The salary cap helps to even teams out, but one process that in-avertedly knocks the system back is youth development. Look at all of the best teams in the world and they are successful because of the ability to develop young players.

Until other teams get a grasp on how to do that, they'll never be a level playing field.

Salford shouldn’t be given any ‘first chance’ they should have gone out and taken it, they already have an inherent advantage in being there, they are wasting this, we shouldn’t then stop other clubs picking up the slack

the service areas are a stupid idea that does nothing and would achieve nothing and further ringfencing of these areas would only lead to players being missed, competition in scouting and recruiting young players is a good thing, it’s a great thing in fact, its what pushes the standards up,

Youth developed players shouldn’t count on the cap, or at least less than others, we should reward clubs for doing what we want them to do, but they shouldn’t be given an ‘area’ to waste, and players cant be forced to go through one route over another because of where they lived, that isnt fair on them,

And the big boys don’t generally cream the talent off the other clubs, they smaller clubs never generally get the talent in the first place, its usually already picked up by the big boys

I was a little bored (watching a 0-0 Chelsea vs City game) and thought I would take a look at the last few pages of threads on the VT – this one struck me as interesting

The last post was in February 2009 and the discussion was “is the salary cap making the SL more even”

So, two years later, what do you think

1. Is the competition more even this year than two years ago with results harder to pick?
2. Is there a more even spread of talent across the teams (particularly young players)?

I would be better if the youngster who makes their first team debut with a club; they shouldn’t count on salary cap then have more money for better Aussies.

Both st helens and leeds have only won 50% of their games, no team has won all their games, all teams have won at least one game, players in the England and England Knights squads are spread out all over super league, all of these point to yes

Although there are still only 4 clubs which realistically could make the grand final so we still have some way to go yet, we need more clubs spending the maximum (or near to) salary cap (with out going bust)

nope

some people will be fooled because of the short-term early season blips we see every season. There are 5 teams who could get to the GF this year, three historically big sides in Leeds, Saints and Wigan, and two who have been backed by sugar daddies, Hudds and Warrington.

Leeds, Saints and Wigan as always have quality youth ready to come through, Warrington through Morans investment and John Bastian have an academy which is getting to that level and Hudds have spent massively on some of the best young talent.

None of that is down to the SC which in its current form simply doesnt work.