I ask this after reading Adam Pearson article in today’s LE. He quotes “ we”ll be bringing in five or six in from Australia at the end of this year. I’m sure when we come access these players, the prices will have gone up so much they’ll automatically be marquee signings”.
At what price does a player become a marquee signing, does it count on the salary cap, or is this just another loophole for wealthy clubs to exceed the salary cap which is l think is currently 2.2 million, and who decides if a player is a marquee signing.

Thank you.

Only the first 150k (75k if homegrown) of a players salary counts on the salary cap. You can pay him what you want.

For example Hull could sign two Aussies for next year and pay them a million quid each a year if they wanted to but only 300k of it would count on the cap.

There is no limit to a marquee player salary.
You could pay them a £1million or £151k and in both cases you'd only be assessed for £150k on the salary cap.

For us we don't even spend to the limit so it really isn't an issue to us.

A player that erects large tents in his spare time.

Not an issue for us at this time but if I were a coach I would be cautious about using the Marquee rule, as it would be a sure fire way to start grumblings in any squad by plonking someone with an Aussie accent in there on 5 times (at least) the salary of his team mates. We all know what sports teams dressing rooms are like for that (especially football!).

Its a short sighted rule for me and doesn't do anything to resolve the greater issues with the game over here. The fact Pearson is looking to being 5 or 6 in from Oz tells you where they are.

I've read comments on forums rumouring the situation at Leeds with their marquee signings and players in their squad asking if they are really worth it - mainly Merrin. Ironic really seeing as their success late last decade and early this was based round a wage structure through the squad - I remember Sinfield after a GF saying they could all earn more elsewhere but they work together as a team etc.

What about the case of wigan accents where tomkins and williams have been marquee'd and their fans have been complaining about over paid and under performing.

So, if Adam Pearson signs six Australian marquee players, then 6x£150.000=£900.000, out of 2.2 million cap. Hull will need to reduce their squad size or individual player wages. I admit I know nothing of what players earn, but 1,3 million between say, another 21 squad players at Hull, seems a tight budget.

you can only have 2

What happened to the Hull hot bed of Rugby League? Who's the last quality player to come through, Shaul?

Anyway if they can afford it then go for it.

I'd forgotten about that to be honest, but a sound example nonetheless.

Austin looks the business and on current form I bet there's no arguments at the wire about what he is getting paid due to the difference he makes to the team. On the flip side - Tyrone Roberts....

He's signing 6 Aussies but only 2 can be marquee and taken off the salary cap.
He must be getting a 241 on the others.

I can't see it being a morale issue if the pedigree and quality is apparent - for example, Austin at Wire, who is quite clearly light years ahead of the majority of his peers; I can see it causing difficulty if a player is deemed "marquee," and turns up out of shape looking for an extended holiday - his colleagues could quite rightly query that and feel less than gruntled.

As for Adam Pearson's proclamation - it seems like really poor management to me, to announce to your current squad that they'll be replaced at the end of the season by imports; how does that motivate them to do better this season? Managers who don't know how to manage tend to default to being tough and/or threatening to get people to do what they want - which rarely works, especially in a high-stakes arena like sport, where so many variables can influence team results, even if individuals are doing well.

On the marquee rule overall - I'm not a huge fan, but I will continue to dream of the day when we can have one; maybe Big Dave will be our first, and we can all pay the difference with a £10 Big Bopper levy on our season tickets - a bit like the social care precept on your council tax bill?

We whinge about paying £5 for a pint, well here's a good reason to buy your drink in the ground.

Both of those played big parts in Wigan being Champions last year. The bigger problem is what happens when they leave as you only free up £75K each of salary cap space.

Having two marquee players, particularly if they are both non-club trained, is still a big chunk of the salary cap on two players. Next year Warrington will be using 300k of their cap on Austin and Widdop. That’s 15% of the cap on two players and that means they will ace to compromise either on quality in other positions or squad depth.
It’s high risk, particularly given Widdop’s shoulder.

I'm not a fan either and I think it could unsettle a dressing room. Yet, whilst we can't afford it I like to think we have so much quality in our team (when not injured) that we have at least 3 quality marquee like players in TJ, Tupou and Fifita (and based on rumours going around BV on Friday Big Dave's new deal is not at marquee prices).

Marquee players have to have a salary cap value of £175k under ordinary circumstances. So you couldn’t have someone earning £151k who counts as marquee knocking just a grand off.

So if Pearson signs 6 players from Australia it would be £300k (saving £50k) for marquee minimum, plus whatever the other 4 cost.

It’s also £75k for club trained, which is basically anyone coming through the academy and playing 3 seasons before age of 21 at the club.

£150k covers everyone else English, Australian or whatever nationality. So someone like Westerman would count as £150k.

There's a definitive formula set out to calculate what constitutes a marquee player.


WT£ < P = MP

MC has a marquee Bat phone in his office from which he can advise the rest of SL whether their proposed player qualifies.

So potentially, everyone is a marquee player


Its gonna cost us at least 6k fans to debunk the formula and get that phone cut off, its a drain on resources so think on about missing home games.

Pearson’s probably saying it to keep the Hull fans sweet due to not living up to expectations with being a big club and all that.

To answer the OP, David Fifita, it’s just that nobody noticed it