XBrettKennyX
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It isn't "working" though is it?

Unless you think that decreasing the standard of football is what it is designed to do.

Great. Your ability to debate is second to none. Well done.

Damn Communists.

I blame the credit crunch.

I blame it on [ithe boogie[/i.

Henderson Gill's the be specific.

It's got nothing to do with Wigan (ignoring the fact that they are a superb example of how to completely mis-manage a salary cap), none of the points that you raise about "falling standards" relate to the salary cap. It's just that you come out with the same rethoric after every Wigan defeat.

Football doesn't have a salary cap and yet, the standard of English football players (in my view) is falling. Whilst you could say that we are no longer producing a Hanley or an Edwards, the FA aren't producing another Matthews or Charlton. We are producing good players, not world beaters, but good quality players. The reason we don't have an Ellery Hanley in every team is the same reason why Northern Ireland haven't found another George Best or why Yorkshire CC haven't found another Fred Trueman - those players don't grow on trees.

Lets say we scrap the salary cap tomorow morning - what happens then? Are a bunch of school kids in the West Country going to swap RU for RL? Are amateur clubs in this country going to be over-run with talented kids wanting to play because they might become multi-millionaires? Are coaches and facilities going to improve to make the most of that talent? Of course they aren't.

Top-level spending in Super League (ie, player salaries) has minimal effect on grass roots RL. Where the clubs engage through the amateur game is through community work, not through buying in the most expensive Aussie that they can find.

Of course the salary cap is working.
It is designed to drag the best down to the level of the rest.
It has succeeded in that. The RFL in introducing SL in 2008 said they were to continue their successful policy of levelling down.

Where it has failed is that it was brought in to stop clubs getting into financial trouble. In that respect it has failed totally. From Oldham in 1997 to Rochdale and Doncaster this year clubs have continually got themselves into financial trouble despite all being subject to salary caps.

It was then suggested that SL would be competitive due to the cap restrictions. What was not wanted was one club winning everything as Wigan used to.
In that it has failed. Saints have topped the League the last four seasons and won the cup the past three. These past few years SL has been a one horse race just as when Wigan won things. That SL has been a competitive League is total nonsense.

We were then told that due to the cap and the competitive SL this would strengthen the International Squad and we would have far better results v Aus & Kiwis than prior to the cap. So to the cap fans the 52-4 humiliation in Melbourne 2008 world cup was a far better result than the 38-10 victory over the Aussie in 1992 in the same City. Prior to the cap we used to win one lose two v the Aussie. Since the cap we've won one in the last fourteen.

We do not have the same calibre pf player in SL as we had prior to the cap. Fourteen years after Union went pro SL & RFL still haven't managed to deal with it and still bring in quality Union players to league. Clubs have the money but they can't spend it due to the salary cap restrictions.

BK is absolutely right. The decline in British RL standards is due to the cap.
Two years ago 49% of SL players were from overseas and the number of British players in SL has halved since its inception. That's due to the success of the salary cap restrictions!

As for getting out of it we haven't a hope. Our chairman is a devoted fan of the cap and all its "successes". When the majority of SL chairmen are in favour of no progress as it would make them less competitive we have no chance. Unless some chairmen who want the game to progress and succeed break ranks then the outlook is grim indeed.
The next time we travel down under at this rate of decline our 52-4 thrashing might seem by then a reasonable result.

Personally I'd be all for the salary cap if teams were rewarded for bringing youngsters through the youth system but all we get is average or way past their best Aussies at every single club in the league.

The amount of over hyped Australians in Super League is unbelievable. I've watched Tim Smith for the past year and cannot believe he was once a young player of the year in the NRL.

There are odd gems like Dobson at Hull KR and Gidley at Saints but the rest just stop young lads coming through for me.

Most of the Australian imports are not that much better than what we have. As individuals they are all hype and no substance.

Collectively as a national side they have the edge because of the mental toughness sharpened by the origin series, not because of better individual talent - in my view.

Definetly though standards have been brought down. Not just here in Super League but in the NRL as well.

I have to say I find this one of the funniest things about these anti salary cap rants from some Wigan fans. Their irrationality extends to claiming that Saints have dominated a competition that in reality they have won once in the last six years.

My ability to debate is actually quite good but why waste the time with you.
You're like a broken record, salary cap is killing the game blah blah blah rugby's gone down hill blah blah blah



Only Wigan fans have this view, you're in the minority
This is coming from a Wire fan and we have loads of money, we could quite easily assemble a fantastic squad without the SC but that still doesn't change my view.
Your view is an antiquated one

So in other words, one of the two clubs that have managed the cap properly have been successful? Quelle surprise.

It's a wonder that when Wigan overspend the cap in 2007 by some £220,000 (enough for two international players then), they could still only manage a mid-table finish.



I'd agree in part, but the question should be why those players are not deemed good enough to be entrusted with the pressures of SL rugby. Is it down to a coaches decision or is it down to the players not being capable. Either way, it is an issue to address although, unfortunately for Kenny, not a salary cap one.