Mike Phillips on verge of Toulouse move

[dullonien]

Well in the article on BBC, this caught my eye:

"After continued requests from Mike over the last 18 months, we've agreed to let Mike go as soon as he can find another club," said Johnson.

No bloody wonder he's looked like he can't be arsed, he obviously doesn't want to be at the O's. Let him go, he's not bloody wanted anyway. Other players continue to give their all, even when they are leaving (Nicky Robinson is an example of giving his all, even though he's leaving Gloucester at the end of the season). Phillips has just been arsing around like a spoilt brat. Just the kinda personality that's holding the O's back, as Cymro has said.

 

[cyRil]

Things don't add up. If he has wanted out for 18 months, why would he sign a 4-year contract extension in March 2010 - 13 months ago...?

 

[SpanishBob]

Conclussion:

HC next year will be an extension of the Top 14. The salary cap policy will kill that competition. Toulouse, Clermont, Racing Metro and Toulon are monopolizing the market. No way Premiership and Magners League teams can compete against that.

Leinster perhaps; Munster is ending a cycle, the welsh teams lose a lot of ground this year and premiership teams have almost half of the french teams budget.

Son, if in the last two years we have had 4 french teams in the quarter finals, next year we coul have four teams in the semifinals.

If salary cap policy does not change, the HC will lose its meaning

 

[Teh Mite]

Conclussion:

HC next year will be an extension of the Top 14. The salary cap policy will kill that competition. Toulouse, Clermont, Racing Metro and Toulon are monopolizing the market. No way Premiership and Magners League teams can compete against that.

Leinster perhaps; Munster is ending a cycle, the welsh teams lose a lot of ground this year and premiership teams have almost half of the french teams budget.

Son, if in the last two years we have had 4 french teams in the quarter finals, next year we coul have four teams in the semifinals.

If salary cap policy does not change, the HC will lose its meaning

This

 

[munstermuffin]

I disagree. Regardless of salary cap you'll always have more French teams but I don't think they are driving a gap between teams and Irish and English team I think can/will continue to stand up and be challenging

 

[Logorrhea]

If salary cap policy does not change, the HC will lose its meaning

I agree with the general point but there is a reason for limiting the amount each club can spend. The question is should it be capped based on income, or just a flat cap across the board. If you are trying to ensure clubs are run correctly then you'd imagine the former is the correct option. If you want to ensure the Exeter can compete with Leicester then its the latter.

I'd go with the former. I think this year is the first year Ive seriously dismissed premiership teams as a force at all. Some quality players but spread far too thin, and nowhere near the depth to compete at the business end of the season. I think it will get worse for the premiership teams, but a blanket removal of the salary cap is not the answer.

 

[SpanishBob]

That's the point. The english salary cap is good por the Premiership, but bad for the Heineken Cup.
The balance is difficult. But the advantage for french teams is too big. The fact is that the advantage grows year after year, because de french salary cap grows almost every year.

If the balance is in risk right now, i can imagine what will happen next year with all blacks, springboks and wallabies flying towards the richest french clubs (not to mention the welsh stars). France will pay the price: the national team will suffer the consequences, and also the Top 14; the gap between top clubs and the rest is getting bigger.

I think this is a mess; nobody wins, everybody lose

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'm sure during the Toulon/USAP match the commentators said that last season Toulon spent €29,000,000
If that's true then that's enough money to run six Aviva teams


Edit:
Stade Francais spend £20m on wages: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8420139.stm
That's almost 5 premiership teams - madness.

 

[Teh Mite]

Or 1 Rooney

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I'm sure during the Toulon/USAP match the commentators said that last season Toulon spent €29,000,000
If that's true then that's enough money to run six Aviva teams


Edit:
Stade Francais spend £20m on wages: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8420139.stm
That's almost 5 premiership teams - madness.

Correct remember the bloke with Ieuan Evans almost having a fit over it also.

