Sam Walker and the Roosters salary cap

[Ribo Flavin]

How ironic that Ian Schubert ex gooster was at one time NRL salary cap auditor. Schubert was the flying winger/fullback whose spectacular runs from the backfield inspired a second consecutive premiership for the Roosters in 1975, and was also the NRL salary cap auditor whose investigation led to the Storm being stripped of the 2007 and 2009 premierships.

 

[B-Train]

How ironic that Ian Schubert ex gooster was at one time NRL salary cap auditor. Schubert was the flying winger/fullback whose spectacular runs from the backfield inspired a second consecutive premiership for the Roosters in 1975, and was also the NRL salary cap auditor whose investigation led to the Storm being stripped of the 2007 and 2009 premierships.

And then he leaves the NRL as the cap auditor for a role with the Roosters. But no questions get asked.

 

[Como Dog]

How ironic that Ian Schubert ex gooster was at one time NRL salary cap auditor. Schubert was the flying winger/fullback whose spectacular runs from the backfield inspired a second consecutive premiership for the Roosters in 1975, and was also the NRL salary cap auditor whose investigation led to the Storm being stripped of the 2007 and 2009 premierships.

After being auditor I remember the Roosters immediately took him on in a consultant capacity to help them manage their cap and ensure they utilised his expertise to 'continue to remain cap compliant'.

 

[Como Dog]

And then he leaves the NRL as the cap auditor for a role with the Roosters. But no questions get asked.

You beat me to it.

 

[Rockford]

I'm starting to get the gist that it's an open secret that the Roosters have a seperate set of books. Sam Walker is literally the hottest thing in Rugby League at the moment and he's off contract for next year. It's been said that the Roosters are pretty much spending the majority of their cap for next year and have very little space.

My problem is that there isn't even a hint that they might have a problem retaining him. No club seems to be interested in even finding out his asking price. It's almost as if clubs know that no matter what they offer this kid he's staying a Rooster. It's open season in the NRL at the moment for halfbacks. There is at least 5 teams who are looking to spend big on the position. From all accounts the Roosters don't have cap room. Why isn't there even a trace of panic? I'm sure the Titans, Tigers, Rabbits, Raiders, Bulldogs, Broncos among others have the space to make a significant offer for him and would love him as their halfback. I'm sick of players "taking paycuts to play for x" bs. Nobody takes significantly less money to play for a team he has no connection to. Why isn't he linked to anyone? It's always the same teams that have players playing for "less money". Roosters and Storm.

They'll use the "Brett Morris money" to keep him even though we've been told they signed there for 200k.

In other news, Magic Arrow found tragically dead, suicide by 3 bullets in the back of the head....

 

[Kelpie03]

A lot of those players have since been upgraded though and Sualli himself was on a huge amount for a rookie. Even Walker's initial deal wasn't a cheap one and would have been 300k or more as there was a lot of competition from the Dogs and other clubs for him at the time.

I think Walker would be foolish to re-sign before the second Brisbane team is open for business because he could start a bidding war on the open market and earn a lot more than the Roosters could legally pay him. If he re-signs before then, then it's fair enough if the usual questions are asked and eyebrows are raised.

I really like your bit about LEGALLY pay him.

 

[Kelpie03]

In other news, Magic Arrow found tragically dead, suicide by 3 bullets in the back of the head....

Corruption and continued Corruption followed by squealing often leads to those type of endings.

 

[Psycho Doggie]

Sadly I care a lot. To see clubs that don't contribute a lot to producing players continually reaping the benefit of clubs that do is sad. I think of a scenario where a club might have struggled for a few years to get a decent half. They search far and wide and find a couple of classy juniors, do everything right with teaching them, then when they come of age those prospects they've nurtured move to some other club for far less money under the cap and brown paper bag treatments when the club that nurtured them has freed up cap space to keep them is a gross injustice.

At this point they either have to do something serious about the cap, such as what you described earlier in terms of ascertaining real value and making clubs stick to it, or just end the farce and get rid of the cap altogether. It is a complete joke right now.

In terms of scrapping the cap, put in place some financial fair play stuff like they have in Europe, so clubs can't send themselves broke trying to compete, and bring in a division system.

 

[Dogzof95]

Uncle Nick has been helping fund the ARL/NRL for decades, decisions are made with his opinion at the forefront of all opinions, NRL CEO's hanging out in Roosters sheds is no coincidence, he's being around for over 40 years and has helped build the brand to where it is today. The Roosters are untouchable whether we like it or not!

 

[Motorhead]

Uncle Nick has been helping fund the ARL/NRL for decades, decisions are made with his opinion at the forefront of all opinions, NRL CEO's hanging out in Roosters sheds is no coincidence, his being around for over 40 years and has helped build the brand to where it is today. The Roosters are untouchable whether we like it or not!

Unfortunately yes. An anonymous whistleblower might be the only semblance of hope that these pricks get tripped up.

 

[Motorhead]

SKD, Pearce, Guerra, Moa, Napa, Evans, Ferguson, Matterson, Mitchell, Nikorima, Momirovski, Tetevano, Watson, Flanagan are just some of the players we have let go in the last 5 years. During that time we've add marquee signings Keary, Critchon, Tedesco and Cronk (2yrs). We've added players other clubs didn't want ala the Morris Bros and helped them regain their form and a few fringe players. The rest of our squad has a core group that have been together for a long time and been developed in house - Cordner, Topou, Friend, JWH, Verrills, Manu, Radley, Tauks, Liu, Collins, Butcher, Tupouniua, Ikuvalu, Smith and that includes Sam Walker who has been at the club for over 2 years despite only starting in 2021.

