Player fire sale just weeks away

[barra]

Daily Tele today reporting that the heads of some of Sydney's clubs have been invited to a succulent Chinese meal by Ray Dibb to discuss the salary cap issues facing a lot of clubs. Those supposedly invited to said dinner are:

Gus Gould - Penrith
Don Furner - Canberra
Brian Johnston - Dragons
Joe Kelly - Roosters
Lyall Gorman - Cronulla
Shane Richardson - Rabbits
Bernie Gurr - Parra
Todd Greenberg- NRL

Can only imagine how said dinner works. "Hey Todd how about you agree to increase the cap to something closer to 10M and we'll all give you a brown paper bag as an early Christmas gift". No surprise there's no one from the Knights or Tigers invited to the dinner as we're both least affected by the cap figure.

Is anyone surprised that now the salary cap appears to be working against the more powerful clubs that Dib has organised a whinge fest?

Will we ever be informed of how many players have been signed or extended by clubs whose salary cap had already been exceeded ie players kept or purchased when said clubs well knew they were in excess of the salary cap? WIll the NRL refuse to register these contracts?

My gut feeling is NRL will cave and give into those clubs who've over shot the cap mark especially if there's a number of them as rumored. NRL is all bark but no bite when it comes to the big/controversial decisions.

Well the reality is that only 5 clubs have to stand against the proposed cap to stop it from going through. So no surprise that these are the clubs invited - they are the most likely to oppose.

 

[jrtiger]

Daily Tele today reporting that the heads of some of Sydney's clubs have been invited to a succulent Chinese meal by Ray Dibb to discuss the salary cap issues facing a lot of clubs. Those supposedly invited to said dinner are:

Gus Gould - Penrith
Don Furner - Canberra
Brian Johnston - Dragons
Joe Kelly - Roosters
Lyall Gorman - Cronulla
Shane Richardson - Rabbits
Bernie Gurr - Parra
Todd Greenberg- NRL

Can only imagine how said dinner works. "Hey Todd how about you agree to increase the cap to something closer to 10M and we'll all give you a brown paper bag as an early Christmas gift". No surprise there's no one from the Knights or Tigers invited to the dinner as we're both least affected by the cap figure.

Is anyone surprised that now the salary cap appears to be working against the more powerful clubs that Dib has organised a whinge fest?

Will we ever be informed of how many players have been signed or extended by clubs whose salary cap had already been exceeded ie players kept or purchased when said clubs well knew they were in excess of the salary cap? WIll the NRL refuse to register these contracts?

My gut feeling is NRL will cave and give into those clubs who've over shot the cap mark especially if there's a number of them as rumored. NRL is all bark but no bite when it comes to the big/controversial decisions.

Well the reality is that only 5 clubs have to stand against the proposed cap to stop it from going through. So no surprise that these are the clubs invited - they are the most likely to oppose.

100%. Why on Earth would Dib invite the teams that are going to go against his agenda with the CEO in the room when all they're going to do is argue the opposite? Common sense really, don't really see them winning unless TG is massively persuaded, which still could happen with this farce they call NRL Management.

 

[cktiger]

Seems to me poor old Ray Dib is looking at anything to take the heat off his own inadequacies.

 

[NT_Tiger]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/canterbury-bulldogs-chairman-ray-dib-sets-up-secret-clubs-meeting-as-salary-cap-war-with-nrl-looms/news-story/a571b15ef9f7943d7c50177add813356

IT IS the Chinese meal which could flip rugby league on its head.

Some of the game’s most powerful club figures have been invited to an exclusive, secret Chinese feast on Monday by Canterbury chairman Ray Dib, as the clubs prepare to wage war on the NRL’s planned $9.2 million dollar salary cap offer.

Among the invitees of the original email sent on Wednesday include Penrith’s Phil Gould and Brian Fletcher, Canberra’s Don Furner, St George Illawarra chairman Brian Johnston, Roosters boss Joe Kelly, Cronulla chief executive Lyall Gorman and South Sydney’s head of football Shane Richardson. Parramatta’s Bernie Gurr has also been extended an invite while Wests Tigers officials were snubbed.

NRL boss Todd Greenberg has also been invited and is expected to front up where it is understood he will give the clubs an updated understanding of the NRL’s salary cap position.

Canterbury and Canberra are among the clubs in most salary cap strife while a host of others clubs budgeted for a salary cap of about $9.5 million.
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Nick Pappas and Ray Dib arrive for a meeting with NRL Chairman John Grant. Picture Gregg Porteous
With suggestions the cap could be as low as $9.2 million next year, tensions are starting to build within club ranks as they fear that may need to shed a host of star players. Canterbury have been making waves with NRL officials in recent weeks as they look to work out how they can become salary cap compliant by the time next year’s season starts.

However, clubs have plenty of power if they present a united front. All that is needed is five disgruntled clubs to stick together and they could block any salary cap agreement struck between the NRL and the Rugby League Players Association which has the potential to send the game into further chaos.

