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Sam Burgess retires

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
24,598
This is going to be a can of worms, and any club not taking advantage of it isnt being serious

The Raiders are right now trying to extend some key players and have some cap issues... i've got a pretty good way of elevating some of them. Jarrod Croker, 29 years old, captain and golden boy of the club...

We could sign him to a 4 year deal for 750k a year, so 3mil overall. He'd be 33 at the end of that deal
Or we can sign him to a 6 year deal for 500k a year... and when he's medically retired at 33, we pay out the remaining 1mil... he gets his 3mil in 4 years, we get to rort the cap to the tune of 250k for the next 4 years.

Can double down and do the same with a Josh Papalii extension who's 28... 7 year extension when he'll only ever see 5 at the absolute most would help free up another 200-300k a year

Exciting times

And apparently souths fans would see no issue with this. You just have to make a job for them. Crocker can be a goal kicking coach, rock up to a 3 or 4 games a year in a polo like GI does and get paid $250k for 5 years. Then Papalli can be a dietrary specialist on $300k for 2 years. No problems whatsoever
 

Tommy Smith

Referee
Messages
21,344
And apparently souths fans would see no issue with this. You just have to make a job for them. Crocker can be a goal kicking coach, rock up to a 3 or 4 games a year in a polo like GI does and get paid $250k for 5 years. Then Papalli can be a dietrary specialist on $300k for 2 years. No problems whatsoever
Hehehe what next, Joey Leilua as mental strength coach?
 

taste2taste

Juniors
Messages
1,840
Great player for a long time. Absolute shame it ends like this. Sam will be up there as one of the best ever English imports.

Not bagging the lower divisions in England...But, I wonder if he's shoulder could stand up to 3rd division ? If reports are true and NY will enter in the 2021 comp maybe that could be an option for Sam ?
 

Cockadoodledoo

First Grade
Messages
5,045
The angst that Souths should not be penalised with Sam's retirement payout is a joke and shows a lack of logically thinking.

Sam signed his new deal in September 2018......4 years. There was NO incentive for this deal other than to keep Sam at Souths for 4 years until he retired. If Souths knew his shoulder would be an ongoing issue and be hit with infection , why would they sign him to the long term deal? There is NO reason , no benefit for Souths at all.

The reason Sam is being retired is because Bennett saw the $1M+ a season he is being paid and told the club that he is a waste of money and they need to get rid of him, as he wants to spend the money on Fafita. The club realised that no one would pick up his $1m a year contract due to his poor on field and off field 'performances' and being injury prone.

So they concocted the story to medically retire him but pay Sam the money so that he wouldn't kick up a stink. Sam gets his millions to sit on his arse and chat away on FaceTime, Souths get the cap money to sign Fafita and god knows who else. Greenberg loves it as he wants certain clubs in the 8 each year and will do what he can to ensure it, eg; Souths and the Bronco's.
 

Valheru

Coach
Messages
17,652
Great way to get over the cap, pay big bucks for old players on long term contracts , ‘retire’ them , offer jobs on staff and have big salary cap space to go on splurge and buy players . Rinse repeat . Interesting two years in a row happening with same club and that Sam has to be medically retired but was able to play in the semis just last month.
Even if these are legit , perception is that this is a rort

The cap needs to be removed , let’s see if the south’s , roosters and broncos of this world , who are able to get around cap rules would be able to match other clubs if was free for all if everyone can compete without rules stiffiling some clubs and others having means to get around the rules

Well removing the cap would only benefit those clubs, would it not?

As an aside, why is it, in your opinion, that only certain clubs can "get aorund the rules" as you put it and others can't? In the case of the roosters, we allegedly blatantly pay players more via 'brown paper bags' leaving no money trail. If it is as easy as that, why can't other clubs do this?

I find it hard to believe they don't have the means. Are you suggesting other clubs are just of a higher moral fiber?
 

yobbo84

First Grade
Messages
9,885
The reason Sam is being retired is because Bennett saw the $1M+ a season he is being paid and told the club that he is a waste of money and they need to get rid of him, as he wants to spend the money on Fafita. The club realised that no one would pick up his $1m a year contract due to his poor on field and off field 'performances' and being injury prone.

So they concocted the story to medically retire him but pay Sam the money so that he wouldn't kick up a stink. Sam gets his millions to sit on his arse and chat away on FaceTime, Souths get the cap money to sign Fafita and god knows who else. Greenberg loves it as he wants certain clubs in the 8 each year and will do what he can to ensure it, eg; Souths and the Bronco's.

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Tommy Smith

Referee
Messages
21,344
Well removing the cap would only benefit those clubs, would it not?

As an aside, why is it, in your opinion, that only certain clubs can "get aorund the rules" as you put it and others can't? In the case of the roosters, we allegedly blatantly pay players more via 'brown paper bags' leaving no money trail. If it is as easy as that, why can't other clubs do this?

I find it hard to believe they don't have the means. Are you suggesting other clubs are just of a higher moral fiber?
Cheating the cap is quite difficult, you know.

I hear one of the keys is to not keep the minutes of the meetings discussing said cap cheating.

Parra obviously never got that memo.

But seriously, imagine being so dumb that you kept records of meetings about cheating the cap?

Perhaps it's this level of stupidity, which infects every single aspect of a club, that is the reason that some clubs suck so bad.
 
Messages
15,545
Sam is the ultimate competitor... Anyone who thinks he would just pull the pin for money has rocks in their head or just doesn't know Sam... The bloke played an entire grand final with a broken jaw ffs.

If there was a way for him to play on and still be at his best, I am 100% certain he would take it but sadly, it looks like that is not the case.

Sad day for Sam and a sad day for the game.
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
24,598
So long as we don't sign Dugan, Moylan and Johnson to expensive long term deals we'll be just fine.

Even if you did, youd just give them the SKD/Nikorima treatment. The Roosters know 'retiring' players is for Amatuers, you might still have to foot some of the bill. Get them caught with coke on them and you're out of it scott free.
 

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