Of course the majority of players would consider a change that brought increased financial and other rewards. We have a sport that should be eminently sensible but we just cannot manage it. Thankfully for us we produce so few top class talents that for most NRL or RFU is not really an option. Both have domestic and international production lines that render us redundant.
I would worry more about a system that offers lads of 18 a choice between leaving the game and studying, leaving to find paid work, and an uncertain future of low pay with few opportunities to develop because we have a poor pathway into the professional ranks. I know that Wigan encouraged youngsters to keep studying so that the likes of Paul Prescot had somewhere to go when retiring early but remember that Liam Marshall was in his way to a career in accountancy before fortune took a hand.

Why the sudden change in your new found obsession with union, it's hard to believe after all you've said in the past regarding your love affair with the Saints and all the support you've given them over the years. "cough"

Shocking revelation! Workers would switch jobs for a massive pay rise. What a scoop.

What would the salary cap be if it had increased in line with inflation?

Funny thing is, i bet if they asked union players the same, would you “consider” playing league, i bet a similer high percentage would say yes. The word is “consider”

I doubt the hierarchy of our game would see any article in the Guardian. Probably better if the poll was also covered by any of the Mirror ,Sun or Star & definitely Pigeon Fancier's Weekly.

Just over £3m, based on the cap being at £1.8m in 1999.

My first thought is that £3m would see us better able to compete but my second is to wonder how many clubs could finance that as they stand. Even the rich RU clubs suffer with debt.

That’s my concern and why I’ve always been in favour of stricter financial controls/standards on clubs with a licensed system to try and drive financial improvement.

My worry is that if we raise the salary cap clubs won’t increas their revenues and the money is simply transferred from club infrastructure to players wages.

Always enjoyed both league and union and watch both

If the question posed to them was “would you take a pay rise and go and play in the NRL or rugby union?” and 80% of them said “yes”, that does not mean that 80% of them would go to rugby union.

It could be that 79% of them would go to the NRL and 1% of them would go to union.

There is no breakdown of the difference so the thread title is redundant and sensationalist.

Correct but the OP has a history of sensationalising none issues - rather needy imho.

More that I am worried about the future of the game of RL. The sky TV contract is up for renewal soon. Most people expect it at best to stay the same as it is if not be reduced.

If that happens I do not see anyone else paying significant amounts to take it on in the current situation.

If that happens where will it leave the clubs.

The point about the headline is that 80% of players are not very happy with the game both in terms of money and the way it is run.

If that money goes down what will they do ?

You might be happy watching amateurs playing in mud in out of date stadia but unless there are some dramatic changes in the game and the way it is run I fear for it,s future as a professional sport.

Yet another reason that a reserve competition should be viewed as a fundamental next step for RL.

As a sport, we need to vastly increase the number of players we produce.

How will having a reserve league increase the amount of players? The amateur game is on its arris whilst the union amateur scene is absolutely flourishing

Are you for real? The reserve teams used to function as a defacto ameteur team. Most were made up of trialist and youth players without contracts ie not being paid. The reserves produced far more players than those signed directly from ameteur clubs. At the same time it gave a haven for late developers who would otherwise have been lost to the game.

Yes the ameteur scene is a total mess but it's a different issue.

Well said agree with you on what you said to me the A teams should not have been stopped

It should be a non-negotiable for all top tier clubs.

Players winning GF rings on £15K why wouldn't you look for something better which both NRL and RU offer.

you make it sound so simple to change codes or emigrate

Is it difficult to change jobs or move country?

Whilst I feel that the players have some fair and genuine grievances, let's not forget that this is the same group of players that have tried and failed on more than one occasion to set up an effective players union that could have influenced many of the issues that they complain about.

The work by people like Gareth Carvell is commendable, but if the players want to have a bigger say, they need to be more more proactive about being a part of that decision making.

not everyone has made it in union of even settled abroad

Unfortunately it seems to be the Chairman who now think they're the stars. (I include my own in that) Perfect example was when Garry Schofield wrote an article about Hull FC's prospects for the season, it was bloody Adam Pearson all over the papers responding. What over sport would that happen in. Why wasn't it Lee Radford or Danny Houghton coming out swinging. Instead we've got the pencil pusher. The Chairman should all love off into the background and count the beans. Fed up of reading about them.

I do agree with what others said about they loved up when they had a union.. However I still think the power grab by SL chairman is steering the ship to oblivion. They would rather have 5 derbies half full with 10k attendance each time, rather than selling 2 derbies out at 20k both times.

Answer the question.