Seventy five per cent of clubs — or 12 of the 16 — must agree to the new collective bargaining agreement. Greenberg and the NRL will meet all clubs on Thursday to present the new-look CBA.

Dib said he would use Monday’s meeting to gauge each club’s position, with the salary cap expected to dominate proceedings. Dib has promised to shout the attendees lunch inside Canterbury Leagues Club.

“It is a catch-up with some of the executive of the various NSW-based membership owned clubs,” Dib told the Daily Telegraph. “It is to find out where everyone is at. What their feelings are and the general conscious heading into next week’s meeting.”
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NRL CEO Todd Greenberg has been invited to attend.
Aside from potentially rounding up five clubs in a bid to block a low-balled salary cap offer, other salary cap alternatives will also be discussed on Monday. These include having a “soft” salary cap for next year or having a higher cap for 2018 before scaling back player costs over for the next three years.

Meanwhile, Canterbury have named Andrew Hill as chief executive to replace Raelene Castle. Hill won’t start until December, when his commitments end as boss of the World Cup.

Listen! David Riccio, Michael Carayannis and Paul Suttor discuss tenuous coaching positions, the next immortal and if Cronulla can revive their title defence. Plus a full Round 23 preview.
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He has enjoyed a long history with the game having played for Parramatta before making a successful transition into successful sports administration.

“It is a very exciting opportunity for me,” Hill said. “Canterbury has a strong, proud history. While I’m looking forward to joining the club my immediate focus is on continuing to work hard and ensuing the Rugby League World Cup is a success and we deliver an outcome that grows the game both in traditional and emerging markets.”

That's absolutely astonishing.
If the NRL fall to these bullies, I will (for the first time in my life) seriously consider giving up following the sport. The fact that only 8 of the 16 teams were invited to this "secret meeting", yet WT were named as the ones that were "snubbed" truly accentuates the media's burning agenda against us.

Why can't these "top clubs" deal with the fact they messed up? It's time for the lower clubs to come out on top. These cap rorting thieves can't deal with the fact they are seriously declining, especially the Bulldogs. I have never had more of a hate for the Bulldogs and the Roosters than now. They are seriously the abomination of the sport, altering this sport's focus into the business factor rather than the athletes.

+1 If the NRL caves in to this they can forget any illusion of a level playing field and that'll do me.

 

[Mr_Magpie]

Moving players on just shows how stupid we were with Blair. Looks like he's outta Broncos books now and back to NZ. Probably the biggest waste of money the Tigere ever dished out.
Still, we haven't been real smart with players we've let go either.

 

[TYGA]

Self interest with board elections next year. If the cap is set at 9.2m Bulldogs management will be ousted due to their 2 new signings potentially not being registered.
WT will benefit more than most with a higher cap as all our signings will be cheaper as they will take up a lower percentage of the salary cap.

 

[JD Tiger]

One good thing, if they do increase the cap from a possible $9.2m to $9.5m, instead of trying to snag a $500k second rower, we could maybe get two, or instead add a $1m player.

Only Cronk falls into that category though, and there's no chance of that. But if we could front-end contracts in 2018, we could buy massive for 2019.

 

[tigerbenji]

I can tell you, The Dogs want a bigger cap to fit Cronk in their team, Bugger anyone else. The Dogs only care about the Dogs.

 

[goldcoast_tiger]

And they are unique in what way ??;
)

 

[newtiger]

Moving players on just shows how stupid we were with Blair. Looks like he's outta Broncos books now and back to NZ. Probably the biggest waste of money the Tigere ever dished out.
Still, we haven't been real smart with players we've let go either.

The Broncos still have not registered Jack Bird's contract yet so they too might be under some cap pressure.

 

[newtiger]

Daily Tele today reporting that the heads of some of Sydney's clubs have been invited to a succulent Chinese meal by Ray Dibb to discuss the salary cap issues facing a lot of clubs. Those supposedly invited to said dinner are:

Gus Gould - Penrith
Don Furner - Canberra
Brian Johnston - Dragons
Joe Kelly - Roosters
Lyall Gorman - Cronulla
Shane Richardson - Rabbits
Bernie Gurr - Parra
Todd Greenberg- NRL

Can only imagine how said dinner works. "Hey Todd how about you agree to increase the cap to something closer to 10M and we'll all give you a brown paper bag as an early Christmas gift". No surprise there's no one from the Knights or Tigers invited to the dinner as we're both least affected by the cap figure.

Is anyone surprised that now the salary cap appears to be working against the more powerful clubs that Dib has organised a whinge fest?

Will we ever be informed of how many players have been signed or extended by clubs whose salary cap had already been exceeded ie players kept or purchased when said clubs well knew they were in excess of the salary cap? WIll the NRL refuse to register these contracts?

My gut feeling is NRL will cave and give into those clubs who've over shot the cap mark especially if there's a number of them as rumored. NRL is all bark but no bite when it comes to the big/controversial decisions.

