As I say "moderating the cap so that it doesn't keep punishing those who are fuelling the game with new talent".

But your plan sounds like a good one to me.

Playing Devils Advocate amongst this hysterical outcry against yet another attempt at circumventing the salary cap on both sides of the globe - maybe the real problem is the restrictions that are in place on the game?

Its continually been proven that teams cannot be trusted to stick within the rules (or the 'spirit of the rules'), either through mismanagement, blatant over payments, tax fiddles, image right / dubious third party sponsor payments, deferred contracts and now hidden financial fiddles. Surely it is only a matter of time before the next scam comes along? How many other clubs are also cheating in some way at this very moment but haven't been caught yet?

The punishments that have been dished out in the past have continually failed to stop teams going beyond the limits or finding a way to avoid them - fair or not. The cycle of cheating will undoubtedly continue. Maybe its just time that we admitted that sporting competition was never meant to be equal and considered scrapping a SC system that artifically holds back the game by pandering to weak clubs who have no incentive to improve because the more progressive clubs are limited in development by borderline illegal financial restrictions.

How can a system be fair when a club like Melbourne can develop players of the calibre of Inglis, Slater, Smith, etc through the Brisbane Norths feeder system and then be expected to release them to a rival or even RU because of an inability to pay them a wage than befits their status or face the consequences of being stripped of numerous titles. Clubs should be encouraged to grow and improve in an effort to enhance the sport of RL, not brought down to the lowest common denominator to satisfy unambitious clubs desire for equality / success.

The Melborne dynasty may have been founded through off the field fiddles, but I for one will still fondly remember their quality of play and on field talent that made them the benchmark of the NRL for the last couple of years - titles stripped or not.

I'm in favour of the SC but only in its origional purpose, preventing clubs from being stupid and going bust, IMO a club should be allowed to spend what it can afford. However that is an easy thing to say when you support a club which generates on of the highest turnovers in the sport. I kind of agree with both sides of this argument, yes i think a club should be allowed to grow but i want a competative league.

If the SC was scrapped tomorrow it wouldn't mean a massive influx of antipodeans because of the home and federation trained restrictions which are now in place.

They don't get the title, though they may get the prize money.

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This is huge news, I cannot believe it!

Would Madge of known?

First thought though, they must have to release players, Madge get in their, you know who we need!

Slater + Inglis + Blair please

Would imagine we'd be up against thr rest of the NRL, SL and union. Maybe even union would have an advantage due to their higher salary cap. Wouldn't most NRL and SL be up to the cap already being mid-season?

It may well be - in fact it seems likely - that the likes of Slater and Inglis will now go to RU. Or at least they'll be very intensely courted by RU.

Will that bother the Aussies sufficiently to make them reconsider the cap? Who knows.

I wonder if any directors and coaches of British clubs who have been successful in the last 10 years will be feeling a bit nervous this morning?



Though the chances of certain successful clubs ever being hauled over the coals for the interesting payment structures and other wheezes they used are pretty low, the RFL has turned a blind eye to these issues for years...

I don't condone what Melbourne are alleged to have done, but the posters on here pointing out how unfair it is that teams who develop players have to then let many of them go are quite right. Its just one of a number of desperately unfair and misguided aspects to a ridiculous system. The fact that its being repeatedly flouted in Australia and here in GB is clear evidence that the SC isn't working (how many times have muppet pro-SC posters been on this board touting the success of the Aussie cap system - I'd like to say that these people are probably feeling foolish today but I think we know that most of them don't really believe in the SC they just fear change, want to put their club first at all costs and hate and fear Wigan).

We and the Aussies need a system that rewards player development, gives clubs an incentive to grow crowds and revenues and stops clubs from spending too much (whether on players or stadiums or whatever). That's the kind of system I'd like to see both leagues adopt.

Madge has much better knowledge of those players than anyone else. Maybe even much younger players who have not played in the NRL yet.

widdop in for Phelps, get a good player still but lose a quota player

Just seen Mathers' Twitter...

Apparently Matt King has a tattoo saying ''Melbourne Storm 2007 NRL champions''.

Oh dear!

I would think we have an advantage over other SL clubs with MM being here

Saying that were likely at the cap or very close to it, signing one or two players for next season is a possibility although it would mean cutting some players who are already at our club

Apparently, sales of shredders in Warrington have increased dramatically this morning...

hahaha

They have many other quality players as well. I would think Roberts will be our FB next year.

Got a few second hand from Uncle Mo

The worst bit from all this for me is that the Storm could well lose players to the new Union club, the Reds. This is of course now run by Waldron.
So who will be the winners and who are the losers?
The Storm or what's left of them will be the real losers along with Rugby League.

You took your time. Welcome back to the board

People need to be realistic about the exodous of players from the Storm, the cap would prevent us signing a handful of stars, as it would any club.

RU will almost certainly benefit from this.

What is shows is the cap isn't working, the NRL has been cr@pped on by the Storm and i suspect it isnt just them. The RFL will never pay more than lip service to it over here, as the clubs hold the power and the game isnt big, strong or brave enough to hand out a punishement such as we have seen today.

A simple look at the squads in SL will tell you that everyone is not spending the £1.8 million, if some are they are financial guru's who should be in charge of the economy, and if others are, frankly, they deserve to go bust.

The only bit of the cap that ever made sense to me was the 50% limit, leaving the over 50% free for ground improvements, player development etc. In its current form, i see no advantage to it, whatsoever.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFxDRPI1 ... re=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYzngIyX ... re=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVjY98lhgSs Number 10 and number 6 please Madge As for first team players, we cannot afford the best players from the NRL.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFxDRPI1 ... re=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYzngIyX ... re=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVjY98lhgSs Number 10 and number 6 please Madge As for first team players, we cannot afford the best players from the NRL.

It'll be interesting to see whether any Storm players do move on, certain individuals such as Inglis and Slater are unobtainable by SL clubs because of there want to play SOO, but other such as as Blair and Sika Manu because of there NZ background would come over for the right deal I'm sure.

I feel sorry for Melbourne players and coaching staff who probably didn't have a clue what was going on.

I'd always wondered when looking at the Storm team how they could afford under the cap so many quality players compared to other clubs around them, very similar to Saints a few years back, although it seems the only difference between Melbourne and Saints is, Melbourne got caught and Saints didn't.

There is talk on the VT that Bellamy could be sacked within the week.

Obviously I’m over the moon with Madge and with what he’s done so far and I’m not calling for him to be replaced in any way shape or form but I’m sure we could accommodate the greatest coach in the world in some capacity at the club?

Shame this story didn’t break last week maybe he could have been our new England coach?

Anyone who is available who Madge thinks could improve us, he will get. We won't get Bellamy though.

What a horrendous day for the sport.

Be interesting to hear Maguire's reaction to this.

I hope if anything it serves as a wakeup call and both the NRL and Super League learn something from this in terms of implementing more effective methods in discovering the cheats in the game.

Credit to the NRL for discovering this and handing out a severe punishment but the fact that this has gone several years un-noticed is worrying and lessons must be learned.