I think with the story regarding Lewis Murphy, just highlights a problem we have with the sport in our country at the moment. It is said that the minimum for a player in the NRL is around £90k, that is probably about quadruple what he is currently on at Wakefield, and in reality, it's too big to turn down really. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't expect us to match it, but would think that, as a regular, his contract should be a little more in line with other regulars.

He's probably not the only one in this position, both here and at other SL clubs. To do this though, I do feel that the cap needs to be increased a bit more, that is increased and not scrapped. On top of this, to try and retain our own, reduce the overseas quota

It wouldn't affect us though, as we don't spend the full cap anyway. It would have a greater impact on the likes of Saints and Wigan.

With the marquee rule, with two players each, there is the prospect of the top players being retained on huge wages. The problem is that the game doesn't get the sponsorship that it gets in Australia. The money isn't there to spend even if we raised the cap. We have to remember that all the clubs recorded a loss in their accounts, other than us.

The problem is not the cap per se. The problem is the lack of money swilling around the game. That is the job of IMG to improve.

It has to be said, however, that there are more Australians playing in the Super League than there are Brits playing in the NRL. Some of those would get NRL gigs if they went home, as many have. The difference is that we lose the stars, whereas they lose the squad fillers.

The marquee rules were only going to benefit the top clubs. … that why they brought them in … to keep them at the top.
Instead of the marquee rule.. clubs should be given leeway if they’ve managed to produce home grown talent so it doesn’t count on the cap..

The NRL is on a path to be an unchallengeable behemoth, the game here is headline news… big business… huge commercial investment… saturation TV coverage

If SL or RFL tries to directly compete now it will fail… the best way to success is to do what Trinity are doing… across the game… build from the bottom… be financially viable and grow steadily..

EVERY club should be producing 3 or 4 new young talented players each season… home developed… (yes some will be poached… attracted by the big league in Aus… but eventually that will even out) .. look to emerging nations for new young talent for academies (east Africa… Jamaica… the balkans… the Americas and Brazil… Netherlands and Norway)

The game isn’t broken… it’s evolving… and like all disruption it can be managed to advantage

Perhaps lift the restrictions on overseas players. What attracts fans is seeing great rugby, not overpaid Championship quality players. If you asked any Hull fan old enough to remember about their favourite period, they will all say the early 80's, and their backs were nearly all Aussies or Kiwis. Same with the great teams of the early 90's. Perhaps the difference is that they were top players coming over here, and the NRL wages aren't what they are now, but how many Bevan French's are there out who'd love to play in Super League but can't?

Quality attracts crowds. I didn't care where Solomona came from when he wore a Trinity shirt.

The clubs are rewarded with cap exception of I think £100k for producing home grown players.

I think we need to look at increasing this though.

Ultimately though you could remove the cap altogether and it wouldn’t make any difference.

The game is on a different level over there in regards profile, standard and facilities. Even if we could compete with that there is then the lifestyle to compete with which for a lot of players is a huge draw.

I think for the young lads the pull is just too much, a decade ago you had lads like Roby, Sinfield, Peacock, O’Loghlain, Lomax etc who were happy being 1 club men I think in a lot of cases attitudes have changed and Australia is now just viewed as the complete package and they have the safety net of knowing it they don’t make it or don’t like it they can walk back into a SL gig.

Obviously there will be some who don’t want to go over however they these days will be the exception rather than the rule.

In my opinion there is very little we can do about it, so the focus has to be on replacing them and the pathways so we have a conveyor belt of players ready to step up. That is a huge challenge in my opinion and those clubs that get it right will reap the rewards.

Problem is Slugger, if you lift the restrictions you're going to get championship level players from down under infiltrating our leagues. We've had a few like that under the present regulations!
The NRL might be an attraction for a lot of young lads, and I'd guess that most of those making the headlines recently,have no families to uproot - but amongst the older players with families, there aren't that many going from our game.
A lot of these kids won't make it there and will return within a short time I reckon.

Surely the minimum would be in Aussie Dollars which would equate to approx £50k for 90k dollars which would still possibly double his money however its a lifestyle, an opportunity that may come once in his career, and Bondi Beach or Pugneys decisions that are difficult

increasing the cap in this situation, would have no bearing on a player who wants to improve in a far superior competition. Even if he never plays first grade he is in the camp of some world class players in a very popular sport in Oz and getting better. Also he is one season in to his career he could continue as he finished last season or the opposite its the unknown.

I have no doubt that had Johnstone not been made prone to injuries he would also have been in the NRL. My opinion is his injuries kept him at Wakefield and signing contract for his security and the ability of a fee but i would still surmise he would have gained a release clause in those contracts for an NRL approach

I think if you make the 30 man NRL squad you will be on a minimum £80k.

Good post this.the last paragraph especially…
There are some clubs that have already put 2and 2 together to start producing a conveyor belt of talent.
We need to be that club, especially in an area that Wakefield is in. I hope the ground upgrade and the revenue it hopefully produces will help us get that conveyor belt moving.
It’s already starting to move in the right direction in my opinion.

I think Murphy was always going to leave at some point. There will be others , but there will be others that make the cut and represent Wakefield trinity in SL. You could see it as a positive…. In that how far have we come as a club that we’re able to produce talent that the NRL wants..

IMG will be looking to put bum on seats, and to do that we will need overseas talent .. however I’d be looking to limit the numbers.. and start having a PROPER think about dispensation for clubs producing talent so that eventually there’s not much need for the overseas contingent.

Since when has anybody complained when we are poaching players from the championship and taking their prodigies, it’s a simple fact of life , move on, for me it gives someone else a chance to shine . Nice to see young Charlie on the sheet this week by the way . Let’s not try and re- invent the wheel chaps , the rules and stipulations are muddled enough without wholesale changes . long term it may be a good thing anyway regarding our national team. Plenty of quality player still in our comp and still plenty of nuggets to find going forwards . Wakey is in the best place it’s been in donkeys years let’s not sour it over one lads journey. Lets make our club a club that players want to come to and not just for the money , but to challenge the big clubs on a more regular basis instead of bleating every time a kid moves on, it certainly isn’t going to spoil my enjoyment watching the game