Central Contracts

Quote: Mrs Barista "So it turns out, according to the League Express, that the RFL are paying £25k per annum of the salaries of Ben Currie, Darryl Clark and Sam Tomkins to keep them in the UK. A number of rival SL clubs only discovered about this process a fortnight ago. This has led to further ill-feeling in some quarters about the RFL's policy of doing deals behind closed doors.

Bag of spanners.

If that is correct its an absolute disgrace.

Hope the heads of the non-preferred clubs get together and make their immediate representations to the RL hierarchy.

There is no transparency with this organisation, and total lack of trust from the fan base and many of the Chairman and Coaches.
There are no grounds for any assistance or favouritism regarding governing bodies in sport favouring certain players or clubs, and yet ours seems to live by this standard !!. A standard which can only cause further concern in the game generally, and places our game firmly in the laughing stock Category.

If what Mrs B has shared is correct, it does beg questions of the moral standing of some individuals on both sides of the fence. Providers and receivers.
How do such decisions come about ? do the club go cap in hand to the RL when they realise they can not afford a players revised £££ aspirations versus overseas competition ? or is their an unwritten rule, that a certain number of named elite players can benefit from such an "arrangement" in order to keep them in our game ? What on earth is actually going on ??

I hope Hull FC are not involved.

If the RL want this new standard, then surely the way is to be open and honest about it, and raise the cap, and let those clubs who can afford it take advantage of it ? Because in hidden way that's what is happening anyway. !!!

For me the cap system has created a more interesting and level competition. If there was more transparency perhaps it would be "even more level."