Pressure on IMG to deliver on some sort of package with broadcasters in allowing SL to increase our own Salary cap .

R/L will go nowhere until they get rid of the salary cap.
I understand it would initially benefit teams with wealthy owners or directors of some clubs but then it would be up to other teams owners to look for investment if they feel the need to catch up.
The game needs to have a lot more superstars which in time will attract more terrestrial tv coverage.
As better players come into S/L a lot more average players will then make their way into Championship teams making that league a lot more competitive
More money in the game given time would also attract a lot more young players into the game from outside the traditional R/L areas
Its not an overnight fix but whilst we are fixed in a capped sport there is no real growth potential

Think it'd be a bit extreme to go from a small cap to no cap at all.

We probably need to increase it gradually over the next 5/10 years.

A concern would be top clubs just collecting talent and having bloated squads if we had no cap.

You’re a lunatic. Just exactly where is this investment coming from?? Rugby League is an M62 corridor sport. It’s proven that any investment outside of that doesn’t work. IMG can do whatever they want, where’s this new money coming from. You’ve got to wake up and smell the coffee, as much as you hate him, if it wasn’t for Adam Pearson, we wouldn’t have a club.

Lunatic ? Wow !
Don’t we just love an educated debate.
Flip your view ?
What about attracting more sponsorship
By attracting better quality players and better deal
What if sky hadn’t boosted football income and attracted more rich overseas owners ?
M62 rugby corridor has not exactly flourished with a salary cap in place
In fact I’d argue that we’ve gone backwards as a sport.
If you reply then please use a reasoned argument rather petulant insults.

There's always someone who would of took over

All the salary cap does is hold the game back

Other sports have grown we haven't

Our cap is pretty much similar to 20 years ago

Should be about 5m now with inflation

Lunatic May have been a tad harsh and I apologise to Bonaire. The IMG policy is regarded as the last throw of the dice by many at the hierarchy of RL. I’ve made a reasonable argument regards investment, “where’s this investment coming from?”
Until someone or some corporation puts £multi millions into the game the salary cap has to remain. FC reported a loss in excess of £1000,000, Rovers, £600,000+. This debt has to be managed. Others haven’t fared any better. Doesn’t anyone remember Wigan under Maurice Lindsey winning everything for a decade because they were the richest club under his investment pre salary cap? The salary cap has worked and kept teams from over budgeting. Wakey and Cas have tried to build new grounds but can’t afford it, others have been more successful. Pipe dreams of better tv deals won’t get us anywhere. A I said, “if it wasn’t for Adam Pearson, we wouldn’t have a club” Talent boy said someone would take over, AP’s been trying to get someone to help with invest with no takers.

The cap is a red herring in more than one way, imo, and distracts from more meaningful stuff.

The UK economy is knackered, especially in RL’s traditional heartlands. So, while it is very disappointing that the cap has risen so little (or fallen quite a lot in real terms), it’s not like anybody is profiteering.

Other sports have flourished with caps in place, and seen their caps grow. I suppose it is a bit different if your league is the pinnacle of its sport, like the major US leagues or the NRL. But the CFL has a cap, and does okay - it just accepts that it has been left behind by the NFL. We’re not far off that for SL vs the NRL and I don’t think the NRL is a sensible yardstick anymore. The issue is money, and I don’t believe the cap is shutting out investment - and unless potential investors start coming forward to say it is, I’ll remain sceptical. In part because the cap itself is now a bit of a joke. It hasn’t brought sufficient competitive parity (although it could be worse, I admit) or financial stability to clubs. And it has so many loopholes we may as well not bother and save a few quid on the admin. It’s only benefit is that it annoys Wigan fans who imagine it holds their club back (it doesn’t, but if it annoys them that’s a minor plus).

If I’m not mistaken it wasn’t that long ago the NRL was in serious financial difficulty to the point of almost going bust. Hopefully they’ve sorted the management and issues in regards to the wastage of money. Not sure increasing the NRL salary cap is a smart move or not so soon but increasing salary cap in the SL right now I think would be a disaster. The game needs to improve its financial foundations and stabilise before increasing financial pressures on clubs.

Look at how the Rugby Union fared and the amount of money the sport was getting at club level and SKY and terrestrial coverage along with the media.

The same 3 clubs win the big one every year anyway, the cap is pointless.

The recent NRL issue was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and no business prepares for societal shut down on that scale - hence the need for massive state intervention across the economy in the UK, for example.

The financial foundations will always be shaky, but sports clubs often survive death (newcos etc.). It’s not ideal - but realistically, I can’t see it changing.

