Perfect opportunity for the NRL...

[Coastbloke]

Maybe now David Gallop will realise that players don't like to be told they must be the least piad of the 4 codes - yet play THE toughest and most athletic code...

What SBW did was a dog act, but how many of us has huffed and puffed at work and when management ignored you that once to much, you got a better offer. How good did it feel to say - metaphorically speaking - f**k off....

Time for a serious pow wow by the NRL and not the recent excuse for a long lunch...

More players will do this if the NRL doesn't allow 3rs party payments and lucrative sponsorships..They don't have to increase the cap. But if a business wants to pay SBW or another player a couple of million to spruik their product then so be it...

Look at SOO and Tests and such it beggars belief that AFL, Yawnion and A League Stars get more than League players... SBW today was a stark example of players not willing to tolerate it any further.

 

[Parra]

Look at SOO and Tests and such it beggars belief that AFL, Yawnion and A League Stars get more than League players... SBW today was a stark example of players not willing to tolerate it any further.

Don't look at the last few years of SOO if you want to win that argument.


The real cash comes from club footy in all codes. What RL needs to do to compete is boost club footy, not demonstration games.

 

[Sunshine Coast Tiger]

Maybe now David Gallop will realise that players don't like to be told they must be the least piad of the 4 codes - yet play THE toughest and most athletic code...

What SBW did was a dog act, but how many of us has huffed and puffed at work and when management ignored you that once to much, you got a better offer. How good did it feel to say - metaphorically speaking - f**k off....

Time for a serious pow wow by the NRL and not the recent excuse for a long lunch...

More players will do this if the NRL doesn't allow 3rs party payments and lucrative sponsorships..They don't have to increase the cap. But if a business wants to pay SBW or another player a couple of million to spruik their product then so be it...

Look at SOO and Tests and such it beggars belief that AFL, Yawnion and A League Stars get more than League players... SBW today was a stark example of players not willing to tolerate it any further.

Agree with most of what you say. The only problem I see is the better supported clubs (sponsor wise) could attract all the best players with 3rd party payments making the salary cap redunt.

I would hate to think that the majority of the elite players end up at only 3-4 clubs. Maybe 3rd party payments to players need to be limited to 1 or 2 per club to help spread the top talent to all 16 teams.

 

[COB]

If things dont change then the NRL will soon resemble the A-League , all the good players playing in Europe.
SBW and Gasnier have shown the way for all young players to follow.

 

[VictoryFC]

If things dont change then the NRL will soon resemble the A-League , all the good players playing in Europe.
SBW and Gasnier have shown the way for all young players to follow.

The funny thing is that while NRL is really experiencing for the first time a real player drain, the A-League, and soccer in Australia is going the other way. Sure, the best of the best will always leave, but people will, and to a large extent have come to expect that.

On the other hand, they are bringing in more experienced players who would have otherwise stayed in Europe longer, back to Australia more quickly. The foreign imports are getting better, as clubs are looking to earth real talent rather than washed up marquee players.

Furthermore, the youth league will improve a number of the young players who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to play competitive football..........AND....on top of that recent changes to development of players will ensure that the A-League will blood much more quality, to make up for the best that do go abroad.

Sorry, just had to clear that up. The A-Leagues got no problems in this regard, its only looking up, not down.

 

[Perth Red]

How sustainable is it for French RU though? Gooses that lay golden eggs only last so long. How long befofre these players are crawling back to RL becuase A) RU is such a cr4p game B) The grass wasn't greener on the other side C) Money isn't everything when you are a sportsman D) Dog sh1t on the pavement does your head in so much you want to get out of France!

 

[GCR]

The funny thing is that while NRL is really experiencing for the first time a real player drain, the A-League, and soccer in Australia is going the other way. Sure, the best of the best will always leave, but people will, and to a large extent have come to expect that.

On the other hand, they are bringing in more experienced players who would have otherwise stayed in Europe longer, back to Australia more quickly. The foreign imports are getting better, as clubs are looking to earth real talent rather than washed up marquee players.

Furthermore, the youth league will improve a number of the young players who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to play competitive football..........AND....on top of that recent changes to development of players will ensure that the A-League will blood much more quality, to make up for the best that do go abroad.

