How many English players could demand a higher wage in the NRL than they could get over here.

It should be part of the licence agreement to demonstrate you will be in a position to utilize the full cap if required. If the clubs can't they don't get a licence. Simple.

Which of the existing clubs would struggle to meet that requirement now?

Being in a position to do it and doing it are two different things.

So lets say for arguments sake the clubs demonstrate they could spend the full cap but then proceed not to, what happens next?

__________

I'd agree that there should be a minimum cap as well as a maximum cap with all clubs expected to spend between the two figures. Over time the bottom figure should then be increased to close the gap while accepting there will always be some disparity between clubs.

You are a numpty. Andy G and other are correct, you merge two SL in Cas & Wakey and you get virtually no extra support. The majority of Cas fans that don't support this new club will get behind the new Cas team that applies to enter the National League probably 1 to 2 years later, and with good support for a National League club!

Wakefield's biggest problem is SL worst ground by far (ironically, with he best pitch by far!). The know this and are working bloody hard to make a new ground a reality. I think this will put big increases on their gates initially but still then settle down to a good 2k to 3K on their current average. Warrington anyone!

Also, is this the same Wakefield you are knocking for not having improved who won the academy last year and where out and out the best side in that competition, also by far?

Lets also clear this one up, no club breaks the cap, they can't given it's live (unless they run a dodgy, complex and highly illegal financial scam a la Melbourne). You can however use currently non-illegal means to reduce your tax burden and the personal tax burden of some of your players, which means you still spend exactly as much as you are allowed (£1.65m plus extra exceptions) but the players take home more money because they pay less tax.

This is not breaking the cap, or the spirit of the cap, and until HMRC are able to get a legal challenge up-held, it remains legal.

I thought it was the other way round.I'm sure I read that Burgess took a pay cut to go the NRL as did Morley and Ellis.

Ellis took less money to come to Leeds as well. At this rate by the time he finishes he'll be paying a club to let him play.

Quite a few. As the pound is currently very weak and the Australian dollar strong combined with the NRL cap expected to be increased incrimentally over the next few years untill it doubles we will probably see an exodous of our top stars.

How many English players would be wanted by NRL clubs

Graham............O'Loughlin.............?

Like Radlinski?

Similar to that idea, yes.

Except his wife won't be quite so well paid I'm sure.

We're doomed!

Is the right answer.

The game is skint, apart from a handful of clubs, and most of those are wealthy only because they have a wealthy backer. If those guys pulled out those clubs would be up poop creek.

For what it's worth, I dont feel there is a particular need to increase the salary cap, I would however echoe some earlier thoughts around the need to reward teams for producing home grown talent.

I believe that any squad member who has come through the teams academy structure should still count on the 25/25 (or whatever it is now) list, but that 50% of their salary should not count on the cap. I would leave a limit (25/25) to stop teams stock piling all of the youngsters, but I really think teams should be rewarded for not only producing the talent, but for sticking by these players and giving them the opportunity to cement a place in the first team squad. The reason I choose 50% of their salary is that, if you take a player like Sinfield, he has become a mafor member of our squad and will no doubt be one of the bigger wages, therefore to only give an allowance of 25k, wouldn't make that much of a dent in his salary.

Following a principle similar to this would hopefully encourage more clubs to stick with young, homegrown talent, rather than bringing in average foriegners. Dont want to have a dig at any particular teams, but do we (as a league) really need to be relying on players like Julian Rinaldi?