A little perspective

[Yngwie_70]

I know I will be probably be flamed after this post but I think it needs to be said. I think Rugby League is doing tremendously well for a sport of its size. The salary cap of $4 million is about right for the sport.
I often hear commentators going on about how the salary cap should be scrapped, or increased but lets just look at the facts; Rugby League does NOT pay its way. Now I know this is true of many sports but we are expecting the NSW govt to lower the tax rate for clubs on poker machines to pay players and develop junior teams. I ask you to think about that for a moment. Let the pensioners who have become addicted to pokies which has allowed numerous bowling clubs to close to pay for the wages of Rugby league clubs. Is this in perspective?
As a sport, RLis the national sport in PNG only. In Australia, RL is a distant second (I know Foxtel might argue) but come on, lets be honest with ourselves. In NZ, Rugby Union is bigger and always will be. League is rising slowly but will never overtake rugby. (Have a look at Warriors game crowds when the All Blacks are on). In England, RL is restricted to the northern coal mining areas of the North and third in the pecking order. This is not to denigrate the game but rather show that RL is fighting with the big boys as best it can.
Now, rather than put down other sports because RL is in a little trouble, lets see where we have come from, where we are and enjoy RL for the game it is. Quite simply, in terms of exposure, you are punching well above your weight.

 

[bartman]

I agree.

We cannot nor should we raise our salary cap. It just went up last year or so, didn't it?

Let's call the bluff of all these greedy players and their player managers earning their 8% cut. Lose some of them to french rugby union, and watch them try and come back a couple of years later, when they're bored rigid by the game and not being able to flash their cash down at the Sapphire Room after the game.

Talent rises to the top, and money corrupts. There will always be talented young kids rising through league's nursery, we don't need to worry about prima donnas being lured overseas. Who needs em?

Has the competition missed Gower? :lol: Will the competition miss Gaz? :lol: Repeat until cooked.

 

[Yngwie_70]

I often listen to Graeme Hughes on 2SM (Super Radio Network) and the amount of drivel they go on with is amazing. They are apologists for the concepts promoted by Super League and this has shown no signs of abatement. Rather, they keep pushing the line that five Sydney clubs should move or fold to keep Sydney a strong area. I bet his beloved Canterbury are not in this crowd.
I have many Norths fans who have just given up on the game and call themselves NRL fans but do not watch live games or TV games. This seems a real shame.
But again, we need to compare ourselves to how WE were last year and the year before rather than comparing ourselves to Rugby, AFL, Football which we are NOT!

 

[Brownie.Kougari]

Has the competition missed Gower? :lol: Will the competition miss Gaz? :lol: Repeat until cooked.

No and no.

However Thurston's expressed interest, we'll miss him.

I think encouraging more 3rd party deals is worth a look at.

 

[Parra]

I am all for removing the salary cap. The only people that gain from it are the major sponsors who do not have to fork out anywhere near as much as they should.

It is self evident that not one of the players who have left have been missed by the league ( the clubs have lost out for sure, but this is a side-effect of the cap)

This has been just as true in the past when rugby has not missed a beat when the so-called super-stars crossed over.

 

[bartman]

I am all for removing the salary cap. The only people that gain from it are the major sponsors who do not have to fork out anywhere near as much as they should.

The trouble is that you can't force sponsors to pay out more, or "as much as they should".

To them it's a business decision, and the game struggles a bit to attract sponsorship now, certain clubs really holding out before they can fill their jersey slogans... Only a couple of clubs have rich private backers, the rest are still dependent on grant money and pokies receipts, which isn't a good place to be in.

The game's not strong enough to abandon a salary cap and let the player managers take the game to the cleaners on behalf of their current clients, chewing all the meat and only spitting out the bones for the games future.

We have to accept losing some, even Thurston, in the short term, if we want to have a game to support in the long term, I reckon...

 

[Yngwie_70]

I am all for removing the salary cap. The only people that gain from it are the major sponsors who do not have to fork out anywhere near as much as they should.

ANd then what? Who stops the Brisbanes from buying the best players. Remember, not all clubs are using their entire cap now due to money constraints. Private ownership is a good thing in most cases but what if Max Delmege or Russell Crowe get a little tired of RL? What happens to those clubs who have depended on them for survival? We abandon a salary cap at the RL's peril!

It is self evident that not one of the players who have left have been missed by the league ( the clubs have lost out for sure, but this is a side-effect of the cap)

This has been just as true in the past when rugby has not missed a beat when the so-called super-stars crossed over.