Just a quick question here

Does the duration of a players contract become null and void if their current club gets relegated from super league?

Just wondering, as I haven't heard as to whether or not Williams is staying beyond this year. Having 3 halves in a squad is healthy.

Main reason is Chris Chester was at Leigh yesterday. He could be just watching his old team.

There were 3 quality halves yesterday on display, Ellis, Drinkwater and Mortimer. The latter is a relation to the Mortimer brothers that played in the NRL in the 80s I think, one of which had a season with us

As far as I'm aware all contracts are generally void if a team goes down. Would be a nightmare for a club that went down to be stuck with a SL wage bill. Also, Ellis and Drinkwater aren't quality halves, hence why they are currently playing for the teams they are at.

Talking of Leigh if Williams goes back home,I wouldn't say no to Martin Ridyard.

Wouldn't that be against all employment laws?

If a contract specifies a salary of £x for a period of x years, surely that will apply whether the club is relegated or not. Unless there is a clause that deals with relegation of course.

This is certainly the case in Football. My club, Queens Park Rangers, suffered greatly by having to pay under performing players the contracted wage after relegation. Only ourselves to blame as we shouldn't have paid them that much in the first place!

SL contracts do become "void" when a club is relegated.
As to how clubs can retain their younger players and exactly when other clubs can approach players with a void contract, I dont know but, the clause is there to prevent clubs having to pay SL wages on a Championship budget which reduces the financial impact of relegation.

Players and clubs agreed to the clause in Rugby league.

The clause is agreed on in RL simply because clubs would go bust in the lower tiers if forced to pay SL salaries. Football is different due to parachute payments etc

More to do with players wanting out maybe?

Are there any protections around it regarding young players or can everyone walk on relegation?

Depends on their contract I would expect.
Didn't a young Michael Shenton find out that, due to an oversight by his agent, he couldn't leave Cas after that 1st £Million game?

Cheers for those replies.

It is very sensible of Rugby League & the clubs to have taken this action.

It needs writing into their contracts to make sure that they can move on if relegation does happen.