Newcastle prove the cap is crap.

[Chook]

With the NRL funding and administering the Newcastle Knights it is safe to assume they are adhering strictly to the cap rules.

Which begs the question, are the Knights the quality of players the cap is designed to retain and is what Newcastle produce the standard of football the cap is supposed to deliver?

The stark difference between what the Sharks and Donkey’s produced to what Newcastle and to a lesser extent the Tigers have been dishing up is obvious.

If (not a big if) the Knights and Tigers finish bottom of the table the NRL need to see that for what it represents, a clear delineation between those who would adhere to the cap and those
that don’t.

We now hear the NRL want to implement a cap for the football departments of clubs.

If a competition is administered based on its lowest denominator, that competition will eventually degrade to meet that denominator. And that leaves us watching garbage.

The NRL need to understand trying to make the competition even is stifling innovation, dragging the best performing clubs back to the least performing ones and leaving us watching a sub-standard game.

Clubs should not have 3-4 year ‘windows of opportunity’ to win a comp before the cap destroys their roster. Clubs should have generational periods of success where others strive to meet them and beat them and only then will those lesser lubs improve.

Chook.

[Bigchook]

Newcastle's problems relate to a few issues. Bennett, Boyd, Smith and Scott all leaving hurt them badly. Mullens long term injury problems etc. The whole tinkler debacle.. They have a distinct lack of star power and coaching prowess to attract quality players. They will take years to fix.

As for the salary cap, we're all aware of its flaws. Until someone comes up with an equitable alternative, we're stuck with it.

[Guest]

Nathan Tinkler and Wayne Bennett destroyed that club and they might never recover which is rather unfortunate.

[Johnny Tobin]

Newcastle and Gold Coast can't even spend to the cap when nobody wants to go there.

But even if they could they would be at a major disadvantage because of third party deals.

Almost all of the third party money is in the hand of four clubs - and, no, we are not one of them. These third party deals make a mockery of the salary cap.

[Chook]

Are you advocating the reigning in of TPAs as I wouldv'e thought that we'd be really disadvantaged if that occurs?

Chook.

[eddie]

If a competition is administered based on its lowest denominator, that competition will eventually degrade to meet that denominator. And that leaves us watching garbage.

The NRL need to understand trying to make the competition even is stifling innovation, dragging the best performing clubs back to the least performing ones and leaving us watching a sub-standard game.

Brilliant post.
All true..................The salary cap punishes success.

Suits the nrls agenda of providing a television programme rather than a game.
Someone with big bucks should take them to court and challenge the legality of it.

[eddie]

Until someone comes up with an equitable alternative, we're stuck with it.

Too easy BC ...

Scrap the cap.

That's your alternative.

[Bigchook]

Too easy BC ...

Scrap the cap.

That's your alternative.

Would you be happy with a competition 4-5 teams win every week whilst the rest languish? I'm not being a smart ass but I don't think the nrl is sustainable like that. It's amazing in the epl that some teams celebrate not getting relegated. I couldn't handle watching a comp of 3-4 successful teams bashing other teams 30-0 every week.

[eddie]

Would you be happy with a competition 4-5 teams win every week whilst the rest languish? I'm not being a smart ass but I don't think the nrl is sustainable like that. It's amazing in the epl that some teams celebrate not getting relegated. I couldn't handle watching a comp of 3-4 successful teams bashing other teams 30-0 every week.

I don't think we can be compared to English soccer in any way, and don't think our comp would be like that.

But to answer your question.................Yes.
I can't stand contrived sport in any form, and think the people who run the game at the moment under-estimate the game itself.
St George winning 11 times in a row sucked, but club loyalties and the game itself kept it popular.
Plus, even if you imagine all the possible negatives that could arise from scrapping the cap, the fact is it's doing a lot more damage to the game as it stands.

Fine tuning rules would help the game post cap as well.
Getting rid of this ludicrous 17 man game idea is an obvious start. RL is a 13 man game.

