Armitage

[JackFlashJonny]

One of the things I noticed from the Ford interview was him stating they can replace Louw with a like for like player meaning I think Louw is their marquee player so can replace him with a player for the same value?

[daktari]

The answer to staying within the salary cap, is surely to pay a base salary (modest amount) and then get the salary topped up by a local company or sponsor. I'm not sure sponsorship comes within the cap limit but there is always a way around it.

I think most 'loop holes' are covered in what is and what isn't part of the cap. Apart from Tigers being pure as the driven snow , being a PLC makes it difficult to use the tricks supposedly used by other clubs.

[h's dad]

The answer to staying within the salary cap, is surely to pay a base salary (modest amount) and then get the salary topped up by a local company or sponsor. I'm not sure sponsorship comes within the cap limit but there is always a way around it.

With respect, this is a rather naïve post if you think the salary cap can be legitimately circumvented by such a simple stratagem. The rules are freely available in both summary and detail form so it might help if you have a look at them.

Like others I am not sure how some clubs can be remaining within the salary cap. Perhaps they go over, declare it as a mistake and pay the financial penalty as laid down? As far as I am aware this is no obligation for offenders to be named and the powers that be will not be averse to a further swelling of the coffers.

[johnthegriff]

Bath and Sarries have billionair owners willing to dip into their pockets to finance the millions of pounds each club loses each year. Tigers are run as a business not a rich mans hobby. We have to finance expenditure on players and on ground improvements by bums on seats and on the whole we break even. Sarries have now obtained a permanent home to their credit, Bath on the other hand have the worst ground in the league although possibly in the best setting yet despite their massive expenditure on players, their high prices to sit in uncovered seating they have still not delivered any worthwhile trophies to their fans this century. Just who is being short changed? I don't think it is the fans of clubs like Leicester and Saints.

[TomWeston]

We have to finance expenditure on players and on ground improvements by bums on seats and on the whole we break even.

Having followed Baggytrousers' invitation to look at the Ulster messageboard I see that Ravenhill was expanded partly by way of a government £13 million grant, which means Ulster didn't have to finance it and they get the extra bums on seats every fortnight. Why are they a worthier cause for government grants than Leicester?

[daktari]

Bath and Sarries have billionair owners willing to dip into their pockets to finance the millions of pounds each club loses each year. Tigers are run as a business not a rich mans hobby. We have to finance expenditure on players and on ground improvements by bums on seats and on the whole we break even. Sarries have now obtained a permanent home to their credit, Bath on the other hand have the worst ground in the league although possibly in the best setting yet despite their massive expenditure on players, their high prices to sit in uncovered seating they have still not delivered any worthwhile trophies to their fans this century. Just who is being short changed? I don't think it is the fans of clubs like Leicester and Saints.

Indeed. We went this year, the Bath fans were great, their 'stadium' is not. First challenge is to find where you enter, if you've never been there is no way of knowing which side of the river it is. Our entrance was hidden behind a car park. They also manage to sell non-existent seats to a group of Tigers supports - how on earth do you manage to do that??

[ourla]

The Irish model is completely different to England and France afaik.

The clubs are not individual entities but controlled and governed by the branches of the IRFU.

[h's dad]

The Tigers Board seem to have an aversion now to buying the top quality players available..

And please dont bleat about the salary cap.............

How then do Bath afford Eastmond Burgess Joseph Watson Armitage plus a number of others when we obviously could benefit from virtually all of those. And never even attempted to buy them.

We have 24000 regular supporters, Bath have less than half.
Even if you cut this argument in half, and even quarter it,I as a long standing supporter of over 60 years, and all my Tigers friends are beginning to feel short changed at some of the journeymen we have on board and are being served up with!!!

A great friend, a front row season ticket holder, not given to expansion in his speech, reckons the Two Petes are dumbing down because of the CAT stand repayments... True or false ?

Despite the narrow win over Quims, and effort from all on view, something aint right at Fortress Welford Road..

Let us all hope the backs suddenly spring into magical action on Sat at 7.30 pm. just like they did all those years ago when Jaco was stuck at fly half after the embarrassing thrashing in Belfast, came up trumps and engineered a marvellous reversal.

How do you not "bleat" about the salary cap when looking at what the APL clubs spend on their squads? If you and your friend think the squad is being dumbed down on cost reasons perhaps the two of you can explain how the current Tigers squad is assembled at so much under the cap it makes a material difference to the overall finances?

[JackFlashJonny]

H's Dad is a friendly one isn't he....

[h's dad]

H's Dad is a friendly one isn't he....

If I came on here and said a try should not be disallowed just because of a forward pass you would rightly think I was an idiot. Some of the comments by posters about salary cap and other regulations fall into the same category. There is a difference between somebody having an alternative point of view and somebody spouting tripe.

[The Boy Dave]

It is a myth that clubs are spending above the salary cap on wages, rugby players are not paid that much you know, only the top guys earn decent money and the average premiership footballer probably earns more in a week than a top club rugby player does in a year!
Why certain clubs are suspected more than others these days I don't know, jealousy does cause mud throwing and I recall much mud being thrown our way when we were on top.
Other clubs have a mix of players such as Eastmond, Ford, Louw, James Johnston, the Vunipola brothers, well we have players such as Allen, Burns, Salvi, Cole and the Youngs brothers, all is fair in my opinion.

[h's dad]

It is a myth that clubs are spending above the salary cap on wages, rugby players are not paid that much you know, only the top guys earn decent money and the average premiership footballer probably earns more in a week than a top club rugby player does in a year!
Why certain clubs are suspected more than others these days I don't know, jealousy does cause mud throwing and I recall much mud being thrown our way when we were on top.
Other clubs have a mix of players such as Eastmond, Ford, Louw, James Johnston, the Vunipola brothers, well we have players such as Allen, Burns, Salvi, Cole and the Youngs brothers, all is fair in my opinion.

In the sports arena rugby players do seem to be severely underpaid for what they actually do however, fair or not, their (aggregate) rewards depend on what others are prepared to pay to watch them, live and otherwise.

With Tigers bumping around the roof of the salary cap and allegedly paying less than other clubs for similar players, it is difficult for the layman to see how a few other clubs manage to procure larger squads with just as many “names”. I’m not making any allegations, just raising my curiosity.

A while back it was announced that there had been three undisclosed breaches with the infringing clubs receiving significant financial penalties.

[JackFlashJonny]

If I came on here and said a try should not be disallowed just because of a forward pass you would rightly think I was an idiot. Some of the comments by posters about salary cap and other regulations fall into the same category. There is a difference between somebody having an alternative point of view and somebody spouting tripe.

I just think you may have an unnecessary cantankerous approach that isn't required. So you may know more about the salary cap than said poster but educating someone doesn't have to be in a condescending manner....why don't you just relax and take it easy you must be old to be that grumpy however I completely echo your salary cap curiosity and for the public to not know who said offenders were and the ramifications they faced is somewhat farcical in my opinion...

With regard to the Armitage situation Sunday will be the key if he lines up for Toulon his world cup dream is surely over before it began and if he doesn't he must be en route to Englands green and pleasant land in the very near future!

[Trueleicester]

H's Dad. Whilst I maybe a little naive as you put it,do you seriously believe the powers at be, just allow clubs to breach the salary cap to swell their coffers, an interesting take on naivety!

[ourla]

Breaches can result in a fine or points deducted.
http://www.lawinsport.com/features/item ... ugby-union

And any breach would be made public.
http://www.espn.co.uk/premiership-2013- ... 01587.html

I suspect in the early days it wasn't as well policed.