Marquee Signings. : Fri Jun 05, 2015 11:33 am  

Steve Ferres makes a good point in the T & A regarding these signings putting yet another obstacle in the way of Champoinshp Clubs and their attempts to gain promotion. Whats to stop Koukash buying a marquee player if his side are found to be in the bottom four of super league (is there a cut off date for these signings?) Stand by in a couple of years for the next step of lets have two Marquee signings per club!

I thought the whole point of the salary cap was to level the playing field for those clubs who did not have a rich benefactor and therefore avoiding the Wigan type situation which arose a few years, where all the talent was cornered by the wealthy clubs. I see needless to say Phil Clarke is fully in favour, hardly surprising as presumably this will part fund Tomkins return.

Re: Marquee Signings. : Fri Jun 05, 2015 11:46 am  

Looks like SL's motto of 'all for one and one for all' is still on the slippery slope. How about, 'lets look after number one' (again).

Re: Marquee Signings. : Fri Jun 05, 2015 11:48 am  

I doubt they have even thought it through. In effect it just creates an increase in the salary cap.

[Bullseye]

Re: Marquee Signings. : Fri Jun 05, 2015 11:58 am  

The “Marquee Player” rule seems to be a concession made to rich club owners that stops short of getting rid of the salary cap or raising it substantially but allows some clubs to spend big on a single player if they want. I can see it having a lot of unintended consequences. The effect on P&R is one. I don’t think it’s been fully thought through but that’s RL for you – short termist.

I’d much rather see clubs put money into junior development i.e. brining back another tier such as U21s. The clubs voted to cut in this area because many were skint yet now they’re saying they can find money for big names. It seems some just want to buy success.

I notice Ferres says that Championship clubs should have the right to sign a “marquee player” too provided they can demonstrate they can afford it. I don’t have a problem with that but I would suggest that there might be more deserving places the money could be spent within the club that might create a firmer foundation such as our own academy set up. Trouble is if you allow some clubs that then you have to allow others the same.

Re: Marquee Signings. : Sat Jun 06, 2015 9:55 pm  

That is the problem with there being such a big gap in the money between the SL and the championship - clubs will risk everything they have, and in some cases things they don't have to get or keep that SL slot.
If you take Wakey out of the mix this year's SL has been pretty competitive with even the top clubs already loosing a handful of games, but the Championship is less even - in effect you have two "SL" teams in there in terms of squad an support. Overall I am probably a P&R man but it doesn't really work when the funds in the two leagues are so different.

[Bulliac]

Re: Marquee Signings. : Sun Jun 07, 2015 9:39 am  

RL has always suffered from the not enough/too many problem.

Going back to the county leagues we had too many teams, around 32, all shown in one division but never enough to have 'soccer style', 20 or so clubs per division. It continues now with too few, professional, 'big' clubs to put into one division. Within a smaller SL, it seems only half voted for the new rule whilst the others accepted they couldn't compete and so voted against. So it goes on.

Surprised that Huddersfield, a club with a supposed big money backer, blinked when it came to it. Of course, they'll no doubt say it was a vote for the good of the game..

Re: Marquee Signings. : Sun Jun 07, 2015 9:55 am  

I hope Steve knows that the championship already has a similar rule for home grown players. I'm sure he does.

E2:5:11
Club Trained Player Allowance

The intention behind this allowance is to reward Clubs for developing (and investing in the development of) Players.
Any Club Trained Player shall be deemed to have a maximum Salary Cap Value of £40,000. Any amount paid to the Player in excess of £40,000 shall be disregarded in calculating his Salary Cap Value.

A ‘Club Trained Player’ is a player who was on the Club’s register for any 3 full Seasons before the end of the Season in which he ceases to be eligible by age to play at Under 21 level.

Re: Marquee Signings. : Sun Jun 07, 2015 10:18 am  

Good spot, Nothus.

I wonder -if a hypothetical club had one top player - let's call him Gasket - and had another young hometrained gun galled Stooge.

The club could agree to pay Stooge a mammoth wage to keep him loyal, and rehire Gasket at (say) £25k.

Maybe Gasket could, er, borrow a large sum from personally from Stooge, repayable over say 3 years @ £75k a year.

I only suggest it for amusement, of course. I am personally convinced absolutely no chicanery will go on surrounding the new rules, nor ever has, oh no.

Re: Marquee Signings. : Sun Jun 07, 2015 12:02 pm  

Haha, I'd never thought of that but you're right. How on earth are you meant to police something like that?
The beers will certinaly be on the marquee player, that's for sure.

[Bulliac]

Re: Marquee Signings. : Mon Jun 08, 2015 8:44 am  

It's as traceable as the 'Singapore parachute'. ie, NOT!

The only known, and absolute certainty is, the fact that no club would ever try to pull anything as unsporting and downright unbritish as that...