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http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/fulton-set-to-be-fall-guy-as-as-cap-bites-tigers/2009/02/12/1234028208370.html?page=2
Fulton set to be fall guy as as cap bites Tigers
Greg Prichard | February 13, 2009
WESTS TIGERS are likely to be forced to cut lock Liam Fulton from their playing roster for this season due to salary cap pressure.
NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert is set to tell the club they must make a sizeable financial re-adjustment before the start of this season or face a fine.
There have been suggestions Fulton, who has two years left on his contract, might be loaned to English club Huddersfield for this season and return to the Tigers for next year, but indications are the 2005 champions would struggle to get such a "parking" arrangement approved by the strict Schubert. It now appears more likely they will move to end their contractual arrangement with Fulton - as long as his management can strike a deal in England.
"It [the Fulton move] was on the agenda late last year, then off the agenda, but it could be back on," Tigers chief executive Scott Longmuir said yesterday. "We've talked to some English clubs, but I don't want to speculate too much on whether it might happen in case it doesn't come to fruition."
Longmuir did say the Tigers had discussed the possibility of a move with the 24-year-old Fulton, who was on the interchange bench when the Tigers won the grand final over North Queensland three seasons ago.
"Liam is open to the idea of playing over there [Britain]," Longmuir said. "And, if it happened, we believe it could be good for him. He's a young bloke, and it could be a great life experience for him. It could help the maturing process for him, both as a player and a person."
Circumstances forced the Tigers over the cap last year and they need to get back under it by the time this season starts. "You're always reviewing your roster, and sometimes you have to tweak things," Longmuir said. "Ian Schubert has done his audit at the club. He looks at 2008 and comes up with a decision on where he thinks you're at for 2009, and we're waiting for his final advice now.
"We should receive that within a few days. After we have a look at it, we will have the opportunity to counter it with our own view. A club's situation under the salary cap is constantly changing. Sometimes, you can get a lot of injuries, and the players who come in receive match payments that have to go under the following year's cap. It can be the same with bonuses. All clubs go through this sort of process."
There has been speculation the Tigers would have to shed as many as three players, with centre Dean Collis another mentioned as a possibility to go, but Longmuir said it would not come to that. "We won't be losing three players," he said.
Asked if Collis might be on the move because of the salary cap issue, the player's manager, David Riolo, replied: "Dean is not going anywhere."
WTF???????????? How the hell can this be an issue? We retain the also rans - Galea, Payne Trimarchi and shop off Fulton. We must be paying the also rans too much money compared to other clubs- no wonder they are keen to find WT's McDonnell for their signature.
Clean out the board and recruitment / coaching staff- something is terribly wrong somewhere.
Fulton set to be fall guy as as cap bites Tigers
Greg Prichard | February 13, 2009
WESTS TIGERS are likely to be forced to cut lock Liam Fulton from their playing roster for this season due to salary cap pressure.
NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert is set to tell the club they must make a sizeable financial re-adjustment before the start of this season or face a fine.
There have been suggestions Fulton, who has two years left on his contract, might be loaned to English club Huddersfield for this season and return to the Tigers for next year, but indications are the 2005 champions would struggle to get such a "parking" arrangement approved by the strict Schubert. It now appears more likely they will move to end their contractual arrangement with Fulton - as long as his management can strike a deal in England.
"It [the Fulton move] was on the agenda late last year, then off the agenda, but it could be back on," Tigers chief executive Scott Longmuir said yesterday. "We've talked to some English clubs, but I don't want to speculate too much on whether it might happen in case it doesn't come to fruition."
Longmuir did say the Tigers had discussed the possibility of a move with the 24-year-old Fulton, who was on the interchange bench when the Tigers won the grand final over North Queensland three seasons ago.
"Liam is open to the idea of playing over there [Britain]," Longmuir said. "And, if it happened, we believe it could be good for him. He's a young bloke, and it could be a great life experience for him. It could help the maturing process for him, both as a player and a person."
Circumstances forced the Tigers over the cap last year and they need to get back under it by the time this season starts. "You're always reviewing your roster, and sometimes you have to tweak things," Longmuir said. "Ian Schubert has done his audit at the club. He looks at 2008 and comes up with a decision on where he thinks you're at for 2009, and we're waiting for his final advice now.
"We should receive that within a few days. After we have a look at it, we will have the opportunity to counter it with our own view. A club's situation under the salary cap is constantly changing. Sometimes, you can get a lot of injuries, and the players who come in receive match payments that have to go under the following year's cap. It can be the same with bonuses. All clubs go through this sort of process."
There has been speculation the Tigers would have to shed as many as three players, with centre Dean Collis another mentioned as a possibility to go, but Longmuir said it would not come to that. "We won't be losing three players," he said.
Asked if Collis might be on the move because of the salary cap issue, the player's manager, David Riolo, replied: "Dean is not going anywhere."
WTF???????????? How the hell can this be an issue? We retain the also rans - Galea, Payne Trimarchi and shop off Fulton. We must be paying the also rans too much money compared to other clubs- no wonder they are keen to find WT's McDonnell for their signature.
Clean out the board and recruitment / coaching staff- something is terribly wrong somewhere.
