Opinion Time to reflect on the eve of change

[TwinTurbo]

The last 2 years especially have been diabolical. People can blame the coaches but we are running out every week with half a team of average first graders and half a team of park footy players. We had 12 players off contract this year and only 2 got signed elsewhere and both on minimum deals.

That‘s not actually correct, can’t speak for Atoni at the Chooks, but Meaney is on far more than the minimum at Melbourne, Hopoate is on a sweat deal at StHelens and of course DWZ is on good money with the Warriors.

Always a Bulldog

 

[Howie B]

That‘s not actually correct, can’t speak for Atoni at the Chooks, but Meaney is on far more than the minimum at Melbourne, Hopoate is on a sweat deal at StHelens and of course DWZ is on good money with the Warriors.

Always a Bulldog

We are paying half of DWZ money ffs

 

[B-Train]

salary caps work if a) it is standard for all clubs & b) you have a talent spreader in there like a points cap. Also a draft helps spread talent but Terry Hill destroyed that. It just proves the NRL's mismanagement of the game for many years giving in to self interested people. You would also have to add in rule changes into that too.

I've been saying for years that the main change they need to make is to change the minimum cap spend from 95% to like 75%.

That way the struggling clubs can save cap space for when decent players become available and not have to waste it on mediocre players with panic signings just to spend the 95%.

Also, report everyone's salaries for true transparency so every fan knows exactly what players are earning and how much cap space each club has..

 

[Ripley]

I've been saying for years that the main change they need to make is to change the minimum cap spend from 95% to like 75%.

That way the struggling clubs can save cap space for when decent players become available and not have to waste it on mediocre players with panic signings just to spend the 95%.

Also, report everyone's salaries for true transparency so every fan knows exactly what players are earning and how much cap space each club has..

The minimum cap spend is part of the EBA with the players to ensure they get their agreed cut of revenue per year.

So it’ll never be changed.

 

[TwinTurbo]

We are paying half of DWZ money ffs

This year, not next year.

Always a Bulldog

 

[gbrussell]

salary caps work if a) it is standard for all clubs & b) you have a talent spreader in there like a points cap. Also a draft helps spread talent but Terry Hill destroyed that. It just proves the NRL's mismanagement of the game for many years giving in to self interested people. You would also have to add in rule changes into that too.

Spot on. There HAS to be a better way of equalising teams than the ubiquitous salary cap. God knows I've racked my brain trying to come up with something that could work. However I don't encourage kennelers to submit anything to the NRL. You won't even get the courtesy of a reply thanking you for writing to them.

As you say there has to be people in the game whose self interest overrule what is in the best interests of the game.

An old American wrestling motto comes to mind.
"Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat."

 

[alchemist]

like many have already said, the last five years have been atrocious but the worst thing for me is that we have gotten a lot worse as we have gone along... 34 victories in 5 seasons, 28 of those came in the first 3 of those years --> 2017 (10), 2018 (8), and 2019 (10)... no improvement in the recruiting thus far (we don't know what the 2022 recruits will achieve), the coaching, conditioning, discipline etc. all have gotten worse, why do we need Gus in 2021 to come in to fix our junior system when that should never have been abandoned but once abandoned should have been the focus once it became clear that we had ruined our cap in 2017-2018 etc.

how are we this bad? we have gone from acknowledged finals specialists to the whipping boys of the comp year after year

 

[B-Train]

The minimum cap spend is part of the EBA with the players to ensure they get their agreed cut of revenue per year.

So it’ll never be changed.

I know the RLPA would have insisted on it so that all players earn a better salary but when clubs are struggling because of it and when most players are moved on before their contract finishes then it's clearly something that needs to be addressed.

The NFL require 85% of the cap as a minimum spend while the NBA is at 90% minimum.. The NRL needs to get closer to those figures so that clubs have more flexibility. 95% is way too high..

