I've been meaning to post this for some time now. I've been casually checking in to be confronted with what I consider ignorant and ill-informed commentary - and I've been busy - so here I am responding at 2:50am on a Saturday morning!
May I start by congratulating the admin for their handling of both BA's and Gutho's contract negotiation. BA desperately wants to coach our footy club to great success and the dearth of quality alternatives seemed like his reinstatement was a no-brainer - but - the club made him sweat it out!
This is a good thing because it's about time this outfit starts operating on on-field results rather than favours over long lunches at board level!
Likewise, Gutho's manager made our club look like the villain when, in fact, a 3 year deal will see him in his prime in 3 years so, unless he has some medical condition that nobody is currently aware of, a 3 year deal for a non-rep player for something in the territory of $650k sounds pretty reasonable!
Next stop - we sign Moses. He's our halfback, our organiser and the bloke who management and coaching staff have determined is the most appropriate player to build a team around. I think we've seen ample evidence to the fact that he's capable of it. His good games come on the back of our forwards messing up the opposition defence and his poor games follow when our forwards are dominated and has no time.
He wouldn't be the first halfback to struggle when his pack is not gaining advantage per hit-up.
The next point I want to touch on is respect to the salary cap and TPA's.
I think it was Brissy Eel and Fong got into a stoush over TPA's and the supposed 'unfair advantage' that some clubs have over others.
Fong made the point that the Roosters utilise TPA's very much to their advantage and listed a raft of methods as to how they could do so legally. He was correct in saying that the RLPA have made it their primary mission to prevent the NRL from publicising the players' income streams such that it remains a matter between the player and the ATO.
Fong is not wrong in fact, but he is wrong in principal - and this is why:
The RLPA is ostensibly a Union (something I suspect Fong isn't a fan of) and they have traditionally used strong-arm tactics to deny a regime of full disclosure with respect to income streams for the players.
Meanwhile, there are certain clubs that have an inherent advantage when it comes to TPA's or otherwise - whether it be location (e.g. the Storm whereby their players are out of the 'fishbowl'), corporate affiliates (e.g. the Broncos and their ‘old boys club’), real-estate (e.g. the Roosters - where Uncle Nick finds a beachfront property to rent out to a player during their playing tenure and sells it for a peppercorn at the conclusion of their career), or facilities (e.g. Parra - with our shiny new stadium and our soon-to-be built $40m Centre of Excellence).
It is an exercise of pure ignorance to deny these factors with respect to club recruitment and retention.
I am very limited in what I can detail, but both my brother and I are lawyers. I have had dealings with a club and my brother is currently representing a former director of another NRL club in an unfair dismissal matter - and both mine and his came about because of a 'whistle-blower'.
It appears that the current MO of clubs is to sign sham IT contracts whereby they 'purchase' a range of photocopiers, data projectors, AV technology and on-call support - but - said product does not arrive and is instead funnelled into player payment avenues.
This is simply fact, so when some of you on this forum talk about "good management" - what you might mean is "better cheating" - because that’s what’s happening!
So, without clear and full disclosure of player income streams, these avenues of cheating will continue and the rich and powerful clubs will continue to be rich and powerful. If this is something we're all comfortable with, why not eradicate the salary cap and sell the franchises to rich Saudi billionaires - per the Premier League!
I don't want that. I don't think the fans want that and I don't think the likes of Fong want that either!
The solution is simple. Do what the NBA and NFL did and make player income streams a matter of public record. If not, we might as well not whine about the Roosters or Broncos or Storm and their Salary sombreros because nothing will ever change otherwise!
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Agreed Frankie. They’ll just publish and feed the fans same BS as they have all along to fit their squad under cap rules. The fans already know this.
Our club has stated we are not utilising TPA and ginger about the whole thing...our roster is what you get as compared to say clubs like roosters cows broncos saints Souths etc with other means.
It would work like this.