 

[TVH11]

And at one time people thought the ospreys were the ones throwing money about Can't believe how much money the french have sometimes, is it self generated or financially backed???
On the Phillips front, if he's been asking to leave for past 18 months, then he should have gone. His form has been poor (could be down to the part he's not happy at the O's), and with the amount of money he's been earning at the ospreys, i'd rather have 2/3 young players wanting to play for the region.

Anyone know if the Magners has a salary cap??? If so, surely the ospreys last year were close to going over, or over???

 

[TRF_Cymro]

And at one time people thought the ospreys were the ones throwing money about Can't believe how much money the french have sometimes, is it self generated or financially backed???
On the Phillips front, if he's been asking to leave for past 18 months, then he should have gone. His form has been poor (could be down to the part he's not happy at the O's), and with the amount of money he's been earning at the ospreys, i'd rather have 2/3 young players wanting to play for the region.

Anyone know if the Magners has a salary cap??? If so, surely the ospreys last year were close to going over, or over???

Think this 18 months thing is misquoted. Last night an interview with Johnson he said 12-15 months ... okay still long but why would he sign a new contact if he was unhappy. Phillips is an oddball.

He ditch this:

for this:

<_< ....

Also there is no salary cap in the Magners seeing as most clubs cannot compete with France for wages then there is little point.

 

[TVH11]

Thanks for clearing the salary cap thingy. On the women front, i guess that Duffy makes happy when she serenades him to sleep??? (obviously when she aint touring ).
You Aberystwyth lot are a bit crazy tho, gigged in the uni once or twice Wild Maybe she was too much for him

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Phillips is a tool he ditched Claire for Duffy in a pretty poor manner. She was Miss Wales

but was reported in the press of course: NOTW TISW

Also this sums Phillips up:

She also told of Phillips's desire to be like David Beckham, saying she found a note which read: "I want to be the Beckham of rugby, have a famous wife, loads of money and good health."

 

[TRF_Olyy]

i guess that Duffy makes happy when she serenades him to sleep???

You heard her sing?
Wouldn't want that wailing in my earhole when I'm trying to get to sleep
(nothing against her singing, but it's not exactly lullaby style )

 

[munstermuffin]

Who is that 1st one.

But fact that most of clubs in ML have input from National Unions they don't need a cap as it is never going to be out of control but here in Ireland the provinces work from a budget and it is like an unofficial cap but flexible as budget isn't just circled around salaries

 

[TVH11]

hahaha yer true, maybe she has a "bedroom voice"

 

[TRF_Cymro]

You heard her sing?
Wouldn't want that wailing in my earhole when I'm trying to get to sleep
(nothing against her singing, but it's not exactly lullaby style )

Especially when you consider who her rumoured father is.

Who is that 1st one.

But fact that most of clubs in ML have input from National Unions they don't need a cap as it is never going to be out of control but here in Ireland the provinces work from a budget and it is like an unofficial cap but flexible as budget isn't just circled around salaries

Claire Evans

Think thats the case in Wales also, budgets are there and the WRU give money based on a variety of reasons but its never enough to allow them to have a high wage budget.

 

[TVH11]

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/2011/04/13/scott-johnson-s-sensational-press-conference-91466-28514564/

Not sure if its already been posted, but its rather entertaining listening to Scott Johnson ranting away.

 

[dullonien]

Johnson makes alot of sense in that interview to be fair. If they're spending all their time with just a few players (as I'm sure it felt like when dealing with the likes of Phillips and Henson), then the teams gonna suffer. I also agree with his comments about getting rid of a player a year early than a year late, although for that to propperly work, you need to be developing the youngster that's gonna replace the star player along the way so he's rwady to step up.

lol at him having a go at the reporter about the word galacticos, and he's proberly right. But there we go, the Western Mail love the term and I can't see them chenging their tune anytime soon.

Johnson seemed very bitter about the Phillips situation imo. Seems like it's best for everybody that he leaves.