Hagans opinion on lower grade Team Funding

[antonius]

Michael Hagan has come out and stated that when it comes to the talent in the lower grades of clubs that can be dipped into when injuries hit, the playing field isn't level.

He says that clubs such as the Roosters, Bulldogs, Dragons, can stack thier lower grades with quality players to cover injuries, because they spend three times as much on them as other clubs do. This is brought about by their stronger financial postion. The Knights can only afford $400,000 on their lower grades, some other clubs spend upwards of $1.5 Million. Any wonder that the Roosters can have normally first grade quality players sitting in premier league to cover for injuries. We on the other hand end up having to play lower quality players when injury hits, and in a lot of cases recently younger guys who are really not ready for first grade. He is calling for a cap on what can and can't be used by clubs in first grade in future. When you think about it, that's why the Dogs, Roosters etc can have such high quality benches, even when they are hit with injuries.

 

[Misanthrope]

Yeah, I think if the salary cap is to work, it really needs to somehow deal with the fact that there is no limit on who is in the lower grades. Sydney are buying a future, whilst the Knights, Eels etc. are trying to grow on whilst fending off poachers.

 

[roopy]

I think we should spend more - not them spend less.

It is good for the game to have a lot of young guys able to train fulltime - and you can only get that if you spend money.

The budget to run the Knights for a year is about 12 million - and all we can find is a lousy 400,000 for players outside the top 25 - which means most of Premier League this year because we have had so many injuries.

I'd like to see us find a lot more money so we can have most of our lower grade guys in full training, at least for the season - even if they have to work in the off season.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

There should definately be a cap on juniors. Then we will see who the best clubs are. If a cap was introduced a few years ago our team would be up there among the best.

 

[antonius]

I think I posted in another thread somewhere that the Roosters are paying some of their Flegg players more than some of our first graders, that's what you get when you have a rich benefactor. I don't know that the Knights could afford much more Roopy, I mean we borrow money every year now to pay wages etc at the end of every season.

 

[Misanthrope]

Should find a Belgian billionairre to buy us out...

 

[m0j0]

But there's another way to look at it. Paying more money for lower grade players is not necessarily an advantage. There's still the 2nd tier cap to consider. For those unaware, every team is limited to a cap of $300,000 which is counted against the annual salary of any player who is not nominated in the top 25 that plays (even if just for 10 minutes) in first grade.
So if we have, for arguments sake, 6 players in Premier League (or even JF) that are getting paid $50,000 each and they each get a run in first grade at some stage, then we can not introduce anyone else into first grade, outside the top 25, for the remainder of the year. The less the lower grade players are being paid, the more that can have a run in first grade if need be.
An example of the above at the Roosters this year was when Sam Perrit made his first grade debut a few months ago. He didn't even get through the full game and was taken off with a bad ankle sprain (the same injury the Craig Wing sustained in round 1). Now, he's gone for almost the rest of the season, yet his entire salary is counted towards that $300,000 cap. We were going to give someone else (I can't remember who) a run a couple of weeks later but realised we couldn't because we'd already reached the cap. The same thing happened to the Dragons this year.

 

[m0j0]

Should find a Belgian billionairre to buy us out...

...and you could make more money for the club by selling quality chocolates at the same time.

 

[Kaz]

Boo Hoo Hoo.

At least your club has a Jersey Flegg & Premier League side.

Some teams are not allowed to field them. :shock:

Is Hagan related to anyone from the Roosters by any chance.

Wanting Salary Cap changes to suit themselves. ;-)

 

[Bring it home Knights]

so how does the cap work in 1st division and Flegg?

 

[antonius]

In the second tier you can only use up to $300,000 of your lower grades added to your top 25 player cap. As for funding the lower grades there is no limit. The limit only applies when the lower teir are used in first grade.

 

[antonius]

I think if you use any of the lower tier this year the cost is deducted from next years cap. I think that was used when the Dogs wanted to keep their "Over the cap" players a couple of seasons ago when they were in a bit of cap strife.

 

[deedles]

i agree with hages, the roosters flegg team finished undefeated this year because they were able to buy young blokes for an astounding amount of money. there is no way they brought them up through juniors cause... WHAT JUNIORS?? its the beginnings of destroying club loyalty when guys playing sg ball and flegg can be bought by clubs like the roosters, eg they went after kade snowden and offered him a huge salary and a place at bondi, yet he turned them down. its not all about the second tier salray cap or having them play first grade, what about them just completely dominating flegg and reserves. those guys who do play lower grades for the richer teams would be used to such expensive salaries and then when those teams no longer want them, they have nothing or have to take a pay cut to play first grade at another club.

