The Rugby Thread

[teok]

Hartley has finally retired.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Jonathan Davies has now had surgery on his knee and will be out for 6 months (so will miss the 6Ns).

Credit to him for playing on with what was obviously a very serious injury, but not sure which medical professional cleared that one. Hope it didn't make it worse.

 

[teok]

Saracens are just taking the piss now.

Reports: Stormers to lose lock Cobus Wiese to Saracens

The Stormers could be set to lose another player as promising young lock Cobus Wiese is reportedly in talks over a long-term move to Saracens.

www.sarugbymag.co.za

 

[talkshowhost86]

Saracens are just taking the piss now.

Reports: Stormers to lose lock Cobus Wiese to Saracens

The Stormers could be set to lose another player as promising young lock Cobus Wiese is reportedly in talks over a long-term move to Saracens.

www.sarugbymag.co.za

Bloody hell he'll cause havoc in the Championship!

 

[teok]

I think one thing saracens have shown is that while the salary cap is much needed for the premiership to keep it financially viable, english clubs (that stay under it) can't compete in europe.

This weekend we have:

glos vs toulouse

la rochelle vs exeter

bath vs ulster

clermont vs quins

saints vs lyon

racing vs sarries

Maybe bath can beat ulster (maybe) but I reckon all the english sides will probably lose.

 

[teok]

Some bits of news to mull over:

Loss to PNG completes GB tour whitewash

Great Britain suffer a 4-0 whitewash on their comeback tour as Papua New Guinea stun the Lions in Port Moresby.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Japhet]

Some bits of news to mull over:

Loss to PNG completes GB tour whitewash

Great Britain suffer a 4-0 whitewash on their comeback tour as Papua New Guinea stun the Lions in Port Moresby.

www.bbc.co.uk

From the little I know about Argyle, he seems like a proper arsehole.

 

[talkshowhost86]

So now it appears that Saracens aren't going to contest their points deduction and fine.

Presumably they are going to have to offload some players now, as if they were breaching the cap in the previous three years they presumably still are now.

Really hope they go down (which they really should with 26 points to have to make up). They deserve it.

 

[Thewobbler]

So do sarries get to play the rest of this season with those players and still be over the cap limit or do they have to let some go now?

This Saracens full strength squad can easily make up 26 points if they get bonus points.

 

[Japhet]

So do sarries get to play the rest of this season with those players and still be over the cap limit or do they have to let some go now?

This Saracens full strength squad can easily make up 26 points if they get bonus points.

Makes a mockery of it if they can use the same players to get out of the situation those very players got them in in the first place.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

So now it appears that Saracens aren't going to contest their points deduction and fine.

Presumably they are going to have to offload some players now, as if they were breaching the cap in the previous three years they presumably still are now.

Really hope they go down (which they really should with 26 points to have to make up). They deserve it.

Depends whether they carry on paying the players the same amount I would think.

 

[teok]

I think they will offload a couple of big earners like williams and skelton and then pay the others less. By the looks of it they are just putting out b teams in europe and then will go at the prem hard with their a team.

They should stay up.

 

[Thewobbler]

Eddie jones thinks the sarries players might skip the 6 nations to fight relegation.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Depends whether they carry on paying the players the same amount I would think.

Contractually they'll be in a very tricky situation if they try to reduce salaries at this stage.

I suppose that what they'll actually do though is keep them on the same salary and just drop whatever dodgy investment plan they had that propped up the wages elsewhere. Will be interesting to see if any of the players kick up a fuss about that happening though.

 

[teok]

Eddie jones thinks the sarries players might skip the 6 nations to fight relegation.

I don't think players can just skip a tournament like the 6N. They can negotiate time off if they are having a baby or a family illness or some thing.

 

[Japhet]

Eddie jones thinks the sarries players might skip the 6 nations to fight relegation.

That should work well in the popularity stakes.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Nigel Wray, Sarries owner:

"We confirm our commitment to the salary cap, and the underlying principle of a level playing field, and will continue to work transparently with Premiership Rugby in this regard."

He should be in politics!

Interestingly, he also said: The club is in compliance with the salary cap for this season and will not have to sell players.

 

['O Zio]

Some bits of news to mull over:

Last I heard from him was when he "sacked himself" for being a racist prick. So I guess this means he "rehired himself" again then?

 

['O Zio]

Makes a mockery of it if they can use the same players to get out of the situation those very players got them in in the first place.

Agree completely. Also I don't get how their titles still stand even though they won them as a direct result of breaching the rules. Unless they do actually get relegated and struggle to get back up (neither of which I think will happen), then they've ultimately gotten off pretty lightly when all's said and done.

 

[Yid-ol]

Agree completely. Also I don't get how their titles still stand even though they won them as a direct result of breaching the rules. Unless they do actually get relegated and struggle to get back up (neither of which I think will happen), then they've ultimately gotten off pretty lightly when all's said and done.

So they are the man city of the rugby world?!