Would increasing the cap increase financial pressure on clubs? Assuming they weren’t obliged to spend it. For clubs that don’t spend it, there can be a pressure to do so from fans… but, if we don’t trust owners to act responsibly, there are other ways to ensure clubs aren’t loaded up with debt.

How many SL clubs have gone bust in the cap era? I might do a count, but I suspect it doesn’t compare well with the pre-cap era (lots of confounding factors, admittedly). The other issue is sporting parity and uncertainty of outcome…

The year to year predictability of SL is a problem. ‘Maybe this year…’ isn’t really a thing anymore, and we’re barely holding on to week by week uncertainty when certain clubs are involved. Does the cap help stop it getting even worse? Maybe.

However, there are some major structural issues that I think need to be addressed and the cap feels like a sticking plaster solution to me. IMG are planning on having a minimum cap spend, which I think might bring things to a head.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... dium=email Too early for a 2024 shopping list...

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/ru ... dium=email Too early for a 2024 shopping list...

Sione Mata'utia would be the perfect signing however I imagine he will either resign with Saints or head back to Oz.

Should be looking to sign all Rovers squad, the HDM Rovers supporters thinks that a combined team would only have 3 Hull players. I know Dan is biased but Appleyard is terrible, just a fan with no balance of opinion. If he doesn't change he won't progress in the sport and he is too biased to his team. They only finished done place above us but you would think they were Penrith Panthers the way he jad been in the off season.

Think a lot of our recruitment will depend on retention, looking at that list there's not too many names that jump out, Lewis Murphy is one but you'd imagine he'd have every club in SL looking.

Think the key area is recruitment, but you would be looking at two more forwards, a backrow and prop. Think we will sign English and then use Evans non fed spot for a backrower.

Maybe a winger depending on how the wingers go.

Hopefully after a positive season we won't need too much changes.

You would expect Evans, Shaul, Griffin, Taylor and Hougton to not stay at it stands now, but alot can change.

If we could get Longstaff to replace Griffin that would be good business too.

I’m wondering if we’ve managed to secure A J Wallace for next season? Read an article this morning, restating ourselves and Cas tried to sign him but Bradford wanted a cash settlement. He’s out of contact at the end of the season.

As Yippee mentions retention will play a huge part in recruitment for 2024 onwards and its so important we get both the recruitment and rentention right. Have to agree that there are not that many names that jump out to be honest other than Lewis Murphy, who I'm surprised St's didnt sign as a replacement for Grace.



Its certainly going to be an interesting season in terms of retention with so many out of contract end of this year. As you say Dave its hard not to see the likes of Houghton, Taylor, Shaul and Griffin being with us in 2024, it all depends on how they perform under the new regime. As for Evans unless has a very big year I can't see him being retained either and I would even say the same for Lovodua with him taking up a quota spot especially if Balmforth progresses this season and Dwyer plays well. Though I'd hope we see more of Lovodua & Dwyer at 9 than Houghton if I'm honest.

Agree with Dave that at the very least another big front rower is needed, another back rower as essentials and possibly a winger.

Can't disagree with that.

English is a Hull fan and tight with Mcintosh.

Wouldn't mind Luis Johnson from Rovers but he'd want more money than Longstaff.

Maybe another option at 9. Depends on how Dwyer/Lovodua/Balmforth get on.

Hopefully we'll be more competitive this season to keep our minds off recruitment and looking to next season around May/June

Looking at that list again, there is a real lack of quality UK forwards, probably only 5/6 at the right age. So it's really key that we get Brown, Fash and Savelio signed in, even though the latter is a risk with his injury record, not sure we could replace his quality, as I don't see a better backrower than him who is out of contract. Maybe Currie and Watkins, but not sure Currie would come and Watkins would be 32.

"Not many names pop out" wow

Not The man of Steel brodie croft or best 2nd row last season Chris mcqueen





Interesting apart from likes of satae, savelio, dwyer and possibly swift and sao don't think I'd keep many of the others as it stands

Mcintosh was awful last season and became a liability I'm praying Mitch is given the nod infront of him

Clifford and Trueman are under contract for the next 2 years so unless something changes we won't need a half back.

McQueen will be 37 next year.

What would be the point when we've signed Clifford and Trueman to long term deals spending money on a hb when we've likely got a decent amount of cap tied to the halves already, as good as croft I wouldn't bet against him returning to the NRL after he leaves Salford, Mcqueen is too old and can't see him coming for a 1 Yr deal. 1 name who I do like is Daniel Smith, solid non quota prop from Cas.