No Easy Games in Aviva Premiership thread 2015/2016

irishbucsfan

I suppose Quentin Smith did say that noone broke the salary cap, so every club could turn around and confirm it wasn't them!

molloyjh

Another mad one from Moore today claiming Bruce Craig is talking about Bath joining the Pro12.

https://twitter.com/brianmoore666/status/659335646515982336

irishbucsfan

Well that's unexpected

molloyjh

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Well that's unexpected

In fairness I can't make Bath this season and have yet to go. By all accounts it's a great spot and one of the few left on my rugby wish list. So feck it, why not!

irishbucsfan

Michael Corcoran says it's untrue

molloyjh

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Michael Corcoran says it's untrue

I don't believe it either tbh. How would it work and why would the Pro12 go for it even if Craig approached them? The whole thing makes next to no sense at all.

Pudsy33

Presumably, if true, it's about the formation of a Euro league and not about Bath just joining the PRO 12.

ulster_Beef

A super 14/15/16 European League with a second tier including relegation/ promotion would be great.... Cant see it happening any time soon but it WILL happen eventually. Money talks

Teferi

Pudsy33 wrote: »

Presumably, if true, it's about the formation of a Euro league and not about Bath just joining the PRO 12.

Nail on the head.

thomond2006

Brian Moore's vendetta on Twitter is both brilliant and hilarious.

CatFromHue

I think he's deleted it now as I couldn't find it and he mentions deleting a tweet that turned out to be not true.

He certainly has a bee in his bonnet over the salary cap too.

slingerz

ulster_Beef wrote: »

A super 14/15/16 European League with a second tier including relegation/ promotion would be great.... Cant see it happening any time soon but it WILL happen eventually. Money talks

Totally. Can you imagine the tv rights that Sky/BT would have for it? Would drive upwards towards soccer levels

Would probably mean the end of the European Cup as we know it with a more soccer style Cup being the way forward.

The challenges it would present the IRFU would be immense too. I reckon they would struggle to support Munster/Leinster/Ulster at that rate and Connacht would be lost to it. The level of squad that would be needed would be huge really

bilston

slingerz wrote: »

Totally. Can you imagine the tv rights that Sky/BT would have for it? Would drive upwards towards soccer levels

Would probably mean the end of the European Cup as we know it with a more soccer style Cup being the way forward.

The challenges it would present the IRFU would be immense too. I reckon they would struggle to support Munster/Leinster/Ulster at that rate and Connacht would be lost to it. The level of squad that would be needed would be huge really

On the other hand it would expose our teams to a much much bigger TV audience thereby ensuring significantly more TV money which would help fund the provinces. A B&I league is more realisitic than a Euro one. I'd say the Welsh are already sold. Personally I'd love to see it, but governance issues means it's a while off at the minute.

Anyway as for Bath joining the Pro 12 , I'm pretty sure BM was on the wind up!

slingerz

bilston wrote: »

On the other hand it would expose our teams to a much much bigger TV audience thereby ensuring significantly more TV money which would help fund the provinces. A B&I league is more realisitic than a Euro one. I'd say the Welsh are already sold. Personally I'd love to see it, but governance issues means it's a while off at the minute.

Anyway as for Bath joining the Pro 12 , I'm pretty sure BM was on the wind up!

Totally on the wind up and your right a B&I league would be even more feasible.

A regular visit of Bath, Northampton, Leicester Tigers to Thomond Park or the RDS would surely see gate receipts improve as well.

ulster_Beef

The reality is, a 2 tier B&I League will happen, long before a European super league.

As much as I hate the money pouring into rugby, its just the way of it and we must go along with it, whatever your views on that are. However, I just wish these things would happen sooner or later. The Pro12 is Tom Kite and the only real attraction is Europe.

Surely teams such as Treviso, Zebre and then London Welsh et al, would come on better playing alongside other teams chasing promotion, rather than being the whipping boys (however much they can beat Ulster etc here and there)

Zzippy

ulster_Beef wrote: »

The reality is, a 2 tier B&I League will happen, long before a European super league.

As much as I hate the money pouring into rugby, its just the way of it and we must go along with it, whatever your views on that are. However, I just wish these things would happen sooner or later. The Pro12 is Tom Kite and the only real attraction is Europe.

Surely teams such as Treviso, Zebre and then London Welsh et al, would come on better playing alongside other teams chasing promotion, rather than being the whipping boys (however much they can beat Ulster etc here and there)

Who's to say Ulster will be in the top tier of such a league? Be careful what you wish for...

ulster_Beef

Zzippy wrote: »

Who's to say Ulster will be in the top tier of such a league? Be careful what you wish for...

Regarding this season and the last, I wouldnt even bet on us being in the top tier. I have lost all faith in Ulster at the minute.

Well and truly... I have no faith in the players and even less in the coaching ticket. Dont even get me started on this issue.... The reply thread wouldnt have enough room to fit my rant.

Logan searched 'far and wide' for a coach and ends up with Doak... Up til 2 seasons ago we were European finalists and 1/4 finalists... league finalists and so on... There would have been bus loads of coaches queuing up to coach a team in such a situation... but we settle for a cricket player.