Lets use Cronk as an example, we all know he’s a $1 million dollar player. Other clubs were offering $1 million. Now if they publish wages and we see Cronk is on the cap at $500k then it’s obvious something is up. It’s clearly a rort that warrants further scrutiny. He’s getting at least $500k+ by some other undeclared means which makes it illegal (salary cap wise).
So no, it doesn’t immediately uncover the rort but it does put a huge spotlight on it. It makes it much harder to hide
Mutts now I will show you how wrong you are and . Number 1 the NRL can't value players to the last dollar as they tried and it failed . If Cronk or any player is worh around the million a year mark and he has signed with the Roosters for $850k but Parra offered him $1m a year how will that raise suspicion ? The top players will always take less to be a at a top club that is a chance of winning a premiership and that is common knowledge. Then all the roosters do is help Cronk with some investment advice that will make up the difference and Cronk know because he is dealing with the Roosters that he will be helped with investment advice to make up the difference.
It's way over the top to think a club is going to give a player a who is worth $1m half that amount for a number of reasons, no player is going it accept half their value in TPAs as they can go sour and no club is going to try and make up $500k a year for a player .
I didn’t suggest the nrl value a player. I’m saying if a player signs for well under his known market value then a) we will know about it, b) journalists and other clubs can pressure the NRL to investigate.
If it keeps happening consistently at the same club then it becomes extremely obvious that a system is in place to hide income from the cap.
I take your point about investment advice but that can actually be against the salary cap rules too. “Sign here for $200k less than another club is offering and we’ll give you the scoop on a guaranteed investment opportunity”. That’s about as illegal as it gets.
Transparent player payments may not be the entire cure but it’s a damn sight better than the current secret system with absolutely zero transparency.
Mutts you are really surprising me ,, do you really think a player is going to sign with a club for well under his market value even of he is given a TPA that is 100% legit and legal ? Not a chance in the world , do you know how many players have been screwed and lost 100s of thousands of dollars because TPAs fell through ? Why do players want to play for rooster and stay at the Roosters?
1. They are a successful club that are . always up the top .
2. Players know that they will have access to more off field opportunities than at any other club .
3. They will become better players .
The resson Parra is a two bit club is not because of the roosters or any other club it's because for over a decade now we have had people sticking their nose in club politics who helps give us dipshits like 3p and Steve Sharp and these people are still here trying to stick their nose in and people wonder why the reforms have not been passed yet .
Bourban Man, I really don't know what to make of this part of your comment: "May I start by congratulating the admin for their handling of both BA's and Gutho's contract negotiation. BA desperately wants to coach our footy club to great success and the dearth of quality alternatives seemed like his reinstatement was a no-brainer - but - the club made him sweat it out". I actually thought the handling of both contracts were nothing short of dismal and embarrassing. To also state the Brad Arthur desperately wants to coach the Eels to great success is quite an odd statement given the fact he's had 5 plus years to prove his credentials which so far has been dismal and quite pathetic. To also suggest Bourban Man that the dearth of quality alternatives made his re-instatement as a 'No brainer' is another obscure statement. There are more alternatives out there than Brad Arthur who could have done a much better job.
Get over it Mongo, every post is how stuffed we are with the re-signing of BA. We all know how you feel about it, your continual whinging is not going to change anything.
Pongo, your beginning to follow me around like a bad smell. You seriously need some assistance or help. May I suggest some counselling. There are many other members on here you could stalk if the counselling isn't successful. Now as far as commenting on the re-enstatement of our coach or players. Last time I checked this is an Eels footy site, we do live in a Democracy and we are all entitled to opinions. Now take serious note of this Pongo! When our coach continues to produce no success you will see much more than my questioning of his reinstatement.
Except a couple of weeks ago before the Melbourne game he was backing BA in.
Really, Brett ? Why is it you like to highlight other people's memories but not your own? I've very rarely advocated for the coaching of Arthur, unless of course its been to cease the bagging and complainers who dislike others going against the grain and not conforming to the majority which has always happened throughout history. Like Ive said before Brett which you have ironically failed to remember, I said as a person I like Brad Arthur but Im not a in favour of his coaching methods.
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