How would that work tax wise though? Would it be more beneficial to the player or would equal amounts over the contract be better?
Mrs B?

Decent squad players, but would only keep them if all their salary is off the cap, but if this can be used on Houghton I agree.

I reckon you would get Marshall on Pryce, Yeaman and Micheals salary.

I know it's early, but id be looking at sorting out Bowdens contract.

Think we are finally in the position of Leeds and Wigan, were players like Feka and Whiting can be replaced by internal young players.

How so? The salary cap rules are unfathomable at times but I thought it was £50k per club maximum for the long service rule? I think that's from the player's 11th SL season so we have Yeaman and Whiting under that rule (still only £50k in total). Houghton made his debut in 2007 so next season will be his 11th. Maybe the rule has been amended.

As for Marshall, what a signing he'd be. Pryce will be joining Bradford for next season I reckon and I imagine Yeaman will move on too as will Michaels.

We'd have to be among the favourites to sign him with our Kiwi links (plus Motu on the case).

It's a total of £50k benefit against a total salary spend of £100k+

Assuming whiting and yeaman go then we get half of houghton's salary off cap up to a max of £50k

As for marshall, isn't he rubbish now anyway? Do we really want to blow a huge amount of money on him? His main attribute was always pace but I guess that's gone now. He's like a better version of chase

Don't know how to post a picture of Twitter https://twitter.com/noggers1/status/699267392871010304 Curtis Naughton hopes he'll be here with Benji.

Don't know how to post a picture of Twitter https://twitter.com/noggers1/status/699267392871010304 Curtis Naughton hopes he'll be here with Benji.

As much fun as this is, I take it there's no substance whatsoever apart from Nosey Parker? Which as Kosh says is the equivalent of no substance at all. Are we sure they're not mixing us up with Hull KR again?

great rumour though lol

is it though? can we the fans, players, coaches, owner not concentrate on this year, seeing as how we are only two games in!!!!

Force of habit as the season is usually over by now

The coaches or owner can concentrate on this year. We'll miss all the best players for next year tho. All the deals were nearly done early on last yr.

yeh iknow deals have to be done early, but I am a worrier by nature. and don't want anything to disrupt this brilliant start lol

Rugbyleaguelatest:

Former New Zealand international Benji Marshall has been linked with a move to Hull FC, according to the hulldailymail.

The 30-year-old hasn’t kept it a secret that he hopes to extend his career, with reports that Hull FC will have the play-maker for the 2017 season.

However, Dragons teammate Jason Nightingale has recently turned down rumours that Marshall is going to the Super League, “He is only 30 now and plenty of halves play a lot longer than that so I think Benji has a lot of kilometres left in his legs,” he said.

“I doubt that Benji will go to England and doubt that he is retiring as he’ll be playing on in the NRL and hopefully it’s with our club. There’s always going to be that sort of speculation when someone is off contract but Benji has definitely got a number of years left in him.”

Reports have claimed that the Dragons will talk to Marshall about potential contact extensions after seeing how he performs in the early rounds of the 2016 NRL season. So, Benji will have to impress to continue his NRL career, it seems.

No thanks, we dont need him and certainly not on the wedge and 3 years he'd be wanting to come over for.
We're at full SC with FP salary as the overs on the marquee signing rule so unless we are prepared to lose some experienced players AND a decent earner such as an Ellis we could not afford to sign him.
The way injuries go in a season cutting the squad quality drastically to potentially get BM in isn't a sacrifice I want to see the club make.
The balance is right now...if we can get one of the youngsters into the 6 role and build them long term with Sneyd and continue with building from within with the odd superstar (currently pritchard) surely that's the way to go to keep a balanced and overall strong squad?

Id take him to replace pryce easily, our young 6 and 7s are stil very young , would be class for a couple of seasons

You make some very good points and maybe you could be right, but i think someone like Benji makes a good team into a special Team who wins things and at the end of the day that's the point, also I think he pays for himself with added bums on seats