 

[Sword]

like many have already said, the last five years have been atrocious but the worst thing for me is that we have gotten a lot worse as we have gone along... 34 victories in 5 seasons, 28 of those came in the first 3 of those years --> 2017 (10), 2018 (8), and 2019 (10)... no improvement in the recruiting thus far (we don't know what the 2022 recruits will achieve), the coaching, conditioning, discipline etc. all have gotten worse, why do we need Gus in 2021 to come in to fix our junior system when that should never have been abandoned but once abandoned should have been the focus once it became clear that we had ruined our cap in 2017-2018 etc.

how are we this bad? we have gone from acknowledged finals specialists to the whipping boys of the comp year after year

Spot on, I think when we look back in 5 years time, Gus may be our best recruit

 

[alchemist]

Spot on, I think when we look back in 5 years time, Gus may be our best recruit

if Gus can turn us around, it just might be his greatest achievement in the game

 

[TwinTurbo]

if Gus can turn us around, it just might be his greatest achievement in the game

I think Penrith may well have been harder, as well as a farked up pathways they had big financial problems which we do not have.

Always a Bulldog

 

[flamebouyant]

salary caps work if a) it is standard for all clubs & b) you have a talent spreader in there like a points cap. Also a draft helps spread talent but Terry Hill destroyed that. It just proves the NRL's mismanagement of the game for many years giving in to self interested people. You would also have to add in rule changes into that too.

The fact that 1 team cities like Melbourne and Brisbane can have the ability to work way above the cap due to third party deals is just rediculous!! 3rd party deals either need to be capped and thoroughly clandestine, or scrapped all together.

 

[alchemist]

I think Penrith may well have been harder, as well as a farked up pathways they had big financial problems which we do not have.

Always a Bulldog

from an on field perspective, I think it is easier to turn around the Panthers with their huge junior base as compared to us

 

[BlackDawg]

Why RAY DIB, all the FUCKING TIME!!! Jesus I hated the bloke more than anyone I here but fact is, the Andersons put this club on a massive DILDO then got kicked out

Ray was the architect of our demise. The Andersons surprised me with how inept they were. Simply ran out the "I am a bullfrog decendant" ticket to get in then continued the rot. Although Gould can have a downside or two we actually need a person who can be as ruthless as fuck. Elliot was a great example of this. If Elliot had stayed it would have made a mockery of our club. I love Laundy & the help he has given us but he misjudged Elliot's ability & the fact that fans detested him.

 

[Moedogg]

I think the last 2 years where we won a combined 5 games really impacted on the stats. We're still shit anyway but just saying.

 

[Ripley]

I know the RLPA would have insisted on it so that all players earn a better salary but when clubs are struggling because of it and when most players are moved on before their contract finishes then it's clearly something that needs to be addressed.

The NFL require 85% of the cap as a minimum spend while the NBA is at 90% minimum.. The NRL needs to get closer to those figures so that clubs have more flexibility. 95% is way too high..

Clubs get given all of their salary cap and more by The NRL. So if they’re struggling with it someone’s embezzling money.

 

[B-Train]

Clubs get given all of their salary cap and more by The NRL. So if they’re struggling with it someone’s embezzling money.

Almost every club operates at a loss even with the NRL grants. I was speaking about their cap and on field performance though.

Clearly making the bottom teams spend 95% doesn't make them much more competitive and only inflates the salaries of mediocre players who get paid much more than they're worth. Meanwhile the best players all "sign for less" to play for the same successful clubs. How is any of this good for the competitiveness of the league when that's what the salary cap is meant to do?

 

[The__GM]

History shows we only copped 1 Spoon over this period is an indictment on the rest of the league.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Clubs get given all of their salary cap and more by The NRL. So if they’re struggling with it someone’s embezzling money.

Clubs also have to pay the coaching staff, plus the admin staff, plus their facilities running costs, plus insurance, plus plus plus. The NRL Grant doesn't cover anywhere near all of that, hence why sponsors/advertisers are necessary.

Always a Bulldog

 

[gbrussell]

The fact that 1 team cities like Melbourne and Brisbane can have the ability to work way above the cap due to third party deals is just rediculous!! 3rd party deals either need to be capped and thoroughly clandestine, or scrapped all together.

Spot on.