Sorry, just had to clear that up. The A-Leagues got no problems in this regard, its only looking up, not down.

Well go and watch soccer then you twinkie.

 

[VictoryFC]

Well go and watch soccer then you twinkie.

I do. Its off season now. :lol::lol:

 

[Nz]

Salary Cap has got to go.

 

[NK Arsenal]

Keep the cap.

But don't make third party agreements part of it ffs.

 

[Non Terminator]

Salary Cap has got to go.

And go back to the days of cashed up clubs having free reign?
There's alot of things I hate about the cap, but damn it makes the competition alot more closer than it would be without it.

 

[Sunshine Coast Tiger]

Salary Cap has got to go.

You may as well have a 4 team comp if you get rid of the salary cap. Only 4 teams will have the dollars to win.

Look at EPL the season hasn't started yet but I guarantee that only one of the top four teams will win. Why they spend the most on players.

What happens to other teams. Well every time you produce a good player one of the top 4 teams comes in and buys them.

I think getting rid of the salary cap will kill the game faster than the losses of some key players to another code.

Imagine all the fans of teams that don't have the money,you would lose interest very quickly when you realise your team will never win the comp.

The current salary cap at least gives you hope going into each season

 

[Eels Dude]

The funny thing is that while NRL is really experiencing for the first time a real player drain, the A-League, and soccer in Australia is going the other way. Sure, the best of the best will always leave, but people will, and to a large extent have come to expect that.

On the other hand, they are bringing in more experienced players who would have otherwise stayed in Europe longer, back to Australia more quickly. The foreign imports are getting better, as clubs are looking to earth real talent rather than washed up marquee players.

Furthermore, the youth league will improve a number of the young players who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to play competitive football..........AND....on top of that recent changes to development of players will ensure that the A-League will blood much more quality, to make up for the best that do go abroad.

Sorry, just had to clear that up. The A-Leagues got no problems in this regard, its only looking up, not down.

The best will always leave, as will the next best, and the mediocre. The A League will have to make do with the 'rest of' and end of their career has beens who no one cares about seeing anyway.

You're kidding yourself if you think the A League is only looking up. All the clubs are operating at a loss and will continue to do so, especially without any rich tv contract or long term sponsorship.

They're going to have to cut back spending sooner or later, and once they do, their squads and player retention and recruitment will suffer. You only have to look at the NBL to see how things can so easily go from being good to disastrous in the space of a couple of years.

Soccer has been the dominant junior sport for years, decades probably, yet still we're so far behind the rest of the world it isn't funny. It doesn't matter how many great juniors we develop. If they're good enough they'll head overseas anyway, and as that continues to happen the A League will still be considered a second rate competition. Not only in regards to other football leagues, but in comparison to other sports in Australia also.

 

[bartman]

Salary cap has to stay.

But the league should get more professional in negotiating sponsorships and third party deals with sponsors generally, which can then be tapped into by the likes of the SBWs of the world.

But I reckon he still would have reneged on his contract and chased some coin, simply because his new manger hadn't had a cut of any deal yet, and didn't want to wait another three years to make some money out of him.

Let's not chase these greedy merkins and their merkin managers and wreck the game trying to keep them in a sport that they will trade for money at the first option. f**k them. Let them go.

Eight years ago no-one knew or cared about Sonny Bill, and the game wasn't poorer for it. In eight years time no-one will remember him either. (Insert any players' name for SBW's).The point is that the game continually creates elite classy players that are a joy to watch - who cares if they get greedy at some point during their career and disappear up their own arses like this? There are always more players coming through for us to watch and enjoy.

 

[Perth Red]

Keep the cap and have centralised 3rd party deals organsied by the NRL. That way no club gets to benefit and the player keeps the 3rd party deal regardless of who he plays for. Increasing payments for SOO and Int's would also help.

Having said that I would rather see low lifes like SBW take the $ and run than stay in the game as they are scum who don't deserve the rewards our great game can give them.

 

[Parra]

The salary cap should go. It was never meant to create a level playing field - that was what the draft was for. The cap was put in place to protect clubs from their own stupid administrators. The players union vetoed the draft, so we are left with a salary cap as a device for distributing talent - and it is a useless device in this regard anyway.

