Salary cap

[moto748]

Agree about the mud-baths. Go back to winter rugby? No thanks!

For me, lurching around in a mud-heap is what Union does; our faster and more skillful code is best served by being played on a good surface, just like football.

[Wigan_forever1985]

Rugby needs simplifying again but it won't happen

They need to bring back the importance of the league, the champions are the winners of the league end of, if they want to keep the GF that should be a different competition maybe thats what the WCC should be

Have the normal rounds and the the champions are the team with the most points. Then after this there is the WCC challenge series top 4 from here top 4 from NRL to be crowded the WCC - that way its all "in season"

I think fans would prefer less games of more intensity than 23 filler games till the season starts as is

[jasonnlouise]

To me the salary cap hasn't achieved anything positive since being introduced in the late 90s ,all its done is stop us signing top overseas players and recruiting top union talent which went professional in the mid 90s which coincided with some of these players going back to union ie Inga and Quinnell ,also if we take football as an example a salary cap in the top flight isn't implemented but the top clubs over the years have eventually been toppled by natural progression Liverpool dominated the 70s and 80s United took over in the 90s and beyond but the likes of Arsenal Chelsea and Man City have now come through even Leicester had a magical season all achieved without a salary cap to hinder their progress, I know football is a sport with billions not millions to spend but in a sporting context all is relative to me it's survival of the fittest.

[moto748]

The SC isn't good, but this stage even if it was massively increased, or abolished (very unlikely), the difference it would make wouldn't be that great. The top three or four clubs *might* be able to spend a bit more, but still wouldn't be able to secure the best players.

[Wigan_forever1985]

The SC isn't good, but this stage even if it was massively increased, or abolished (very unlikely), the difference it would make wouldn't be that great. The top three or four clubs *might* be able to spend a bit more, but still wouldn't be able to secure the best players.

It would allow fresh money into the sport though? the Koukash's of this world - at the moment there is no incentive for someone to get into rugby league unless you can buy Wigan/Saints/Leeds/Wire

[markill]

To me the salary cap hasn't achieved anything positive since being introduced in the late 90s ,all its done is stop us signing top overseas players and recruiting top union talent which went professional in the mid 90s which coincided with some of these players going back to union ie Inga and Quinnell ,also if we take football as an example a salary cap in the top flight isn't implemented but the top clubs over the years have eventually been toppled by natural progression Liverpool dominated the 70s and 80s United took over in the 90s and beyond but the likes of Arsenal Chelsea and Man City have now come through even Leicester had a magical season all achieved without a salary cap to hinder their progress, I know football is a sport with billions not millions to spend but in a sporting context all is relative to me it's survival of the fittest.

You have to remember two other very important factors that happened at a similar time to the salary cap coming in:

1) We moved to summer, so played our season in line with the Aussie NRL one, meaning we couldn't make those part-season signings that were seen in yesteryear. Also, with the 'professionalisation' of sport, worry of burn-out etc., well we wouldn't see players play all year these days anyway so even without summer rugby it wouldn't happen now.

2) Union was professionalised, this legitimised payments for their top players and reduced the incentive for many to cross-codes to our game. the fact that they can now offer higher salaries to top players, mostly of the back of a strong European club competition and a dominant international scene doesn't help our sport compete.

Salary cap alone is not the reason for the things you've stated. It probably has had some impact on the ability to retain top talent, but other factors are very significant in impacting us bringing it in from outside.