Quote MOPSEY LIVES ON="MOPSEY LIVES ON"Whilst some people might think sky are calling the shots on when teams play, over the super league era they have pumped millions into our game which as been totally squandered on overseas players and 30 odd year olds who should not be still playing. The administration of the clubs and the rfl as not been fit for purpose and although we are in strange times we have been asking for trouble as a game. When you get Bradford going bust when they were getting tv deals, sponsers, prize money and gates over 20000 at some games says it all.
Is a player in the wrong or breaking any laws by refusing to take a pay cut or is he in his rights to walk away as a free agent if the club refuse to pay his full contract and would downing tools be breaking his contract in the circumstances. If any players wants to walk then I hope the club use the money to pay the players their full salary.
The RFL was given 16 million to safeguard the future of the game and Ralph rimmer said it would be used wisely, I’ve no idea where this money as gone but 500000 each equates to 6 million spread through the super league clubs with 10 million left.
This could actually be a blessing in the long run where we could bring a sport back from the brink by producing our own players and stopped wasting money, I think the game well I know the game is in a bad state, let’s just hope it survives'"
Nobody can argue with this.
If any of us have a new contract put in front of us, we're not obliged to sign.
However, if the correct channels have been gone through, the only option left is to sign or, walk away.
The ÂŁ16,000,000 IIRC wasn't allowed to be used for wages, although I'm sure that some clever administrators can divert some monies in all sorts of directions to engineer anything taken from the "pot" to use in different areas. However, it's a loan and not a gift and will still need paying back.
You have to have sympathy for all businesses, effectively prevented from trading, to stop the spread of the virus and there will be 1000's of businesses that simply run out of money and football / rugby clubs etc are certainly vulnerable.
Although things in England are generally better than they were, in terms of the virus, Covid is spreading like hell in other areas of the world and even scraping to the end of the season may only delay the inevitable.
If they can manage to do so, the players need to do all they can to help keep the sport breathing.
It wont suit every player but, the alternatives dont bear thinking about for the players or the clubs.