Salford looking to make one more signing

rlhttp://www.sportinglife.com/rugby-league/news/article/480/9154905/salford-eye-one-more-signingrl

Any speculation?

Sinfield

Sam Burgess?

Lee Smith.

Thought it was SBW he was always spouting on about.

Anyway, whilst I agree that the salary cap should be amended to allow such a thing. It shouldn't happen until everyone is of the same understanding, rather than one club having someone lined up ahead of the rest.

I was thinking Kevin Pietersen

No Dr Koukhash. No you can't.

If there were to be exemptions, they would have to be available to any club who can afford it. Which probably covers Wigan, Wire, Leeds and probably Saints and Hull as well.

There would have to be limits and strict criteria. Even then I'm not convinced it would be fair.

Can one club suddenly do it a few days before their first competitive match (and after the first competitive match)? Obviously not. That would be utterly ridiculous. If there were to be exemptions, I'd prefer it to be for home-grown players, which in turn would free up some cash for imports, but only for clubs who could demonstrate a commitment to bringing through their own players.

I'm all for characters, and he's certainly that, but I am beginning to wish he'd just STFU now. The salary cap was in place when he bought in. Deal with it. Lobby behind the scenes for change, demonstrating how that change is to be financed. Build a rugby business that can actually sustain that level of spending (Salford must have the same revenue as my local One Stop shop, only with fewer regular customers). Just stop gobbing off about what a Billy Big B*ll**ks you are in the papers every 2 days.

To date the mighty Red Devils Empire has demonstrated that his approach delivers precisely nowt on the pitch. That may (hopefully) change. Then I might have more sympathy. He has yet to prove that he can even buy success at Salford.

Sure Marwan we'll move the goal posts just for you.

Jog on.

For all the bluster, I was reading the other day that Koukash has put in almost £1m* of his own money thus far. Now, while that's more than I'd be prepared to spend on Salford, it doesn't seem an astronomical sum considering all the hot air he's been generating and considering some of the estimates of his personal wealth that are being floated. My understanding is that ST sales are somewhere in the low 1000s so it strikes me that were it his intention to really go to town investment-wise, he might have done better to spend some of it on promoting the club in a more structured way as opposed to merely titillating journalists.

* of course, that figure may be wildly inaccurate and I can't remember where I read it. One of Andy Wilson's pieces perhaps?

Having re-read the article, it seems to suggest that the SL (RFL) would be open to exemptions from 2015 for marquee signings. Could this be the beginning of the demise of the salary cap

Who as I'm sure you know has gone back to RU with Newcastle Falcons.

I do. Had he not waited til the start of the RL season I'd have seen him play for them a few times this winter.

Completely agree EL.D.

IIRC it's the way the salary cap operates in both the A-League in Australia and the MLS soccer league in the US.

A fixed amount for the squad, but with an exemption from that fixed amount for one "marquee" player per team.

Not against it in principle, but it needs the buy in of all clubs before the start of a season. Occasionally, a little bit of stopping and thinking before spouting off would do Dr Koukash some good.

The marquee player exemption has now been voted down by the majority of SL clubs. www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... rquee-rule Somewhat surprised to see Leeds were backing this initiative, perhaps it works for them politically in a vote they anticipated/knew would be lost. Bradford were not represented at the meeting - the shape of things to come perhaps?

The marquee player exemption has now been voted down by the majority of SL clubs. www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... rquee-rule Somewhat surprised to see Leeds were backing this initiative, perhaps it works for them politically in a vote they anticipated/knew would be lost. Bradford were not represented at the meeting - the shape of things to come perhaps?