 

[deedles]

Boo Hoo Hoo.

At least your club has a Jersey Flegg & Premier League side.

Some teams are not allowed to field them. :shock:

Is Hagan related to anyone from the Roosters by any chance.

Wanting Salary Cap changes to suit themselves. ;-)

ok the broncos cant have a flegg side cause it is the NSW RUGBY LEAGUE, get it...NEW SOUTH WALES!!!!!!! QLD have their own comp too, and theyre not just feeding into the broncos and cowboys, one of the clubs is a feeder for melbourne, hence where cameron smith and billy slater came from, so stop whinging, they can still play footy

 

[macavity]

Could it also have something to do with the Rooters etc Fleggies etc earning enough to be training F/T, whilst our guys have to work......? They seem bigger and stronger....

I agree that there needs to be some sort of cap. Maybe somewhere in-between what us strugglers spend and what the big boys throw around. Without it there is no reward for helping to develop your own area, rather the incentive is to buy the cream from other's stocks. Anyone who cant see that is damaging to our grass-roots (not to mention Loyalty... something we should be cultivating..) has rocks in their heads.

You can bet your a*se the Rooters would challenge that one in court. B*stards.

 

[Kaz]

Boo Hoo Hoo.

At least your club has a Jersey Flegg & Premier League side.

Some teams are not allowed to field them. :shock:

Is Hagan related to anyone from the Roosters by any chance.

Wanting Salary Cap changes to suit themselves. ;-)

ok the broncos cant have a flegg side cause it is the NSW RUGBY LEAGUE, get it...NEW SOUTH WALES!!!!!!! QLD have their own comp too, and theyre not just feeding into the broncos and cowboys, one of the clubs is a feeder for melbourne, hence where cameron smith and billy slater came from, so stop whinging, they can still play footy

The Knights used to have a feeder club in QLD.

I think it was the Burleigh Bears.

 

[m0j0]

A lot of you think this debate is over the performance of lower grade teams vs other lower grade team. Somehow the subject matter has been twisted (imagine that on this forum!). Hages' gripe is with the quality of players in the lower grades that can be brought into first grade to cover in case of injury.
Like I said, this is not necessarily a positive all round. If these lower graders are being paid first grade wages, as stated, that severely limits the amount of backup players that can cover in cases of injury. For instance, you could only use three $100,000 players or four $75,000 players. After that, you're stuffed.

 

[eddo]

Salary Cap...people.... like a lid...
It's supposed to limit the clubs.

If it's not biting, then it's not worth a pinch.

 

[antonius]

A lot of you think this debate is over the performance of lower grade teams vs other lower grade team. Somehow the subject matter has been twisted (imagine that on this forum!). Hages' gripe is with the quality of players in the lower grades that can be brought into first grade to cover in case of injury.
Like I said, this is not necessarily a positive all round. If these lower graders are being paid first grade wages, as stated, that severely limits the amount of backup players that can cover in cases of injury. For instance, you could only use three $100,000 players or four $75,000 players. After that, you're stuffed.

I think you'll find mOjO that the players used outside your top 25, their value is deducted from your next years cap. NOT the year they played,

 

[m0j0]

A lot of you think this debate is over the performance of lower grade teams vs other lower grade team. Somehow the subject matter has been twisted (imagine that on this forum!). Hages' gripe is with the quality of players in the lower grades that can be brought into first grade to cover in case of injury.
Like I said, this is not necessarily a positive all round. If these lower graders are being paid first grade wages, as stated, that severely limits the amount of backup players that can cover in cases of injury. For instance, you could only use three $100,000 players or four $75,000 players. After that, you're stuffed.

I think you'll find mOjO that the players used outside your top 25, their value is deducted from your next years cap. NOT the year they played,

I'm not saying you're wrong, but that's the first I've heard of that. Both the Roosters and Dragons said that they weren't able to introduce new players to first grade this year as they'd already reached the 2nd tier cap. I don't think it really matters what year it's for as it's $300,000 per year and is separate to the first grade cap.
It's a pity we're not like the Broncos who have former origin and test players playing in QLD Cup and can play for the Broncos at the drop of a hat for $100 per game.