All the talk Down Under is that 2013 will see a massive increase in $'s in the game leading to two factors that could have a significant impact on SL.

1. Salary cap is set to raise, up as much as possibly $1.5million to $6million
2. Two new teams are due to enter the NRL meaning an extra 50+ 1st teamers needed.

Will this see the overseas players in SL disappear and just leave the old timers and crocks coming over again? It seems that in the last 2-3 years there has been a shift from retirees to some decent NRL players moving over but will this change back come 2013?

If the australian dollar stays as strong or even gets stronger it will pointless for aussies and kiwis to come over.

We've got more to worry about then getting thm over now anyway, we've got to try and keep our own.

not just less imports, the number of english players in the nrl will explode too.

with 2 new teams well need 40 more players.

more english players will want to prove themselves in the nrl

Is this story three days too late?

Plenty of NRL players have ambitions to play in Super League and that will never change

Do you really think the SC will rise by 400%? That seems a little out of kilter with the worlds current financial situation.(accepting its 3 years away).
In 3 years our current youth development will have impacted at first grade level. I have no issues with a reduction in NRL players.

Out of curiosity where will the extra dollars be coming from?

More idiotic Aussies putting the weeks wages in fruit machines.

The money will come from sponsors, if these new teams are from expansion areas then there could well be a first season buzz about the new locations.

HOWEVER with the rise and rise of the AFL at the moment I am not sure even with a 400% increase in salary cap space the players are really going to come running to League.

As with the UK, Rugby league is only played predominantly in one area with a few clubs here and there. Soccer is rising in popularity, as stated the AFL is just getting more and more spectators while other sports such as Cricket always being a national sport in Australia.

Now if teams are able to spend around $6m on their squads teams that are already struggling to meet the cap are really going to suffer, how indeed will the fixtures work? There isn't enough time to play eachother twice as it is and like the ESL the season will become too long which impacts on the International game.

"Do you really think the SC will rise by 400%?"

Bit of a misunderstanding here. What is being suggested is that the salary cap will rise BY 1.5 million TO 6 million. That is about 33% not 400%. 33% is very possible if a better TV deal is negotiated. Combined with the strong Aussie dollar even a 33% rise will encourage the better Aussies to stay at home. Super League will still get the dross unless they are specifically excluded.

The imports dried up considerably when the Home Office decided to get tough with rapists, domestic abusers and other criminals when looking at VISA applications. No longer was Super League the natural destination for the players who ruined their reputation by committing a crime and being arrested.

Bit surprised at the derision directed at the OP.

Perfectly reasonable argument IMO, and I think he makes a very fair point. And I can't believe people misinterpreted the salary cap value point!

The other factor that will mitigate against antipodeans coming to play here: the major tightening-up of the allowable scope for paying packages in the form of image rights, EBTs, possibly pensions and definitely using offshore vehicles. That plus the collapse in Sterling vs the AUD and NZD makes SL a far far less attractive proposition financially.

Less imports Eh , that will bugger up expansion over here then

our tv deals will rise by around $100 million pa

this will fund 2 new team (central coast and perth), raise the salary cap to 6 million

at that level the top players will be earning 1 million plus sponsorship

as i said before, well lose hardly any players to england plus be signing good SL players too

funny post that

Where would the new NRL teams be based do you think?