The sull article was on the Wigan Today websitehttp://www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-warriors/lenegan-don-t-lift-salary-cap-1-5625250rl

[i“I don’t think it should go up. I’m perfectly comfortable with it. We’re not having a problem with it."

“Why would I want to pay more money than we are?"[/i

This is what I have long feared about the salary cap in this country. I have long suspected that there are a few clubs that could afford to pay its players more but it just isnt in the owners interests to do so. As things stand they can maintain the current status quo at very little, if any, cost knowing that there are at most 4 clubs in real competition. As things stand the top clubs stay at the top anyway, without them needing to do much or pump much money in, and the weaker clubs cant even spend enough to compete with them. I think that Koukash is just what the game needs to spice things up and smash the cosy old boys network of Lenegan, Hetherington, McManus and Moran but unfortunately one man isnt enough to change anything as I can see him being voted down constantly on anything that he wishes to change. I just hope he doesnt get bored banging his head against a brick wall and can make Salford a force in the game.

I simply cannot understand how the game is in such a poor situtation today compared to other times in its history. Since the salary cap came in it has declined by nearly £1 million in real terms and a lot of young players are still getting paid peanuts despite playing on TV and playing in front of thousands. Despite there being far more money in the game than there was 10 or 20 years ago and players are being paid far less in real terms. I remember being told a story a couple of years ago by a then current Wigan player about a past Wigan player from a decade ago being on more than anyone in the Wigan team at that time. This player wasnt even the best paid Wigan player in his era either. I also remember in the 80s and 90s fairly average players coming out of school getting paid thousands to sign professionally as well which no longer happens. This is before you get to big RU signings and the big transfer fees that were commonplace. These days we dont even have a proper reserve competition any more and tiny squads which means that kids are thrown in after a handful of injuries, everything about the game is just done on the cheap now.

There is far more Sky money being given to each club now, attendances are greatly increased, ticket prices are up and yet we are constantly being told there is no money in the game and players wages are going down year on year. Something doesnt add up. Again it is in the owners interests for them to constantly plead poverty and pay the players as little as possible. This may have been fine for years but when star players are leaving for the NRL, others still being lost to Rugby Union from time to time do they really expect fans to fork out £20 a week to watch gloried u21 matches?

The game is in a malaise in this country and I see very little from the owners or the RFL that gives me confidence for the future. The game is becoming boring and stale and is just treading water at best. If the owners dont decide to do something then they may find that there is an ever declining and contracting game for them to play Championship manager with on the cheap and it may end up costing them money anyway as fans stop to watch a poor on the field product. Outside of Wigan games I certainly find myself watching the NRL more these days, the average Super League match has been appaling this year.

We must remember, first and foremost he is a businessman, and why would he want to pay more? We are doing fine as it is as a club. However, personally I'm very worried about this sport, I genuinely believe it is dying at a fast pace. I'd love it to be raised and have the best players playing in our league, unfortunately I don't think it'll ever happen, this will probably be the attitude of most chairmen other than koukash.

they would all vote to raise the cap if Sky doubled the TV deal........they wouldn't mind spending someone else's money.

Like many, I'm a big admirer of Lenegan and I don't think he's done much wrong in his time at Wigan. But on the salary cap issue, his head is firmly in the sand. Without efforts to increase players' salaries, the game is only going to go one way.

Ultimately the fans will speak - they already have - then we'll see if he changes his mind.

regardless of the rights or wrongs, or whether you think it is too high or too low, It is fundamentally wrong that those who decide the level of the Salary Cap have a vested interest in keeping it as low as possible.

I'm pretty sure that at one meeting IL said he voted for an increase in the S Cap by the rate of inflation.
Trouble is IL is just so clued up that he leaves many for dead.
The trade press today is banging on about Mossop and Hock joining the exodus down under. What they seemed to have missed IMO is that IL has to all intents and purposes negotiated two loan deals. The Eels are paying £250k for two players on two year contracts, possible three, after which (we are informed) it is written in the contract they both return to Wigan. If those are not loan deals I don't know what are.
As has been said Ellis came back as did Morley. The Burgess brothers may stay but I feel sure Graham won't be there very long. The best bit is that IL has Mossop and Hock on loan deals.
His change of policy when buying the club from bringing over Aussies to promoting from our academy system is a financial no brainer. No wonder he changed policy.
This past three years the club has made a profit and won silverware in those three years. Compare that to prior to him buying the place. The club accounts for the year prior to him buying Wigan RL were like a financial train crash.
I don't like the S Cap, in fact I detest it, it hasn't stopped clubs going broke which was it's original and sole purpose so I simply don't see the point in having a salary cap.

