How to reduce ESL's addiction to overseas stars

[nqboy]

http://www.totalrl.com/martynsadler/index.htm

One of the biggest current issues facing Super League is the proliferation of overseas players, which continues despite the apparent desire of almost everyone within the British game to reduce our reliance on non-British players.

Although the Super League clubs will operate next season with a quota of three overseas players, the reality is that a relaxation of the rules about what constitutes a ‘quota’ player means that clubs can drive a coach and horses through that particular ruling. Most overseas players can now be accommodated on the roster of a Super League club without being a quota player.

Because of European-wide employment legislation, it is difficult to prevent clubs from employing overseas stars if they want to recruit them. Ultimately, however, we all want to see more young British stars coming to the fore.

Is there any action that could be taken to persuade our clubs to develop their own talent?

Maybe the money that Super League clubs receive from Sky could come into the equation. Currently they all receive £750,000 per annum as their share of Super League’s TV income. What I would like to see is the clubs getting a guaranteed part of that sum, but with the difference to depend on the number of domestic stars on a club’s books.

For example, we could have a system that guarantees each club a basic payment of £550,000, with an additional £10,000 for each player in a club’s 20/20 squad (their 20 leading players) who qualifies to play for Great Britain. No club would therefore receive the full £750,000.
For example, Warrington’s 2005 squad is revealed in this issue of ‘Rugby Leaguer & League Express’, and I calculate that 13 of their leading 20 players qualify for Great Britain. That means that they would receive £680,000 as their share of the TV monies for 2005.

The monies saved by Super League could then be invested in the grass roots of the game to generate more youngsters who would come through to fill those places currently taken by players who will never play for Great Britain.

No doubt the Super League clubs would find this proposal much too difficult.

Excellent proposal, me thinks.

 

[innsaneink]

London Broncs would just lurrrve it, I dont think.

 

[nqboy]

The proposal is for the betterment of Rugby League, not the London Broncos. The clubs have far too much say in the running of the game over in Old Blighty as well it seems.

 

[innsaneink]

No shit?

Incase you missed it, my post was a sarcastic dig at the Broncs, at the amount of 'international' players on their books.

Mark O'Halloran, Steve Trindall, Mark Tookey, Lee Hopkins, Mark McLinden, Luke Dorn, Tyrone Smith, Zebastion Luisi, Solomon Haumono, Anthony Armour, Thomas Leuluai, Nick Bradley Qalilawa, Danny Williams, Filimone Lolohea

 

[nqboy]

No, I didn't miss it, I just flew off the handle anyway. Clubs strangling Rugby League gives me the shits.

 

[innsaneink]

I guess thats what happens when it goes from a game to a multi million dollar business.

 

[League Freak™]

Thats one of the most stupid ideas Ive ever seen.

 

[Razor]

Good idea, but it won't stand up in court if any of the clubs tested it.

 

[AdamH]

The ESL clubs buy Aussie/NZ players for security. The lower clubs have to survive the drop to the national leagues. Instead of blooding players for the club's future, the club is looking for instant safety by buying ready-made players. I believe it is time for SL to cut promotion-relegation and operate in a similar manner to the NRL.

For example, Souths can blood a few young players (i.e. Joe Williams) knowing that they will still be competing at the highest level next season. Also, by having a set number, the clubs could plan their financial future with much more assurance.

 

[Front-Rower]

The ESL clubs buy Aussie/NZ players for security. The lower clubs have to survive the drop to the national leagues. Instead of blooding players for the club's future, the club is looking for instant safety by buying ready-made players. I believe it is time for SL to cut promotion-relegation and operate in a similar manner to the NRL.

For example, Souths can blood a few young players (i.e. Joe Williams) knowing that they will still be competing at the highest level next season. Also, by having a set number, the clubs could plan their financial future with much more assurance.

That in theroy is the way to go. However with the set up in England, its a bit hard to to have a Super League and keep the winners of the 1st division league run by the RFL in England out of News Ltd's premier competition.

