The only problem is if the players dig their heels in as instructed by their agents and don't leave for eg. Eastwood and Tolman who are on big backended deals we are stuck with them and we are screwed. As I've said before the club worked on $10m and not $9.2m which is most likely the cap from 2018. So if one or two more are not moved on we could be starting next year playing for no points (if we win games that is).
And as you say it appears from what I have read in the papers today that player managers are telling their clients just that; you have a contract and you make your club honour it.
With our players, if the figures being bandied about are close to the mark, there is no way in this wide world that another club would sign them for anywhere near the amount. It means that if players do move on, their next club will be paying a considerably less portion of their contract amount and they will get a what some would consider a bargain, with the club moving them on footing the bill for the remainder; Six and one half dozen of the other as it still eats up precious cap space. Would have to replace the higher paid players with those on lesser contracts and if you pay peanuts you will get monkeys and we already have enough higher paid ones of those at the moment.Eastwood reportedly has apparently already been told he will be playing Intrust next year if he stays, why should that bother him if he is being paid big dollars, it is not as if he has many years left in the game anyway.
Super coach and his penchant for back ended deals strikes again and truth be told he has greatly miscalculated in re-signing a few of our players in an effort to keep the core of the squad together for a few years more. There is a feeling of staleness amongst the players and what was perceived to work at the outset does not work now because we have not evolved over time to keep pace with the game. It made me sick last night to hear the criticism of our team, although I am not saying it was unwarranted. EVERYONE except those in charge can see it and suggestions have been given how to address it but it falls on deaf ears.
The NRL and the RLPA have a lot to answer for in all this discussion over the cap. How ridiculous to be nearing the end of 2017 and still not having an exact figure for next year; surely the cap should have been signed off on many, many months ago. We look to be in the position of not having the contracts of our new signings being signed off on by the NRL. Player transfers have been frantic and contract amounts spoken about have been out of control, so where have the NRL bean counters been in all of this?