If the NRL does cave into these knobs then the NRL will be under financial pressure themselves as the have an agreement to fund the clubs 130% of the cap.
Apparently the banks knocked the NRL back of a $30 million loan a few weeks ago, so I don't think everything is smooth sailing at league HQ,
A fair bit of overspending on all these do nothing people at HQ.

 

[jirskyr]

[That's absolutely astonishing.
If the NRL fall to these bullies, I will (for the first time in my life) seriously consider giving up following the sport. The fact that only 8 of the 16 teams were invited to this "secret meeting", yet WT were named as the ones that were "snubbed" truly accentuates the media's burning agenda against us.

Well the Tigers were deemed snubbed because Dib basically invited all the NSW teams. Looks like Manly were "snubbed" too even though they are one of the teams in trouble, but unsurprisingly Newcastle weren't invited either.

But as previously said, whatever, you don't invite your negotiating rivals to a special meeting with your like-minded powerbrokers.

 

[Yossarian]

[That's absolutely astonishing.
If the NRL fall to these bullies, I will (for the first time in my life) seriously consider giving up following the sport. The fact that only 8 of the 16 teams were invited to this "secret meeting", yet WT were named as the ones that were "snubbed" truly accentuates the media's burning agenda against us.

Well the Tigers were deemed snubbed because Dib basically invited all the NSW teams. Looks like Manly were "snubbed" too even though they are one of the teams in trouble, but unsurprisingly Newcastle weren't invited either.

But as previously said, whatever, you don't invite your negotiating rivals to a special meeting with your like-minded powerbrokers.

The key qualifier was "membership" owned clubs. So no privately or NRL owned teams. How that excludes us and includes Souths is hard to work out. Looks more like a talkfest for cap cheats and their fellow travelers.

 

[white]

the five teams who will oppose cap increase are 1 weststigers
2 newcastle
3 st george
4 gold coast
5 warriors
these clubs can screw the dogs and co

 

[Snake]

The CARTELL OF THE RORTERS and salary cap cheats! Chinese at Bulldogs central ..NRL chairman ex Dogs CEO you certainly see where this is going ..the NRL are killing this great game and they wonder why !

 

[AL The Tiger]

[That's absolutely astonishing.
If the NRL fall to these bullies, I will (for the first time in my life) seriously consider giving up following the sport. The fact that only 8 of the 16 teams were invited to this "secret meeting", yet WT were named as the ones that were "snubbed" truly accentuates the media's burning agenda against us.

Well the Tigers were deemed snubbed because Dib basically invited all the NSW teams. Looks like Manly were "snubbed" too even though they are one of the teams in trouble, but unsurprisingly Newcastle weren't invited either.

But as previously said, whatever, you don't invite your negotiating rivals to a special meeting with your like-minded powerbrokers.

The key qualifier was "membership" owned clubs. So no privately or NRL owned teams. How that excludes us and includes Souths is hard to work out. Looks more like a talkfest for cap cheats and their fellow travelers.

What I'm trying to understand is why the Telecrap felt the need to call us out as if we were the only team snubbed.

 

[Harvey]

The clubs previously put the NRL over a barrel demanding 130% of cap as funding.
Most of the clubs listed have fairly profitable outside support and will survive with a lesser grant.
Greenberg used to work for Dib at the dogs.
Compromise will be to increase cap and reduce the percentage of cap that the NRL need to provide as funding.
This is not going to end well for the financially responsible clubs waiting on the fire sale, and basically cap cheating will be approved for the next couple of years to allow these clubs to sort out the mess that they have got themselves into

 

[jrtiger]

the five teams who will oppose cap increase are 1 weststigers
2 newcastle
3 st george
4 gold coast
5 warriors
these clubs can screw the dogs and co

Melbourne are miles under the cap also after losing Cronk, McLean and Harris and only acquiring Kasiano

 

[newtiger]

the five teams who will oppose cap increase are 1 weststigers
2 newcastle
3 st george
4 gold coast
5 warriors
these clubs can screw the dogs and co

Melbourne are miles under the cap also after losing Cronk, McLean and Harris and only acquiring Kasiano

So would Manly now they have B.stewart and Matai's cap money is available next year.

 

[Pawsandclaws]

The clubs previously put the NRL over a barrel demanding 130% of cap as funding.
Most of the clubs listed have fairly profitable outside support and will survive with a lesser grant.
Greenberg used to work for Dib at the dogs.
Compromise will be to increase cap and reduce the percentage of cap that the NRL need to provide as funding.
This is not going to end well for the financially responsible clubs waiting on the fire sale, and basically cap cheating will be approved for the next couple of years to allow these clubs to sort out the mess that they have got themselves into

I read from Bulldogs' supporters that Dib's approaches to the NRL on variations to the salary cap (basically to get himself and his club a reprieve) had been rebuffed.