 

[nqboy]

Thats one of the most stupid ideas Ive ever seen.

Okay, but what are your reasons?

Razor, What law would the RFL be breaching if they changed their consitutuion or whatever to stipulate this system? It's their money, surely they can spend it however they want.

 

[Razor]

Razor, What law would the RFL be breaching if they changed their consitutuion or whatever to stipulate this system? It's their money, surely they can spend it however they want.

Restraint of trade.

It is their money and they don't have to give the clubs money, but if the ESL gives more money to clubs who buy more GB players that is the bit that will catch them. Although the 'maximum 5 imports' rule is also a restraint of trade though.

 

[AdamH]

The ESL clubs buy Aussie/NZ players for security. The lower clubs have to survive the drop to the national leagues. Instead of blooding players for the club's future, the club is looking for instant safety by buying ready-made players. I believe it is time for SL to cut promotion-relegation and operate in a similar manner to the NRL.

For example, Souths can blood a few young players (i.e. Joe Williams) knowing that they will still be competing at the highest level next season. Also, by having a set number, the clubs could plan their financial future with much more assurance.

That in theroy is the way to go. However with the set up in England, its a bit hard to to have a Super League and keep the winners of the 1st division league run by the RFL in England out of News Ltd's premier competition.

Yeah I agree. In thoery it sounds like it'd work but I'm guessing there'd be a lot of opposition towards such a change.

 

[Man_of_Steel_1982]

The ESL clubs buy Aussie/NZ players for security. The lower clubs have to survive the drop to the national leagues. Instead of blooding players for the club's future, the club is looking for instant safety by buying ready-made players. I believe it is time for SL to cut promotion-relegation and operate in a similar manner to the NRL.

For example, Souths can blood a few young players (i.e. Joe Williams) knowing that they will still be competing at the highest level next season. Also, by having a set number, the clubs could plan their financial future with much more assurance.

That in theroy is the way to go. However with the set up in England, its a bit hard to to have a Super League and keep the winners of the 1st division league run by the RFL in England out of News Ltd's premier competition.

Yeah I agree. In thoery it sounds like it'd work but I'm guessing there'd be a lot of opposition towards such a change.

It is a good idea.
It would encourage more teams to blood young guys, without the threat of dropping out of Super League. They'd need to either have a bigger national comp (with more teams) or start fresh with new clubs (which could never happen).
As you say - in theory, it would work.

 

[nqboy]

Thanks Razor. Restraint of Trade is a catch-all term that I don't really understand bandied around by many who I'm guessing don't understand it any better than I do.

It's typical though - The Law is an Ass. Some well-intentioned initiative like this torpedoed by a legal technicality that supports those with short-sighted objectives and without the good of the game at heart.

 

[shaggy]

just do what they did in the early 80s & ban all imports
this way the british game grows through british players cumming through the ranks there4 competing @ test level in every game

all the aussies & kiwis cum bk & play in the nrl there4 there is enough 4 all 3 expnasion teams maybe more which leads 2 divions

so every1 wins

 

[Bullseye]

just do what they did in the early 80s & ban all imports
this way the british game grows through british players cumming through the ranks there4 competing @ test level in every game

all the aussies & kiwis cum bk & play in the nrl there4 there is enough 4 all 3 expnasion teams maybe more which leads 2 divions

so every1 wins

The last time all imports were banned the British game went further backwards than ever. Anyone remember the pathetic results in 1979 and 84? British players need to be playing alongside the best so as to have something to aspire to.

The answer is to give clubs encouragement to play more British players and to make it harder for non rep standard players to get clubs or work permits. Outside the top 3 teams the standard of import in SL is pretty poor.

Extra funding is needed as an incentive rather than cutting it. However this has to be in conjunction with a grass roots scheme to get more kids playing the game. RL in GB is a minority sport compared with Australia and has far fewer kids playing the game.

The challenge is to make it an incentive based scheme that is accessible to all and fair to all. Some clubs will find it much easier to field British players than others because of the scale of RL in their areas. For example Leeds have an advantage over London.