Saracens

[backdoc]

I experienced the club from 96-07, and we are all aware that players like Horan, Lynagh, Sella, A Farrell, A Sanderson have contributed enormously to the game, whatever the status of their salary etc.

The player group from 09 onwards were involved in the extra salary house-buying schemes funded by the club owner's that ended in the scandal with fines and relegation.

This group of players are starting to move on from Saracens, either to retire or play elsewhere  for a year or two.

My plea is that these cheats are not acceptable as future media pundits to the TV or media audience.

I do not want Farrell Jr or Jamie George on my TV screen acting as though their career success was based solely on their talent.

[WonkyWasp]

Seconded  -  big time.

[Shugs]

Agreed. And although it won?t happen they shouldn?t be referred to as ?two time league winner? etc etc.

[Neils]

Agreed. And although it won?t happen they shouldn?t be referred to as ?two time league winner? etc etc.

Better as Two time (as far as has been caught) long term cheats!

[westwaleswasp]

.....have won nothing.
End of.
Medals in the bin, as Brian Clough once said.

[InBetweenWasp]

My plea is that these cheats are not acceptable as future media pundits to the TV or media audience.

I do not want Farrell Jr or Jamie George on my TV screen acting as though their career success was based solely on their talent.

We'll never really know for sure how complicit players were in the whole thing given the lack of clarity we're struggled for already.  The truth is that gaming the system has been present in rugby for many years - Be it Saracens and the Salary Cap, Tigers and their image rights, Harlequins and Bloodgate, us and non-contested scrums, France and HIAs etc etc...

Rumours as well for a long time that Bath and Exeter were over the cap, as well as how Chiefs have been financed by Rowe. 

I can't imagine that Farrell would welcome or enjoy the punditry work.  Although unlike you, i'd welcome a bit more exposure of him as a person rather than the robot pre/post-match interviews he gives.  The interview after the Semi-Final against South Africa was much more human and exposed the qualities that many players and coaches talk about him bringing.

George would be an excellent pundit I think.  There's a lot to like about him.

[westwaleswasp]

Uncontested scrums is on field, I always draw the difference between on and off field cheating. Drugs, financial shenanigans etc. are a world away from on field using of laws or indeed blood capsules. You can sanction one, but not the off field stuff.

That said I am not naive enough to think all our players would have been blameless on the drugs front at the dawn of professionalism, by all accounts there were a lot more 90s performance enhancers in Athletics, and once the money rolled in to rugby I would be shocked if no anabolics were in the sport back then....

[baldpaul101]

Personally I can't blame the players at Sarries for the cheating. They were told it was all above board, how were they to know?
Unpopular opinion on here I know. Don't care

[Neils]

Personally I can't blame the players at Sarries for the cheating. They were told it was all above board, how were they to know?
Unpopular opinion on here I know. Don't care

Just don't believe it in some cases.

[Garuda]

Personally I can't blame the players at Sarries for the cheating. They were told it was all above board, how were they to know?

Players would have to be incredibly naive to accept being set up as directors of companies outside of the club's books and not understand that something dodgy is going on regards the financial incentives on top of their wages.

[coddy]

Personally I can't blame the players at Sarries for the cheating. (IF)They were told it was all above board, how were they to know?
Unpopular opinion on here I know. Don't care

I don't think for one minute the senior Sarries players that were given "other income sources" were present day Einsteins but surely they couldn't be so thick as to believe it was legitimate?

[Rossm]

And what about McCall and the rest of the coaching staff?

[WonkyWasp]

If it's too good to believe, then it is   And it was.  Hopefully the recent Sarries incumbents have avoided the bad practises.

[westwaleswasp]

Personally I can't blame the players at Sarries for the cheating. They were told it was all above board, how were they to know?

In which case they are all mind-bogglingly thick. It is basic maths. One or two might be that stupid. An entire team? You will be putting out a sack for Santa next if you believe that.