Saracens docked 35 points

[westwaleswasp]

Won't be buying that paper again.

[Brandnewtorugby]

That's a shame, I used to like a dog walk, coffee and rugby paper on Sunday. Will have to join the others reading things on my phone instead, or maybe take a book!

[Neils]

I find the comments in TRP totally staggering. It's almost an EAs glee club. Don't upset the all conquering Sarries. Yea gods.

I then turned to the Sundsy Times and Stephen Jones is just as bad.

They are going to get away with this unless the other club owners grow some.

[BG]

I've not read the article but perhaps it was "written tongue in cheek"?

I think I mentioned it in a thread that I suspected the established rugby press will simply brush this off... they are reliant on keeping good relations with the top clubs.. PRL and the RFU to be able to write articles.

The story was broken by the DM but it wasn't by their main rugby correspondent Chris Foy who has steared well clear of it.. he knows what side his bread is buttered on.

What annoys me is the fact us fans have been questioning it for seasons and yet PRL didn't even think to dig deeper.. but that's the problem when the paying participant is part owner of the governing body..

In my mind.. Laura doesn't need to investigate any other clubs.. she needs to target PRL to see if there are any cosy relationships.

[mike909]

Good points BG

Its not like PRL and its people were unlikely to have had the odd thought along the lines "so how come the EA's can afford 7 or 8 of a Lions 23  in their team alongside a host of internationals"?

Fans have been dismissed as hating them for being good. Which is partly true, but its mainly because we didn't believe we were on a level playing field

[Westy68]

The one thing is for sure Saracens are superbly coached, I really don’t like them but I can’t stop admiring them for their coaching.

I would like to see what they could do with our players, pretty sure we wouldn’t be at the bottom

[RogerE]

I couldn't believe the way Stephen Jones has been defending Sarries - very much like the SISU mouthpiece in the Cov. Observer

Our Les' latest piece is about opposing the training facility https://coventryobserver.co.uk/news/wasps-training-ground-plan-for-henley-in-arden-hit-by-huge-opposition-from-clubs-and-community-petition-15775/

[Tervueren]

Reported in the Observer:

"The Observer’s understanding is that the much-trumpeted joint ventures between Wray and his England stars, which have provoked such uproar, are not at issue. Some might not have been registered by Wray, for which the club have been fined and the man himself has apologised, but the practices themselves are legitimate in principle and do not contribute to Saracens’ alleged overspend."

"That reported overspend, reckoned to be in the region of £2m over three seasons, relates to previous dealings between club or third parties and players."

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/nov/10/saracens-plead-innocence-premiership-rugby-structure-on-trial

[BG]

"That reported overspend, reckoned to be in the region of £2m over three seasons, relates to previous dealings between club or third parties and players."

I'm wondering if its payments to agents then? Didn't Itoje's agent get banned for something? It might be a couple of season's ago?

[Hymenoptera]

Its been publicised that Sarries don't use agent....
I said in another thread I smelt and additional rat..

From The Times on 7 Nov:
‘The independent panel’s ruling stated that Saracens, as well as exceeding the salary cap for three successive seasons, had “failed to disclose payments to players”. The details of those failures to reveal the full extent of their payments to players is yet to be revealed but evidence has been presented to investigators about the club’s use of image-rights payments to offshore accounts.,

[Neils]

Anyone watch the discussion on Rugby Tonight Live last night with Craig Doyle, Lol, Austin and Andy Goode? Goodey didn't hold back and they all smirked at the possibility of brown envelopes still being passed around.

[Tervueren]

Missed it. Found a clip but not the whole thing. If anyone finds a link to it, it will be gratefully received.

[Mellie]

Looks like it's repeated at 10pm on BT Sport 2 this evening.

[Tervueren]

Got it. Thanks

[WickedWasp]

Jim Hamilton is a joke given his behaviour at Gloucester on Saturday and then on the rugby pod this week. Even Chris Ashton was not that painful when interviewed about the situation. Saracens PR machine is in overdrive and is clutching.