[ccfc bondi]

The NRL has been happy to pat themselves on the back, pointing out the evenness of the comp as a result of salary cap. They ignore the fact that the original motivator was to stop incompetent administrators (of which there have been many!) spending money they don't have and sending their clubs broke. When the Roosters chairman got up at the AGM some years ago and said the salary cap should be raised substantially, he was shouted down by all the other clubs. Yet how many clubs have since been found to be cheating? It is sheer hypocrisy. They were accused of just wanting to buy good players, even though it has been shown - as most Roosters supporters would be well aware - that they punch above their weight in terms of player development. Players are still learning the game at 16-17. Commentators and supporters point the finger at Easts saying they have no juniors like it is their fault and continually accuse them of cheating the cap even when the facts obviously show otherwise. So yes, clubs SHOULD have an opportunity to keep champion teams together longer. This doesn't mean having no cap, but it does means raising it a lot.

[Johnny Tobin]

Are you advocating the reigning in of TPAs as I wouldv'e thought that we'd be really disadvantaged if that occurs?

Chook.

The clubs with the big third party agreements are Broncos, Cowboys, Parra (lol) and Dogs.

We are way down the list.

I want them reigned in big time.

Either that or scrap the cap altogether (which I don't advocate).

You can't have both.

[eddie]

Either that or scrap the cap altogether (which I don't advocate).
.

Expand on that when you got time?
Always find your opinions interesting despite the Tobinator jokes. That's just me.
Running outta steam atm, but this makes for a good debate I reckon,.

[Insider]

The NRL has been happy to pat themselves on the back, pointing out the evenness of the comp as a result of salary cap. They ignore the fact that the original motivator was to stop incompetent administrators (of which there have been many!) spending money they don't have and sending their clubs broke. When the Roosters chairman got up at the AGM some years ago and said the salary cap should be raised substantially, he was shouted down by all the other clubs. Yet how many clubs have since been found to be cheating? It is sheer hypocrisy. They were accused of just wanting to buy good players, even though it has been shown - as most Roosters supporters would be well aware - that they punch above their weight in terms of player development. Players are still learning the game at 16-17. Commentators and supporters point the finger at Easts saying they have no juniors like it is their fault and continually accuse them of cheating the cap even when the facts obviously show otherwise. So yes, clubs SHOULD have an opportunity to keep champion teams together longer. This doesn't mean having no cap, but it does means raising it a lot.

Agree, the NRL will turn over around 350-360m this yr, the clubs will receive 120-130m of that. Absolute rip off about 35% share. The clubs need to dig their heels in and demand 50% of overall revenue from 2018 onwards. The NRL will T/O close to 500m a yr in 18, the clubs should be demanding half of that, about 15.5m each and have a salary cap of 12m by then.

[ism22]

Newcastle's problems relate to a few issues. Bennett, Boyd, Smith and Scott all leaving hurt them badly. Mullens long term injury problems etc. The whole tinkler debacle.. They have a distinct lack of star power and coaching prowess to attract quality players. They will take years to fix.

As for the salary cap, we're all aware of its flaws. Until someone comes up with an equitable alternative, we're stuck with it.

Knights have Gagai, Hodkinson, Uate, Jeremy Smith, the Sims brothers...etc. I don't feel THAT sorry for them.

IMO their biggest issue is that Wayne blew their salary cap hoping for a premiership in 2013. He got a close but no cigar result and then left them without juniors or money left under the cap.

[John Corey]

Newcastle's problems relate to a few issues. Bennett, Boyd, Smith and Scott all leaving hurt them badly. Mullens long term injury problems etc. The whole tinkler debacle.. They have a distinct lack of star power and coaching prowess to attract quality players. They will take years to fix.

As for the salary cap, we're all aware of its flaws. Until someone comes up with an equitable alternative, we're stuck with it.

I wonder how much Mullens is on. Honestly, they would be better off moving him on and going in a different direction. He is one of those players that will always suffer hammy and groin injuries.