The cap should go and then some attrition could take place based on market forces, rather than the desires of News Ltd.

Using A-League Soccer as an example of a success formula is a joke - it is a comp filled with overrated locals and table scaps from the rest of the world. The fact is that some fans fall for it - but what sort of fans are these?

 

[maccattack]

I believe part of the solution lies in education. History, not enough is made of it.

How many players are aware of the treatment dished out to Leaguies by union authorities in the past?

How many RL supporters know about the Vichy episode?

If I were playing in the NRL and was offered a contract with a French rugby union club I would say 'No thank you, my conscience would not allow me to play for the betterment of an organisation which has done and continues to do so much damage to the sport that has made me what I am today.

I couldnt possibly put the fans through the embarrassment and humiliation of one of their star players accepting the coin of an organisation that has all but destroyed the great game of rugby league in France and never been held accountable for it or made any attempt at compensation.

That aside, as a sportsmen of conscience I would know that I am not fully challenging myself by playing rugby union and this would way heavily on my mind.

I feel I owe it to myself, my fellow players the fans past present and future to reject your offer and warmly welcome you to place the money in a big brown box, attach a 'sorry' card to it and post it to the French Rugby League."

In fact I would say it on French TV.

 

[Once Dead]

I believe part of the solution lies in education. History, not enough is made of it.

How many players are aware of the treatment dished out to Leaguies by union authorities in the past?

How many RL supporters know about the Vichy episode?

If I were playing in the NRL and was offered a contract with a French rugby union club I would say 'No thank you, my conscience would not allow me to play for the betterment of an organisation which has done and continues to do so much damage to the sport that has made me what I am today.

I couldnt possibly put the fans through the embarrassment and humiliation of one of their star players accepting the coin of an organisation that has all but destroyed the great game of rugby league in France and never been held accountable for it or made any attempt at compensation.

That aside, as a sportsmen of conscience I would know that I am not fully challenging myself by playing rugby union and this would way heavily on my mind.

I feel I owe it to myself, my fellow players the fans past present and future to reject your offer and warmly welcome you to place the money in a big brown box, attach a 'sorry' card to it and post it to the French Rugby League."

In fact I would say it on French TV.

I'd love to see a player get the balls to do it........if they want to screw around, it's war.

I'd love for them to dredge up the past and shove the truth in people's faces.

 

[j0nesy]

Sorry, just had to clear that up. The A-Leagues got no problems in this regard, its only looking up, not down.

You are in complete denial mate, all Australian sports are facing a similar dilema, even cricket (courtesy of the IPL). The only difference between the A-League and NRL is that that the NRL has a large number of class players to lose, whereas the A-League does not have many at all and can only go forwards.

To put it simply we (Australia) don't have the financial backing to stand up to the European sports. That doesn't mean we should give up though, one of the many things the A-League is doing well is to allow for a "marquee player" perhaps the NRL could look at this. I think we need to face the facts that we are never going to keep all our best players, but we atleast need to avoid losing all of them.

 

[HevyDevy]

Salary cap has to stay.

But the league should get more professional in negotiating sponsorships and third party deals with sponsors generally, which can then be tapped into by the likes of the SBWs of the world.

But I reckon he still would have reneged on his contract and chased some coin, simply because his new manger hadn't had a cut of any deal yet, and didn't want to wait another three years to make some money out of him.

Let's not chase these greedy merkins and their merkin managers and wreck the game trying to keep them in a sport that they will trade for money at the first option. f**k them. Let them go.

Eight years ago no-one knew or cared about Sonny Bill, and the game wasn't poorer for it. In eight years time no-one will remember him either. (Insert any players' name for SBW's).The point is that the game continually creates elite classy players that are a joy to watch - who cares if they get greedy at some point during their career and disappear up their own arses like this? There are always more players coming through for us to watch and enjoy.

That's a flawed argument Bartman. The game is losing players faster than they can replace them. If 10 first-graders leave the NRL in a year, the 10 players that come in are not as good as them yet. They may go on to become greats but that will take a few years.

If 10 players leave every year, the game just can't keep up. That is exactly what has been happening for the past few years and is the main reason why the quality of footy this season has been turd.