www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/r ... 6052850747 This will have a huge effect on Wigan. Players like Richards, Lima, Hoffman etc. will easily be able to find huge contracts down under compared to here. Secondly most of our best young players will surely be targetted by aussie clubs, Tomkins, Farrell, Mossop... the list goes on. This will have a massive effect on proffesional rugby league in europe and the quality will no doubt go down. However, we will still produce the best young players as we always have and so we should remain a force even without all of our best players in a worst case scenario. Great for the game down under though, players like SBW will hopefully return to the NRL and they will be able to keep all the big names, the NRL crowds will fly up as the product gets better and better. In conclusion I hope this can kick start a growth in the international game! More young players will get a chance in super league and our best players will improve playing down under. Hopefully RL can begin to dwarf RU and football in NZ and Aus.

www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/r ... 6052850747 This will have a huge effect on Wigan. Players like Richards, Lima, Hoffman etc. will easily be able to find huge contracts down under compared to here. Secondly most of our best young players will surely be targetted by aussie clubs, Tomkins, Farrell, Mossop... the list goes on. This will have a massive effect on proffesional rugby league in europe and the quality will no doubt go down. However, we will still produce the best young players as we always have and so we should remain a force even without all of our best players in a worst case scenario. Great for the game down under though, players like SBW will hopefully return to the NRL and they will be able to keep all the big names, the NRL crowds will fly up as the product gets better and better. In conclusion I hope this can kick start a growth in the international game! More young players will get a chance in super league and our best players will improve playing down under. Hopefully RL can begin to dwarf RU and football in NZ and Aus.

You can tell how big this is (could be) as it's on the VT and many club boards.

Part of me thinks this could take the cream of Super League talent down under in the first season or two, resulting in an immediate dip in the standard of the league. Recruiting top level Aussies or Kiwis will be even more difficult and there's the risk that we could go back to the days of bringing journeymen to the northern hemisphere. Another part of me thinks that this ultimately could be good for the game both here and in the NRL. For the NRL it's obvious as they will potentially be able to attract any player on the planet. As for over here, well fewer antipodeans means more chances for British and French youngsters. The NRL will inevitably cherry pick the best players, but I'd much rather see rugby league talent stay in the game than go to other sports. A larger pool of players to choose from, especially including a decent number playing in the world's premier club competition, would mean a stronger England and therefore a more competitive international game.

Wigan/Leeds Andy isn't going to like this thread....

if this is the case then the sl is going to get left far far behind,
im personally gutted about it,
i want to watch the best rugby in our stadiums n games not have to watch it all on tv.

Could this actually kill our game? With that much money, playing the same sport in better weather most of the international side may travel down under. Im not even sure Tomkins' homesickness during the 4 nations will help when hes offered 3-400k tbh.

I may be wrong but it could be a worry. Is it 7 million AUD or 7 million in equivalent to pounds?

Story here www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/r ... 6052850747 It's $7m

Story here www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/r ... 6052850747 It's $7m

So £2m(ish) above ours.

Have you put the other £1m in your back pocket?

And I would argue that they deserve it. Our's works out at £64,000 per man.

It would be great to be in a position to increase the cap but we'd need a massive cash injection from sponsors to be able to increase our average player wages.

I do think they should allow 3rd party sponsorship for players. Sponsored cars, boot deals, clothing deals etc.

The reality is Super League in the UK has stood still for the last 5 years or more from a financial perspective, and unless things change our game in its current form cannot be stustained.

The RFL in the UK have to take the blame for the lack of growth in our sport over the past decade. They are paid to oversea the development and growth of the game, to increase its appeal to both supporters and sponsors - they have failed in this task.

SKY TV have a monopoly on coverage and there are no competitors waiting to take their place. Its no wonder TV rights have barely increased over the years and the game cannot attract blue chip sponsors (Engage and Iron Bru for god sake!!).

I know we are a minority sport and in Oz RL is akin to premier league soccer, hence the reason for $7m+ cap over there as TV channels scramble for TV coverage rights.

However my point is that no mater how disadvantages the European game is, it does not excuse the RFL's failure to grow the sport on these shores.

It seems they are either not accountable for their failure or our club chairmen have accepted zero growth as the 'norm'.

the problem with our game is that the bigger teams are carrying the league,
we can never move forward with the cap and the lower clubs as they are, there is no incentive for them to push, for them to become bigger, get more fans and ultimately get more income.
I honestly think that we are being held back by the RFL being a joke, and the smaller clubs hanging onto our coat tails.
I dont have any answers on how to change it but i do feel that we are stuck and in danger of going backwards