Saracens are relegated!

[Jimmy Skitz]

I'm absolutely amazed at the lack of recognition that the salary cap helped enable the Chiefs to take our players and destroy what was a successful Leicester team.
It terms of levelling up the league it did that and then some.
Clubs are not rewarded for their good work, others just take and profit from it, Chiefs turn will come!

I would suggest it was Tigers' failure to replace them that destroyed what was a successful team. Parling, Salvi and Waldrom all no longer play for Chiefs, yet Chiefs are still successful because they replaced them well.

the point is Tigers were unable to keep them due to the cap, the failure to replace them properly may also be down to what we could spend on the replacement under the cap

[Truefollower]

Devils advocate here, will DOR's consider resting key players in what is now a dead rubber playing Sarracheats?

[Tiglon]

I'm absolutely amazed at the lack of recognition that the salary cap helped enable the Chiefs to take our players and destroy what was a successful Leicester team.
It terms of levelling up the league it did that and then some.
Clubs are not rewarded for their good work, others just take and profit from it, Chiefs turn will come!

I would suggest it was Tigers' failure to replace them that destroyed what was a successful team. Parling, Salvi and Waldrom all no longer play for Chiefs, yet Chiefs are still successful because they replaced them well.

the point is Tigers were unable to keep them due to the cap, the failure to replace them properly may also be down to what we could spend on the replacement under the cap

But everyone else apart from Salarycens had the same cap. Sorry, I don't see why we should feel hard done by, portray Tigers as victims or Exeter as villains.

With all 3 of those players, I'm sure Tigers could have offered them enough money to stay and sacrificed someone else instead. That's something all clubs apart from Salarycens have had to do every season, and clearly Tigers have been quite poor at it for some years - although the signs are that we are very much improving on that.

[TomWeston]

Billy V off with a broken arm reported here, which I regret. Do Saracens have to spend the injury compensation or can they just add it to their elastic cap?

If the latter, the cynic in me would ask for certified x- rays.

[Mark62]

Likely red for Skelton

[Jimmy Skitz]

I would suggest it was Tigers' failure to replace them that destroyed what was a successful team. Parling, Salvi and Waldrom all no longer play for Chiefs, yet Chiefs are still successful because they replaced them well.

the point is Tigers were unable to keep them due to the cap, the failure to replace them properly may also be down to what we could spend on the replacement under the cap

But everyone else apart from Salarycens had the same cap. Sorry, I don't see why we should feel hard done by, portray Tigers as victims or Exeter as villains.

With all 3 of those players, I'm sure Tigers could have offered them enough money to stay and sacrificed someone else instead. That's something all clubs apart from Salarycens have had to do every season, and clearly Tigers have been quite poor at it for some years - although the signs are that we are very much improving on that.

don't think anyone is saying Exeter are villains here simply saying it will happen to them too, they will get to the point where they lose key players and cannot afford to replace them with quality due to lack of room under the cap

[Ian Cant]

I don’t condone what Sarries hierarchy has done but whatever is said the squad is superbly well coached. You look at our backs when fully fit and they too should, even with limited ball, score tries!
As for PLR saying they want a fair contest I find that totally ignores the fact that those clubs, often Tigers, Sarries, Bath, Quins and Saints are never going to be on the same, level playing field during The Autumn Internationals, Six Nations and World Cup!
Last season for us some forget that Tuilagi, Genge( Summer injury with England) and not quite so much, but May missed important parts of the season through England and injury as well as Ford, Youngs and Cole being in the England 23.

I wish the Sarries players well and will continue to admire their rugby skill set.

[Tiglon]

the point is Tigers were unable to keep them due to the cap, the failure to replace them properly may also be down to what we could spend on the replacement under the cap

But everyone else apart from Salarycens had the same cap. Sorry, I don't see why we should feel hard done by, portray Tigers as victims or Exeter as villains.

With all 3 of those players, I'm sure Tigers could have offered them enough money to stay and sacrificed someone else instead. That's something all clubs apart from Salarycens have had to do every season, and clearly Tigers have been quite poor at it for some years - although the signs are that we are very much improving on that.

don't think anyone is saying Exeter are villains here simply saying it will happen to them too, they will get to the point where they lose key players and cannot afford to replace them with quality due to lack of room under the cap

I'm pretty sure the original post was along the lines of Chiefs took our players, profited from our hard work and destroyed our team... their time will come. Sounds kind of villainous to me.

[mol2]

The salaries offered by Sarries will have impacted on other teams.

If they offer top players more than the other sides could, the expectations of players and their agents are going to be that they are what similar status players will be worth. Sarries offered me £x if you don't match it I will go.

So top salaries go up and as so many top players are signed to them, it becomes harder for other clubs to sign enough top players to compete.

The lesser players may find they get smaller salaries as so much more of the cake is spent on the top players.

[Mark62]

At the end of the coverage they showed Nigel Wray sitting in the stand. Did I spot Bernie Ecclestone sitting in front of him, another interesting business man

[LE18]

I don't think we can blame Chiefs for pinching Salvi, from what I heard Salvi wanted to look around, when he came back and told the club he wanted to accept our offer, he was allegedly told "What offer", and so had to leave.

[aslongaswebeatsaints]

Happy days. Happy fan. Justice served, cap to be reviewed and Tigers have avoided relegation and can now focus on continuing the recent improvement, bringing on our talented youngsters even more, and winning some European silverware.

[longlivethecrumbie]

I don't think we can blame Chiefs for pinching Salvi, from what I heard Salvi wanted to look around, when he came back and told the club he wanted to accept our offer, he was allegedly told "What offer", and so had to leave.

That's the story I am aware of too (which came from Salvi himself, I may add).

As for Waldrom - he was not flavour of the month after he was capped by England and was duly replaced by Crane at the back of the pack (cue much angst on here) and he duly left for somewhere where he was wanted and appreciated.

Parling had concussion issues and I'd imagine we offered him reduced terms as a result.

Exeter are not to blame I'm afraid and anyone who thinks as such needs their head looking at.

[sam16111986]

I don't think we can blame Chiefs for pinching Salvi, from what I heard Salvi wanted to look around, when he came back and told the club he wanted to accept our offer, he was allegedly told "What offer", and so had to leave.

That's the story I am aware of too (which came from Salvi himself, I may add).

As for Waldrom - he was not flavour of the month after he was capped by England and was duly replaced by Crane at the back of the pack (cue much angst on here) and he duly left for somewhere where he was wanted and appreciated.

Parling had concussion issues and I'd imagine we offered him reduced terms as a result.

Exeter are not to blame I'm afraid and anyone who thinks as such needs their head looking at.

Crane was first choice 8 before Waldrom came and Waldrom never really took the shirt off of him, sadly Baxter and Exeter were able to give him the kind of platform where he thrived. At Tigers the expectation was the 8 would be a workhorse and Waldrom was never that. Great carrier and finisher though.

[fentiger]

Don't forget how Waldrom thrived on those west country cream teas