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Recent Salary cap stories...

As mentioned it sounds like the parties where going to take the PRL to court if the PRL tried anything and I guess the PRL don't want **** to go down right before the biggest rugby tournament in the world is about to be played on home soil.
 
I'm not convinced removing the salary cap will lead to anything other than the rich teams buying the ***le.

If you want rid of the salary cap then it will have a negative impact on the national team. France being a prime example. Nowhere near the team they used to be purely because there is far less young talent coming through.

As for the recent allegations of breaking the salary cap (if they have indeed broke the rules, I'm no expect nor privy to clubs financial records) then it would be fair that a deduction of points for the start of next season.

That would require the said rugby body to grow a pair though!
 
So Saints seem to be the 3rd club that broke the cap.

And the investigation are never going to happen due to arm breaking and back room deals.
 
Spewing.

If they don't like the rules of the competition they chose to be in, then they're welcome to **** off.
Don't blatantly break the rules then kick off when people call you on it.



Be funny to see Saints fans forum's reaction to this - when it all came to light they were all kicking off saying it was Tigers who were definitely cheats and that they were pure scum etc.etc. butter wouldn't melt in Saints' mouth.
 
TRF_Olyy said:
If they don't like the rules of the competition they chose to be in, then they're welcome to **** off.
Don't blatantly break the rules then kick off when people call you on it.
Click to expand...


Here, here... I've always thought that the claims of "salary caps are restraint of trade" were palpably ******** - are there any lawyers (and i do mean actual lawyers, not people who dabble) who could confirm/deny?
Either the other clubs are afraid that the above scenario could be true, or they are worried about the potential negative PR.
 
I'm no lawyer, but the whole restriction of trade argument doesn't seem to hold water to me.
Saints/Saracens/Bath are welcome to pay their players whatever they want, they just can't then play in the Aviva Premiership, a private competition, with wages that high.
They can play whoever wants to play them, they can still function as a club, they're just not allowed to play in that competition - they're not being forced to shut up shop or anything.
 
I agree - it doesn't make an ounce of sense to me, either.

I'm just trying to get a handle on what would be preventing those clubs who aren't cheating from pushing on with the investigation.
 
When you're rich enough you can afford lawyers good/dodgy enough to prove whatever you want them to prove, I guess.



I did hear earlier that Bruce Craig has a lot of pull with a major sponsor and one word from him could cause them to pull out - wouldn't necessarily hurt Bath/Sarries (with their bajillionaire backers), but clubs like Sale/Newcastle/London Irish etc. who need every penny wouldn't be able to handle the loss of cash.
 
ratsapprentice said:
I agree - it doesn't make an ounce of sense to me, either.

I'm just trying to get a handle on what would be preventing those clubs who aren't cheating from pushing on with the investigation.
Click to expand...

A vote on dropping the investigations was bundled into a vote with expanding the league - all or nothing package - or so I've read.
 
ratsapprentice said:
I agree - it doesn't make an ounce of sense to me, either.

I'm just trying to get a handle on what would be preventing those clubs who aren't cheating from pushing on with the investigation.
Click to expand...
Speculating aloud, could be lots of reasons:
  1. The other clubs don't have the means to call an investigation
  2. The other clubs don't want to devalue their league by dragging it through a salary cap investigation. The potential harm to their profit margins is seen as worse than the injustice of teams breaking the cap
  3. The other clubs feel an investigation is unlikely to give enough evidence
  4. The other clubs are worried about the rule breakers breaking away. Probably wouldn't happen in a knee-jerk way, but fraying relations could mean certain clubs look into the long-term possibility of an English-French(-South African?) league
  5. There is actually merit in the restriction of trade argument
  6. The other clubs are worried that such an investigation will prompt a much quicker ditching of the salary cap. The salary cap at least keeps a number of other teams in line, and those breaking the cap would probably go even further without a cap to reel them in. From e.g. Falcons perspective, a faulty cap is better than no cap.
 
7. The club's are not breaking the salary cap according to the rules but using loop holes within it to circumvent it. I'd imagine things like...paying Ford Sr. more money for Ford Jr. I can also imagine a scenario where they can claim the salary cap applies to only AP games and they use jiggery pokery to move around that. Simple put it wont be as simple as pay total x players flat salary y amount.
 
TRF_Olyy said:
Spewing.

If they don't like the rules of the competition they chose to be in, then they're welcome to **** off.
Don't blatantly break the rules then kick off when people call you on it.

Be funny to see Saints fans forum's reaction to this - when it all came to light they were all kicking off saying it was Tigers who were definitely cheats and that they were pure scum etc.etc. butter wouldn't melt in Saints' mouth.
Click to expand...
I had a little read of their "Victor Matfield" thread. The salary cap thing was brought up by two people in 70 replies. Sidestepping the issue by ignoring it? :p
 
j'nuh said:
I had a little read of their "Victor Matfield" thread. The salary cap thing was brought up by two people in 70 replies. Sidestepping the issue by ignoring it? :p
Click to expand...

I think victor was the 2nd marque player allowed under the new rules so not really an issue.

Secondly as we had one of the smallest squads in the premiership for the last couple of years and were breaking the cap that's some poor accounting by someone! If your going to be breaking the cap at least do a bath and buy a load of players in!
 
j'nuh said:
Speculating aloud, could be lots of reasons:
  1. The other clubs don't have the means to call an investigation
  2. The other clubs don't want to devalue their league by dragging it through a salary cap investigation. The potential harm to their profit margins is seen as worse than the injustice of teams breaking the cap
  3. The other clubs feel an investigation is unlikely to give enough evidence
  4. The other clubs are worried about the rule breakers breaking away. Probably wouldn't happen in a knee-jerk way, but fraying relations could mean certain clubs look into the long-term possibility of an English-French(-South African?) league
  5. There is actually merit in the restriction of trade argument
  6. The other clubs are worried that such an investigation will prompt a much quicker ditching of the salary cap. The salary cap at least keeps a number of other teams in line, and those breaking the cap would probably go even further without a cap to reel them in. From e.g. Falcons perspective, a faulty cap is better than no cap.
Click to expand...
ncurd said:
7. The club's are not breaking the salary cap according to the rules but using loop holes within it to circumvent it. I'd imagine things like...paying Ford Sr. more money for Ford Jr. I can also imagine a scenario where they can claim the salary cap applies to only AP games and they use jiggery pokery to move around that. Simple put it wont be as simple as pay total x players flat salary y amount.
Click to expand...
8. More than just three teams are breaking the cap (Not that we have seen any evidence that anyone is breaking the cap)
 
But for action to be taken against both clubs it would need a 100 per cent agreement from the stakeholders.
Click to expand...
http://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/late...rship-salary-cap-breaches-will-go-unpunished/

This is why.

I don't understand. If salary cap investigations require 100 per cent agreement, why can't teams just deliberately break the cap knowing that they can block any investigation coming towards them? The salary cap is literally worthless then.

What is the point of watching Premiership rugby when the behind the scene politics stinks this much? Half tempted to follow the Pro12 instead.
 
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As I've been saying for a long time (much to Tallshort's chagrin) - you can't trust PRL as far as you can throw them.
 
j'nuh said:
What is the point of watching Premiership rugby when the behind the scene politics stinks this much? Half tempted to follow the Pro12 instead.
Click to expand...

Welcome to my world!

(In fairness, there's dirt there too. It's a dirty world.)
 
Maybe if every team team that is beaten by said teams objects quoting in - elligable team...................
 
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