Saracens are relegated!

[kpj tiger]

Just a reminder that 35 points wouldn't be certain relegation, at least if last season is anything to go by

[JP14]

Could cost them Europe... for once I agree with 46, I would replace Youngs with Spencer.

[Hot_Charlie]

How they going to cut the cap? That would essentially force them to get rid of players. players being employees, which surely can’t just be dumped?

It’s how several broke Championship clubs have offloaded players.

I imagine the easiest way is by releasing out of contract players, with the additional consequence of maybe lacking balance in the squad as you can’t necessarily recruit players to fill those gaps.

[TigerBoy1880]

Could cost them Europe... for once I agree with 46, I would replace Youngs with Spencer.

Where did 46 say he’d replace Spencer with England’s most capped back, Youngs?

He said he’d like to get Spencer. That doesn’t mean instead of Youngs necessarily.

[MikeR]

Youngs is getting on a bit now and is missing an awful lot from tigers availability . If he retired from Internationals after rwc then that changes things - but I do feel that we need a top 9 on duty for us to run things regularly . Simmons may come through and make it - I like Spencer a lot but Saracens may keep him anyway , and of course he may be the next Cab in line for England .

[Traveller]

I've bored people to death with this trail, trying to keep it high on the list. Delighted to read this. Only frustration is that this could have happened in 2012 if Prem Rugby had had the courage to look in to the departure of Ed Griffiths from Saracens. Interesting why Johann Rupert decided to get out 18 months ago.

[mol2]

Will it be 35 points or just a 35p fine?

[JP14]

Could cost them Europe... for once I agree with 46, I would replace Youngs with Spencer.

Where did 46 say he’d replace Spencer with England’s most capped back, Youngs?

He said he’d like to get Spencer. That doesn’t mean instead of Youngs necessarily.

But in getting Spencer we would have to get rid of Youngs, just from a financial point of view.

[RagingBull]

From a pure speculation POV I don't see Sarries releasing the players mentioned should they have to free cap.
Also annoyingly I don't see us having the cap to pick them up unless they sign cheap 1 year deals elsewhere and we free the cap for them which you would have to imagine would be the case since most likely only a handful of clubs will have the cap free.

Players who would most likely get the chop.
Gray
Barrington
Clark
Hakalo
Maitland
Taylor
For starters.

The interesting one will be lock
Itoje, Kruis, Skeleton, Isiekwe, Kpoku, seems rather a lot of cap.

Isiekwe is out of contract end of season along with Kpoku.
Isiekwe would be the one player I would really really really want tigers to chase if it did happen.

[Leicestertinytiger]

Isiekwe would be a great addition. Physical player who can jump in the lineout and also cover blindside very well at club level. Feel like we still need investment in the pack next season.

[ABClub]

From a pure speculation POV I don't see Sarries releasing the players mentioned should they have to free cap.
Also annoyingly I don't see us having the cap to pick them up unless they sign cheap 1 year deals elsewhere and we free the cap for them which you would have to imagine would be the case since most likely only a handful of clubs will have the cap free.

Players who would most likely get the chop.
Gray
Barrington
Clark
Hakalo
Maitland
Taylor
For starters.

The interesting one will be lock
Itoje, Kruis, Skeleton, Isiekwe, Kpoku, seems rather a lot of cap.

Isiekwe is out of contract end of season along with Kpoku.
Isiekwe would be the one player I would really really really want tigers to chase if it did happen.

One of the tightheads would likely fall into that bracket of getting chopped to free cap. Koch, Figallo and Lamositele will take up some cap.

Isiekwe is a huge talent for sure. I expect Sarries to fight harder to keep him than Skelton or Kpoku though.

[RagingBull]

My thought process being Skeleton might cost too much to release mid contract, considering he missed the RWC because of it.

Kpoku is cheaper and according to Alex Shaw really highly thoughtful of apparently.

[johnthegriff]

From what we understand or believe, the Saracens suspected breach of the cap is by their owner investing in busineses jolntly with individual players, I suspect that all he will have to do is write off those investments or even sell them off to another investor maybe a subsidiary company. He would of course have to promise not to do it again and take any punishment dished out although he might challenge that in a court of law. I am not sure that loads of players will be coming available to other clubs in the near future unless Saracens are relegated. My sympathies go to Saracens fans swho are not responsible for the situation.

[JP14]

Regardless of the investigation, wasn’t Kpoku or Isiekwe being touted for a move anyway? Would love either of them!

[mol2]

If it turns out to be true then they may have to release a number of players.

It could well prove very expensive to pay off players with lengthy contracts.
It wouldn't quite fit with the normal redundancy requirements - the players roles are not being made redundant, merely being replaced by cheaper options to fit the league regulations. Do they move them into non-playing roles? Will those affected be willing to accept that?

Obviously we don't know how far over the cap they currently are for this season's squad so will they have to offload a number of cheaper players or one or two of the big guns?

Offloading the big guns may be tricky if the clubs that might sign them are spent up to the cap themselves. There might be some big players going cheap knowing they are still being paid by Sarries.