The pro-SC Saints fans are conspicuous by their absence these days. A couple of years ago this thread would have been inundated with Saints fans apparently convinced there was no issue and it was just whinging by Wigan fans who wanted to return the bad old days when we (according to them) bought all the good players.

You still need to address the problem that the RFL has no actual stake in these players. The RFU and ECB call on the time of their centrally contracted players very regularly. The events that they call on them for also generate the huge revenue they can use to fund central contracts. The RFL don't have that kind of cash as they essentially have 2 showpiece events a year which generate big crowds (CC Final and GF) while the RFU have a cup final, a grand final plus at least 5 home test matches each year, all pulling in 70k plus punters.

The alternative is to relax the cap for players coming through the youth system. That's not a terrible idea, but taken too far, it could mean that only wealthier cluybs (Wigan, Leeds, Wire, Saints) could afford to keep their uber-gifted youngsters if other sides are still unable to pay the full existing cap, let alone expanding it to keep their starlets. Which starts to negate the point of the salary cap a bit.

Thus far I actually don't think it's been a major problem, but it would be an idea to address it before it becomes one. One helpful factor is that a lot of RU clubs are really feeling the squeeze in this country at the moment as their benefactors are less free with their cash. I know somebody who has a non-executive board position at a very well established Premiership RU club, and they are not spending their salary cap at the moment.

Even allowing for that, identifying the problem is easier than finding a solution that doesn't solve one problem by creating a load of other problems.

I agree with you that this is not a simple matter. I used to be in favour of abolishing the cap altogether, but it's now become clear to me that we can't do that (and unless it's challenged in court by a player who's perhaps looking to sue his club or the RFL for restraint of trade, or something similar, we probably never will).

But I am in favour of salary cap discounts on younger, home-grown players or RU imports. I simply can't accept that it's better if none of us keep our starlets rather than just an elite few. At least they'll still be in the game.

I feel this idea that life is unfair on the lower clubs (not accusing you of that, by the way!) is part of an unrealistic mindset that seems to bedevilling the game at present. Okay, none of us want it to go the way of football, where even in the Premiership there are now only five or six teams who actually matter, but I doubt we'll get to that stage. That said, I think the social demographic of modern RL is such that clubs like Workington, Wakey etc will never again be top dogs simply as a part of the natural course. They'll only do that by replicating the levels of investment, marketing and common sense management etc that have cemented clubs like Wigan, Leeds, Wire, Saints into the upper tier, and that may be beyond them now simply because they've fallen too far behind. But I don't think that contriving a status quo by which the leading clubs are constantly pegged back is a viable solution.

But ditto ... I too have heard that many RU clubs, while they talk a good a financial fight, are actually having problems. There's no doubt this is a big issue for RL - every time a new star emerges we seem to have the same conversation, and we end up losing some of them, which we can ill afford - but the credit crisis is hitting everyone, and that may slow things down in our favour.

Sam going would be a bigger loss to RL then it would be to Wigan. But IMO I dont think he would ever leave Wigan anyway.

as a sport every player who shows that they have a spark of genius should be kept and nutured and it is up to the ruling bodies to help the clubs at the lower end of the scale to improve not just have a plan whereby equality is achieved by dragging the top clubs down

I agree that Sam should be kept in Wigan indefinitely, starting this Saturday...

Don't want those nasty rah-rah types getting wind of what he can do in their own backyard & on national TV.

Do you really think that they don't know about him, or was that a sort of joke?

I thought it was quite funny tbh.

Why are some people so y towards supporters of other clubs on here?

That'll be the same Radlinski whose pay was topped up by the RFL to stop him defecting?

People saying Andy Farrell leaving for union wasn't a loss because his playing days are over clearly don't know much about their own legends. Firstly, he would make a brilliant coach/mentor to probably the Wigan team, he has a great knowledge of the game and can pass that on.

Secondly and perhaps more prominently his son Owen is an absolute talent. I have no doubt he would be starting for Wigan next year had Farrell stayed with League and encouraged Owen down that path.

People saying Andy Farrell leaving for union wasn't a loss because his playing days were over clearly didn't see his last season at prop, which was absolutely phenomenal. He could have carried on at prop for another year or two as the best prop in the comp. The man was a beast.

Yes his best years were behind him and he probably wasn't much faster than Wellens is now, but he could still have done a fantastic job for any side in SL (and indeed England) at prop.

I'm sure he said quite early in his career that he did not want to finish up as a prop. I genuinely think he was just finished as a RL player.

I agree, but I think t'other mon's point was still a good one.

The likes of Edwards, Farrell and Ford have been big losses to RL even since their playing days were long over. All were regarded as intellects of the game during their time in team colours. Since then, they've all gone on to become Union coaches of considerable repute. Meanwhile, we're left with the likes of Kear, Agar and McNamara.

We worry endlessly about where our next crop of quality British coaches is going to come from, and yet there they are - all at the peak of their powers and working at bloody Union clubs.

To go back to the pointy from page 1 the problem with allowing each club 1 salary cap excemt player is over half the clubs can't afford to pay up to the cap anyway.

I like the central contract idea, the RFL did it will Rads and KFC at one point. I would Budget for something like a 50k 'loyalty bonus' for a set amount of England internationals, say 20 to be paid by the RFL directly to the player irrespective of their club providing they stay in SL. So for example if Sam was a player selected by the RFL and then transferred to Wakefield he would continue to receive the payment.

Not sure the RFL could afford this though.