I've been doing a bit of thinking (yes, rare for me I know) over the past few days and an idea hit me that hasn't gone away. It probably won't be the most popular idea, but I think it could actually have merit.
The Problem
We all know that basically all clubs use ways and means of subverting and supplementing the salary cap. There is absolutely no way that a team built like the current Broncos squad could exist if they had the same amount of money as the NRL prescribes.
It also seems to be the thinking that, unless you find a way to subvert the cap successfully to some extent, you won't be able to put a successful team on the park and you certainly won't stand a chance at nabbing a premiership.
The Idea
Since spending time and money subverting the cap means accepting a massive amount of risk (and we now know all too well what happens when that risk doesn't pay off) it got me thinking - what about the other side of the coin?
What about instead of spending money trying to bend the rules to inflate the odds our side, we spent the time and money trying to deflate other clubs?
I'll pose a question: How much investment do you think it took for Kate McClymont to get her evidence and break her stories? How much money would it take to hire investigators to target another club (say the Broncos) and dig, dig, dig until they got enough dirt to release to the media and the NRL and force another embarrassing investigation?
I think it'd be considerably less than it's costing us to try to subvert the cap (considering secret payments and the like). And it'd certainly be way, way less risky. Heck the worst case is we uncover how these clubs are doing it all "by the books" and we can mimic their methods.
So in a nutshell - we put together a squad of investigators and give them an amount to spend with the remit of catching out a rival club. We release the dirt to the media and force the NRL to take down the opposition. Instead of our club trying to play "catch up" with more sophisticated clubs, we just do the opposite and put money into taking down the opposition.
Just a thought...
Replies
The Captain : Have gun, will travel!
I'd be happy to spend money having an investigator follow Rebecca Wilson around and see what slutty things she does in her spare time and publish it in the newspaper.
Mate you'd just have to get a copy of the security camera at Dan Murphy's
I wouldn't be surprised if that's what is happening to us right now!!!
Come on Brett, you and I know that you over exaggerating.
There have been stupider ideas on this site. Remember the sack BA blogs because he cant coach and we arent high enough on the ladder ;)
I share your values on this Poppa...........even though I suspect The Captain put it out there in a jocular way.