I realise this will fall on deaf ears over cap conspiracies that have never eventuated, but hey, that's the internet.

Nice spin! Lol
That first group, the 'outs', has some massive flops in there that the Roosters would've been relieved to shift on. No loss there.
That 'core group' that you mentioned contains 10 or more players who would/have been on massively upgraded deals, not sure how that is possibly managed or that it suits your argument.
Josh Morris wasn't shopped around by the Sharks for too long because he was happy to go to Roosters for minimum wage to play with his brother supposedly. Great gesture by him that was sure to be congratulated with a few off the books gifts from Politis one would guess.

 

[Tazer]

You can tell a mile away which sides are rorting the cap. Its the ones that have zero juniors to speak of but still have marqui players like Sam Walker and Nico-Hines and Sualli sitting in reserve grade just in case.

Compare for example the Bunnies roster with the Roosters as they both have similar injury tolls and are both considered top 4 sides. On paper there is a struck match between their top 17 players. It's only when injuries start to pile up that the discrepancies appear. South's I reckon have 17 or 18 really good NRL players and the rest are park footy players at best. The Roosters however just seem to keep pulling top quality backup NRL players out of their ass every time an injury happens. Same with Melbourne. We all know they are both rorting it...its just proving it that is problematical. And barring someone from within those organisations dobbing them in that will never happen.

 

[Kelpie03]

Uncle Nick has been helping fund the ARL/NRL for decades, decisions are made with his opinion at the forefront of all opinions, NRL CEO's hanging out in Roosters sheds is no coincidence, his being around for over 40 years and has helped build the brand to where it is today. The Roosters are untouchable whether we like it or not!

Unfortunately the only way out of this scenario for our club and a few others, is to form a breakaway competition, it dosen't have to be the same or as costly as the SL breakaway was, in fact I believe that it would cost very little and would not be to difficult to organise.
A well managed organisation run for the equal benefit of all the participating clubs would win favour with many fans both RL and RU, not all fans are stupid.
I fact I feel that our club's directors and that of a few other clubs are letting their fans down if they do not look into the possibility of taking such action

 

[Magic Arrow]

SKD, Pearce, Guerra, Moa, Napa, Evans, Ferguson, Matterson, Mitchell, Nikorima, Momirovski, Tetevano, Watson, Flanagan are just some of the players we have let go in the last 5 years. During that time we've add marquee signings Keary, Critchon, Tedesco and Cronk (2yrs). We've added players other clubs didn't want ala the Morris Bros and helped them regain their form and a few fringe players. The rest of our squad has a core group that have been together for a long time and been developed in house - Cordner, Topou, Friend, JWH, Verrills, Manu, Radley, Tauks, Liu, Collins, Butcher, Tupouniua, Ikuvalu, Smith and that includes Sam Walker who has been at the club for over 2 years despite only starting in 2021.

I realise this will fall on deaf ears over cap conspiracies that have never eventuated, but hey, that's the internet.

That list of players you "lost" is laughable. Over half of them were released willingly by the roosters. That's the point of this thread. You never lose a player you want to keep. When other clubs develop players they have to deal with other teams poaching their talent. Look at Brisbane and Penrith right now. Don't name me players you got rid of. Name me players who were poached.

 

[MichaelM]

Once on the books, always on the books and nobody bites the hand that feeds.

Roosters aren't the only ones and whilst we are way down the list we are not exactly clean skins.

The NRL will allow the well connected clubs to discretely get away with it because they (and the Roosters) would love nothing more than driving a few more Sydney sides into obscurity - just ask Newtown, North Sydney, Balmain, Western Suburbs, St George and Illawarra supporters, not forgetting how close Souths came to becoming obsolete!

 

[Papa Emeritus]

Yeah they have plenty of big names going off the books next year, so no worries for them retaining Walker.

Sucks that it is abundantly clear why they let Flanagan go now.

 

[Scoooby]

The Rorters cap.

 

[Tazer]

Yeah they have plenty of big names going off the books next year, so no worries for them retaining Walker.

Sucks that it is abundantly clear why they let Flanagan go now.

Flanagan was only ever a stop gap measure until Walker was ready for the NRL. Also, apart from Friend who else are they losing next year? I know Morris but apparently he is on like 250K or something. At least that's what the Roosters told everyone when he signed lol. When he leaves it will suddenly become 800K.
Keep in mid as well that they will surely need to upgrade Sualli and Walker to decent money when they become part of their top 30 roster. Although maybe they will play for unders and a free chicken Schnitzel at the Leagues club once a week.

 

[Papa Emeritus]

Flanagan was only ever a stop gap measure until Walker was ready for the NRL. Also, apart from Friend who else are they losing next year? I know Morris but apparently he is on like 250K or something. At least that's what the Roosters told everyone when he signed lol. When he leaves it will suddenly become 800K.
Keep in mid as well that they will surely need to upgrade Sualli and Walker to decent money when they become part of their top 30 roster. Although maybe they will play for unders and a free chicken Schnitzel at the Leagues club once a week.

Friend and I assume Morris and Cordner. Wouldn't be surprised to see someone else go that isn't obvious right now either. Cordner and Friend had to have been on huge money.

 

[Freakzilla]

The Broncos told Sam Walker they see him as a fullback. How dumb are the Broncos?