I don't disagree that the comp seems unfair at the moment and I do believe many Rugby League fans have Storm and Roosters fatigue, especially the Storm. I think their dominance is starting to really harm the NRL product. In saying that I don't think their advantages in the last 5 years or so is due to the salary cap not working or them able to secure talent unfairly. I hate to say it but I just think they are an extremely professional outfit, they are spot on with their recruitment, retention, fitness and training and they know how to take advantage of the rules better than most clubs. Roosters are similar. It's interesting that both clubs are in areas which aren't League heartland, perhaps this extra competition with other codes has pushed them to be better?
Quite a good argument. I will definitely agree with you regarding the professionalism of both the Storm and the Roosters - I don’t think that’s ever really in question.
I will argue though the salary cap is ineffective on a few counts
1. It is incredibly hard to police, in fact as you have seen the ease in which the Bulldogs and Storm paid over the cap, the extent and in the Storm’s case the duration of the rort shows it is near on impossible. The only reason that those two were caught were due to rather disgruntled or concerned ex-employees.
2. The salary cap doesn’t factor in location, it doesn’t factor in juniors and development - it doesn’t factor in anything really. The blind assumption that a dollar equals a dollar wherever you go is completely oblivious to aspects of location and how desirable it is, connection to business and corporates et al. This is made even worse with the introduction of TPA’s. Essentially the salary cap is anti-regional and incredibly inflexible. You only have to look at the a few teams that have dominated to join the dots.
3.) It is antithetical to expansion. The only way in which you can properly expand the competition, particular to areas that aren't a RL area is through a draft or something concurrent to a salary cap. Even the Dolphins in a strong RL area and with a coach like Wayne Bennett are reduced to offering ridiculous over the market rates
4.) Player managers have way too much power. How many players in the last few years have essentially leaned on a club to get a release and immediately gone to a club for more money. Contracts should mean something - at least if you have a points system or have a cap on recruitment you wrestle some control back from player managers and back to clubs
My last point on the salary cap is this. If you go back to the cap post Super League was much lower with had one particular distinct effect: the issue of money was more significant. If you are an above average player and your current club offers $300k and a competitor offers you $500k, the increase is a lot greater 66%; if on the other hand, your current club is offering you $600k and a competitor offers you $750 or $800k, the increase in dollar terms is the same but the real increase is a lot less and you would be more inclined to stay in the second option. Now this is not to disparage players earning more money, but the more money you have in a system the more advantages wealthier clubs or the clubs currently doing well on the field ; unless you put in place a secondary counter balancing mechanism in place