shaggy said:
Andrew Voss mentioned something similar about 2 wks ago on the thursday footy show 4 the nrl 2 do, not only keep league players but 2 attratct union 1s
just wondering how players were chosen, was it top 25 type contract system or was it whenever the players contract was close to the end
& any other details would be appreciated
Hi Shaggy,
In Superleague there is a salary cap system, but it's based on a formula of a club's turnover (50% of a club's salary cap relevant income), and so only a few clubs are able to afford to reach the maximum amount they are all allowed to spend (1.8million pounds). As usual the clubs that can afford it want the salary cap raised, while the others that find it harder to compete as is think the salary cap is the only thing that keeps things in check and a bit competitive.
There's also a 20-20 rule, where clubs can only employ 20 players on a salary of 20,000 pounds (AU$50,000) or more. So I guess you could say there is a top 20 contract system within each club, and then some squad players earning less than that, mostly junior (Academy) players? Most clubs use around 25-35 players during the course of one season.
Another thing that's different here is the loans system. If a player contracted with a club is not getting enough first team action, then they can play with that club's academy side or can often be loaned out to another Superleague or National League club, for periods ranging from a month to a year. This is often said to help the club's investment in the player, as they gain more experience to bring back to the club, but often it's a way to help solve the salary cap mathemtaics. It also helps the strength of other clubs, including clubs in the lower divisions.
The loan system means that some players can turn out for three different superleague clubs in one season (eg Wayne McDonald 2005?), and with loans sometimes truning into permanent transfers there can be a lot more movement of players during the season. But when contracts end it's usually the same, players look to get re-signed at their club or shop around for an alternate.
Hope that helps, others may have additional explanations.
