I do think it's time to make changes to the salary cap, it's been the same for 10 years now. Although even with an increase to the salary cap the NRL still offers a profile and quality of life that we simply cannot match.

We can apply the same logic to every player in the first team squad. They are all on finite contracts at the end of which they are free agents. Why don't we sell the lot of 'em and be done with it?

Faz's value must certainly have soared recently so why don't we stick him on the transfer list right this minute and cash in?

If there is any negativity about it is IMO the excuses that get trotted out such as Mossop being injury prone that get used to justify the prospect of selling him.

The club needs to work out a way to keep a team together and one way to do that is to simply accept that they won't get any cash for some players who may leave at the end of their deals. If the contract is seen out it is not as if anyone has been short changed is it? The bargain has been kept between all parties.

I also don't understand why any fans see the club getting a transfer fee as a positive thing. It doesn't need the money, it can't spend beyond the cap on wages and these days it is rare to find a player out there as good as the ones we let go.

I think for now there'll be a huge surge of youth for a few years, more English lads will probably go to the NRL, then eventually they'll want to wind down and we'll probably get a fairly steady flow of English players coming back to Super League like Ellis has done. They'll replace the Aussie imports of the past few years & can offer the kids some guidance

matty smith
blake green
scott taylor???

we paid a fee for all of the above. Thats like owning a house on lease hold land and been told you have no chance to renew the lease and not at least trying to sell the house before you lose all your investment but just being happy you had the house for the agreed lease. I am happy with the way the club is being run and we should be rewarded for producing players, the money doesn't just have to be used on player contracts or other transfers it can be used to improve facilities, training equipment, more scouts, coaching and staff training. Also its better to have a healthy bank balance incase of any unforeseeable circumstances or future potential investment opportunities.

its hardly like the club is whoring out players for the transfer fees either its come from players looking to make more money in the NRL or rugby union and there isn't much we can do at present to stop that.

personally i think super league is just going through a cycle at the moment and it must strengthen during it. Before we had a lot of average aussies coming in and stealing a living and costing english youth a job which eventually has weakened british rugby league and the england national team, now there is a lot more talented british youngsters coming through and we must use it to are advantage and improve the quality of the national team just like the NRL has.

Rugby is a business, alright we don't see any immidiate benefit when the club makes money but what's good for the goose is good for the gander

I take your point but feel that it’s not that I would want to sell off any player who is an asset to the club, that would be silly, but if a player has made his mind up to go for whatever reason, to further his career, money or new challenge in a different code, and does not want to serve out the remainder their contract (as they should) what can you do. Hock for example. If they really want out it must be better to get something for them than not. When you have a good stream of promising young players coming through, as we have, once they reach a standard when they think they deserve more, how can it be done? When the salary cap won’t let you keep them all happy, even if the club could afford it.

I'm only talking about Mossop, why you putting words in my mouth?

Agreed 100%. More game time at SL level for the youngsters is what's needed. Thankfully we got cracking at sorting out our academy a few years ago & now it's producing us some great first team talent. Some teams, such as Saints, seem to have been caught cold. All the credit for this has to go to Leneghan, we sing his praises a lot but he really does deserve it.

While we can't use transfer fees to pay higher than the SC we can use it to invest in our youth development in other ways e.g. better facilities, more/better backroom staff and to pay transfer fees for the odd player.

According to one of the weekly RL newspapers we won't be getting a transfer fee for Mossop, just first refusal if he was to return to SL

I'm sure IL said at some meeting that there was a clause in Mossop's contract that he could go to the NRL. If that's the case there won't be a fee.
Two seasons ago and last this would have worried me but after seeing how the props have gone so far this year then we have plenty replacements available all of
SL quality.
We also have Powell coming in later so he will be used at some stage although I think his appearances will be restricted this year and after a full off season he will be a regular in the 17 for 2014.

Ambition, strange thing in sport compared to every other job.

In the real world ambition is usually bettering yourself within the same company, getting a higher position for more gain. In sport more gain doesn't always equate to more ambition, personally if i enjoyed playing rugby i'd just see getting paid as an added benefit therefore i'd want to play where i was happy.
Would i be happy with doing the job i love in better conditions for better pay and a higher standard of living on all counts, no brainer really.
If i could play RL to these guys standards i'd be looking to go to Oz or NZ when i was playing in the academy.

living in Dubai you would be amazed at the amount of people who realize its not all ways greener on the other side, lots of people aren't suited to living 1000's miles away from friends and family. I can't answer this my self but what equates to a better life style? the common answers are usually beaches, sun and accommodations. Well majority of people after awhile stop going to the beaches like most people who have swimming pools don't end up using them that much. And i would argue that places like upholland, standish, apply bridge and haigh hall are nicer areas than a lot of sydney areas.

I can only speak for me, i love new areas, i love the adventure, it only gets boring when you exhaust everything you can from something new.

Any jobs going at your place?

There was an article in RLW about Tomkins possibly moving to the NRL as soon as next season, but signing some agreement to return to Wigan (shades of Iestyn Harris).

ATM you'd have to say its all rumours - the two clubs supposedly chasing him (Cowboys and Warriors IIRC) both denied it (one of the quotes was from Dean Bell), to which the journalsist's response was that this was a 'smokescreen' to hide what they're doing. Sounds like a load of tripe to me.

FWIW I don't actually think we'll see a tidal wave of players moving to Aus. The likes of Tomkins will of course be on the radar (and possibly Briscoe, Hall, Watkins) but I can't see NRL clubs risking much money on backs. As for forwards, Brits are currently hot because of Ellis (who initially took a pay cut to move to Wests), Graham and the Burgess'. However, all it will take to stop the flow is a few to be no more than average. You certainly can't look around SL and see another Burgess or Graham ATM.

I'd also agree that 'quality of life' isn't dependent on living in the sun. Apparently close to a third of all Brits who emigrate to Australia end up returning to the UK, which speaks volumes about how hard it can be.

Lets send them Wilkin then ASAP!

Apparently the departures of Mossop and Hock's will be announced tomorrow. And so the player drain continues as the RFL watches on and does absolutely nothing.

[urlhttp://www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12215/8665481/Andy-Powell-set-for-Wigan-switch[/url

Wonder if tomorrows press conference has anything to do with this?

Think of the positive - the national team should eventually become competitive for the first time in god knows how long

All the paper work as been signed by both players [gaz/lee and both clubs they will play in oz next season wigan will get fees for both players.

You have that young Leyther Crosby to fill hocks boots, you also do worse than keep an eye on Hopkins too - FT conditioning would bring him to SL standard in no time

I tend to think the RFL should look at any and all options to keep players out of Union (as they did with Tomkins) but not necessarily the NRL, as those players are still available for England. As I say, its not as if the NRL is going to sign up many backs at all - they wouldn't bother for average players and the British ones that stand out are few and far between.

In any event I suspect the cap differences between SL, NRL and RU are getting so large that the RFL couldn't practically do much to help in more than a few isolated cases. Leeds made a profit of £300k last year IIRC - that's not a huge amount above and beyond the cap to be able to spend.

Its all very well suggesting increasing the cap to stop poaching, but if Leeds can only afford an extra £300k, how much could others realistically afford before causing financial distress? I suspect the extra is a lot less than some fans think.

The only real way to up the cap by a significant amount is increase revenue to the sport as a whole - TV rights etc. That's what's driven the NRL cap through the roof.

And what are we going to do with those fees?

Nice for IL to pocket the money I guess, but for a supporter it means very little.