As if signing Doak wasnt bad enough, we sign half a dozen flankers which didnt even set foot on the pitch as they were injured... We sign players of AIL background and expect them to do the business on Toulon et al.

We sign Wilson for 2 more years who doesnt do anything and in the second row we have Peter Brown from London Welsh. A budgies fart has more power than him ffs... and to cap it off we pay around 500k a year for an all black who we dont need, as great as he is. We need forwards. We can sell half the backs we have and still have some to supply all 4 provinces with great players

I have to end it here haha.

This isnt the Ulster thread so...

Zzippy

Apparently only Leicester, Bath and Saracens have yet to come out with a statement about salary cap issues.

Zzippy

Zzippy wrote: »

Apparently only Leicester, Bath and Saracens have yet to come out with a statement about salary cap issues.

Belfast Telegraph - http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/eight-clubs-deny-involvement-in-premiership-rugbys-salary-cap-investigations-34153118.html

Saracens, Bath, Leicester and Newcastle are the remaining clubs yet to be drawn either way on the issue.

BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/34669989

On Thursday, Saints, Gloucester, London Irish and Exeter joined Wasps, Harlequins, Newcastle, Sale and Worcester in confirming that they were not among the clubs that Premiership Rugby reached agreements with over last season's cap.

Seems they can't decide whether or not Newcastle have. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt...

Deleted User wrote: »

Sale also come out to say that they are not one of the teams..

Then there were 10 (though 9 really as Worcester are hardly likely to be included!)
Club
1 Saracens
2 Leicester Tigers
3 Exeter Chiefs
4 Northampton Saints
5 Gloucester
6 Harlequins
7 Wasps
8 Bath
9 Sale Sharks
10 Worcester Warriors
11 Newcastle Falcons
12 London Irish

Silence is deafening!

CatFromHue

It's just like a game of Cluedo!

Teferi

I'll name the culprit:

N Wray.

Sorry, sorry, that's too obvious.

Let's try:

Nigel W.

irishbucsfan

Im not so certain we can trust the list of club's who haven't made a statement as being the 3 who were investigated. As Brian Moore pointed out a lot of the clubs just said they hadn't exceeded the cap, not that they weren't investigated. I don't think Leicester were investigated, but of course it's impossible to know for sure.

Good interview here with the CEO of Northampton.

irishbucsfan

Certain people in the media would have you believe that Northampton were one of 3 clubs investigated. Good interview nonetheless even if I'm still inclined to believe it's them, Sarries and Bath who are the three.

irishbucsfan

Statement from Bath:

http://www.bathrugby.com/news/bath-rugby-statement-3/

In response to recent speculation, Bath Rugby would like to clarify its position for the 2014/2015 season.

Bath Rugby can confirm the Club was within the salary cap for the 2014/15 season. The cap for the 2014/15 season was £4.76m before allowances and credits. Bath Rugby’s salary cap spend was £4.71m during that period. Bath Rugby can also reassure supporters that the Club’s spend will be within the salary cap for the 2015/2016 season.

The Club is committed to spending up to the cap to provide the best squad possible. We have one of the smaller squads in the Premiership, which comprised 36 senior players including 14 international players in the 2014/15 season.

Bath Rugby would also like to clarify its position regarding the salary cap debate. English clubs have been significantly disadvantaged both within domestic and European competitions. The clubs representing England in Europe have been expected to compete with European clubs, who have a spend of up to 100% more on their squads. These same English clubs also lose international players for one third of the domestic season with no cap relief. This system was inherently unfair, open to challenge and was in need of fundamental change.

The new Salary Framework, voted and approved unanimously by the shareholders of Premiership Rugby (PRL) last week, enables clubs to recruit cover for players called up for international fixtures, provides funding for clubs to compete equally with European clubs, provides enhanced incentives for the development of young English players, and simplifies the administration of the system.

The new defined salary framework is a much fairer system for all clubs. It will provide increased investment for all the clubs, funded 100% from central income. It will allow Premiership clubs to compete on a fairer playing field both domestically and in Europe and it will promote the production and development of English talent.

Winters

Bath head coach Mike Ford is cautious of clubs in rugby beginning to overspend on players

"We've got to be careful not to create a monster because otherwise it will become like football. It's everyone's responsibility within the sport for it not to be like that. Hopefully we've still got a lid on it."

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/baths-ford-warns-of-financial-monster/

April Fools has come early..

aimee1

Winters wrote: »

Bath head coach Mike Ford is cautious of clubs in rugby beginning to overspend on players



http://www.planetrugby.com/news/baths-ford-warns-of-financial-monster/

April Fools has come early..

Few days after they signed faletau and 5-6 weeks after they paid a fee for dave denton

The Lost Sheep

Ian Nagle and Jerry Sexton have joined Premiership club London Irish on short-term deals until the end of the season.

http://www.the42.ie/ian-nagle-jerry-sexton-london-irish-2584485-Feb2016/?utm_source=shortlink

wp_rathead

Hon Exeter

matthew8

Saracens taking a beating of London Welsh proportions today. Losing 64-23 at home to Wasps.