Quote: bren2k "They're right of course - no precedent has been set; and a settlement means that nobody has 'won' - so it's SOP for both sides to claim that they have.
They do however, sound like a pair of arrogant pricks.'"
This case was not about setting a precedent. This was about enforcing an existing precedent.
The precedent is that fees have to be paid for contracted players and this is still the case as Sale have paid a fee for Solomona.
The uncertainty this has created is whether a player can move clubs whilst under contract, without the permission of the club he is under contract to, before a fee is agreed rather than after the fee has been agreed. It seems that the RFU are happy to let this happen, so RU clubs can sign under-contract RL players, without the need communicate with the player's current club, and negotiate the fee afterwards.
However, even if Castleford had gone all the way to court and won, this problem would not have been resolved. This case was about Castleford receiving an acceptable fee, as is the precedent, for a player who was under contract. It's now up to the RFL and RFU to explore a reciprocal agreement that a player cannot be registered to play for another club until their previous club has agreed the transfer.