Yesterday, following the Sharks 62-0 drubbing of the hapless Newcastle Knights, some took to social media to blast the salary cap system, proclaiming it simply doesn’t work.
I’m not willing to sit here and try to convince anyone that the salary cap is perfect, it’s not, but to blame the cap for yesterday’s result is ridiculous.
Despite the obvious fact that the salary cap is never responsible for a one-off result, the Newcastle Knights are in the position they are in due to one thing and one thing only.
BAD MANAGEMENT.
If Knights are looking for a scapegoat, a certain overzealous fan who had more dollars than sense who bought his way into ownership is easy option.
Tinkler promised the world, and although I believe he had good intentions, was unable to deliver on said promises.
He did manage to bring multi-time premiership winning coach Wayne Bennett to the club, but looking at the signings made by Bennett, and the way he left the club with the job not even close to done, has me questioning his commitment to the club.
Another club who are suffering due to supposed salary cap woes is the Eels. Stripped of their points due to continued infractions, it would be easy to blame the cap itself for the position the Eels are in.
However it would be correct to blame years and years of horrible management.
The Eels problems go back as far at the Knights, as talk of bungled third party payments and payments made off the books are thought to have been ongoing for years.
Just this year the Eels, despite reports that they were under salary cap pressure, went out and two current internationals in Foran and Jennings, as well as NSW mainstay Beau Scott.
Surely the club would have been aware of what was recently uncovered. They recently had to cut Nathan Peats and rely on Anthony Watmough’s retirement just to be under the cap.
Not signing either Jennings or Foran would have been the sensible option, although if sensible decisions were being made the Eels wouldn’t be in their current position.
Over at the Tigers, who were mauled yesterday by the Bulldogs, we have a side who have given two promising, yet unproven halves all the power in contract negotiations by allowing them to dictate terms.
Originally both Tigers halves had options in their favour, with a deadline, however when the deadline expired the Tigers agreed to extend both options.
Now they are in limbo, while neither half is presenting a good case in terms of being ‘must sign’ for next year and beyond.
I can’t see a club like the Broncos allowing severely out of form players’ extensions on a deadline to decide whether or not they want to remain with the club.
I understand the work that has been put into their development, however surely if they’re not sure about their futures combined with their current form, it’s time to look elsewhere.
The successful clubs seem to be those who are able to back themselves when making big decisions.
The Broncos released a former Dally M medallist and a New Zealand international to allow them to sign Anthony Milford. Although Barba and Hoffman weren’t showing the greatest of form, it was still a calculated gamble that has delivered huge dividends.
Of course there are plenty of big decisions that clubs have gotten wrong, however I feel the likes of the Knights and Tigers need to make some big calls, and back themselves.
The Knights need to guarantee Nathan Brown a future at the club and back his every recruitment decision. The Knights, despite the fantasy style recruitment spree I suggested, are not a quick fix.
The Tigers need to make a decision on the direction of the club. Either re-sign or move their halves on, and make a very public decision on Jason Taylor’s future.
Every week we are hit with reports that Taylor will be given a fortnight to save his job, yet here we are, ten rounds in, and the reports just won’t go away.
Whatever the decisions are, make them and stick by them.
Just please stop blaming the salary cap.
I fully understand that the likes of the Knights are unable to match the third-party deals that Brisbane, Roosters and co can offer, but the Sharks and Cowboys seem to be doing ok without the benefit of huge third party deals.
Bad management is bad management, and bad management is to blame for the large majority of sides who are struggling right now.
The salary cap, for all its negatives, is certainly not the reason the likes of the Knights are struggling.
Comments are closed.