Ted your IL, I knew it all along

One thing is for certain, our fans will have to stop blaming other clubs for the present salary cap. The wire forum user was correct.

You have hit the nail on the head. The question should be why aren't they putting all their efforts into trying to get more cash into the sport rather than trying to justify working to a cap that has resulted in declining wages in real terms for our players?

As to the article IL seems to talk about two different issues. He mentions all Wigan's cap being spent on a few players to the detriment of the junior players wages but sorting that out doesn't mean [iall [/iour players aren't underpaid and that the cap should not be raised. Hethrington is proud of the salary structure at Leeds and this is all well and good but that is not good enough in itself. It's a head in the sand approach if they think a sensible wage structure will attract and retain players of the highest standard. The game simply needs more money.

He needs to realise most people who don't spend their time on forums like this discussing the game in depth view Wigan and SL as some kind of elite team and competition, not a feeder team/league for the NRL. It's blindingly obvious any players who rise above the rest will be targetted by the NRL at the moment so while he may be confident the likes of Mossop can be replaced next season what happens when Burke is the target?

We do have some players who are not NRL targets and the reason is not because IL has sorted the salary cap out at Wigan but simply because these players are not good enough for the NRL (or RU).

RL needs to get into a position whereby money isn't the deciding factor on a players desire to switch to the NRL (or RU). It can then retain and attract players not ship them out on the off chance they may return on a retirement package in a few years.

Bottom line is it's rather disurbing IL asks why would he want to pay more. As the ex-owner of an IT software company I would have thought he would be very familiar with the concept of employees going where the work pays the most.

Not quite Il, Fylde Warrior, but I can understand.
You should have seen the club accounts for the years prior to IL taking over.
If you have, or ever do, then you'll know why I wrote the above.

Then you don't know what loan deals are. The players are not contractually oblidged to Wigan [iunless[/i they return and even then I believe there is a limit on how long that applies for. You make it sound as if in two or three seasons they are contractually oblidged to up sticks and come back here. They are not. IF they come back in that time frame we have first refusal and this is not the same as what you say above and it certainly isn't a loan. If Mossop wants to stay there is nothing we can do about it and Hock will be ready for retirement anyway by then so for him this "loan" is really bye-bye and a transfer.



And why do we want them to leave in the fist place? You seem to be missing this rather important point. SL as a competition would be better with them in it. If/when Sam goes it will be a loss that can't be made up by promises of a future return given we lose these players in their prime. The idea virtually the entire England team will be playing in the NRL is somehow good for the game is not a view I share. It will dilute our competition and if that results in a steady decline (as I believe it would) it won't be long before we aren't producing any players good enough to be tapped up by the NRL anyway.

It may be that is the economic reality of the situation that we lose these players in their prime but a possible future return is no compensation.



He hasn't got much choice and in any case he as much as anyone knows the draw top class overseas players have provided over the years and for the flops such as they have been players like Bell and Richards and many others have been fantastic additions to the squad. I'd like to think if he could afford to sign Billy Slater he would. If he would not because producing from the academy was cheaper I am sure Warrington and now Salford would happily step in had SL got the salary cap to allow it.



If we didn't have a salary cap Wigan would be left behind if IL wasn't able to or prepared to spend more money on players wages. That isn't an argument for the cap but against the notions you put forward that implies because he balanced the books and has stopped importing players (when in fact he just can't compete for them) it's job done.

Ted, Simon Moran does not seem to have the same problem as IL?

Mr Lenagans comments are what I suspected and feared.

It's now 'writ large'.

IL does not want to pay more but he expects the fans to cough up for want will be an inferior product as the best players go to Australia

Well this sucks. How can this sport possibly grow then?

Collate as many DVD's of the days when world class talent like the Andy Farrell's, Steve Renouf's, Trent Barrett's, Adrian Lam's, Sam Tomkins', Keiron Cunningham's, Sean Long's, Paul Sculthorpe's, Jamie Lyon's, Lesley Vainikolo's of this world played RL in Super League because in two, possibly three years time it will all have gone to other competitions.

Of course he doesn't want the salary cap raising. The longer the cap stays low, the more teams will have to rely on their academies consistently producing a conveyor belt of talent to replace the best players who keep leaving for the NRL/Union. Who is best placed to benefit from that? Us. However, I'm a rugby league fan first and a Wigan fan second. Keeping the cap this low is bad for our competition and it needs to change. I want super players in the super league like there always has been. No way will we produce and retain the next Radlinski, Fielden or Peacock or attract guys like Vainikolo, Renouf, or Barrett. They'll all be plying their trade in the NRL and we'll be left with guys like Paul Wellens, Ade Gardner, Lance Hohaia and John Wilkin. No one wants that every week.