yes I know this will be a disadvantage to smaller clubs but then again, why shouldn't the commercially successful clubs have an advantage when it comes to their squad?

I agree with your points. It has brought some stability to the game and helped our youngsters. I would allow a certain number of "club produced" young players to be excluded from the salary cap at least until they have earned a full time place in the senior squad.

Im not sure whether that in itself would work, but I certainly think there should be some kind of reward in the salary cap for having a certain number of home grown players in your squad.

It's definitely a good thing, as we fans of Leeds who lived through near bankruptcy should fully understand. History has shown time and again that some clubs will put their entire future at risk chasing glory, and RL simply cannot afford to lose any SL clubs through their own mismanagement. The cap level is up to the clubs to decide, so long as the RFL also has basic solvency requirements in place as well. I do tend to agree that if clubs spend less than a minimum then their right to a franchise spot should be questioned, as the gap between top and bottom is probably of more significance than the absolute level of the cap.

Like most others I think its been great overall - ending clubs living beyond their means and helping to leveling up the competition (although there are still clear bands in SL the top/middle/bottom teams are more competetive among themselves).

I also think something could be done to help clubs retain youngsters - I'm sure the current cap has contributed to the fact that next year Leeds will have quite a few more overseas players than we've had for a while.

Very good point is that and I agree. I doubt we'd have lost Ellis the year before and Smith this term if not for the Cap.

And Delaney looks like a "value for money" salary cap signing (not knocking him, I've not seen him play)

Under the cap every team needs some dependable but cheap players - some may be good old one-club pros but more often they seem to be overseas signings.

Thanks ever so much for all the feedback, some really good suggestions in there!