Naholo

[RBB]

Yep, saw that and did a double take, and it made me think about the cap again where Sale are concerned. I don't fancy anyone's chances in the line out vs. Sharks next year (if true of course). Also for someone who looks so ungainly, he is remarkably mobile.

[Neils]

Retallick to Sale would be more of a jaw dropper than Naholo to be honest.

Yes saw that on RiL and it would tie up with Fissler if rugby.

[westwaleswasp]

If they have the cash why not? Evidence that they have cash is not in short supply (JCW @ 350 k rumoured).

Remember, like many in NZ the player will likely be unfamiliar with English rugby, so the fact Sale have struggled these past few years will be of little consequence.

[RBB]

Agreed but my point is that the cumulative effect of large player salaries then creates an issue, when you look at who Sharks have signed then I wonder where they will be in relation to the salary cap. NH rugby will perhaps pay more than SH, a large proportion of Kiwis (and Islanders) see wearing the AB jersey as the ultimate achievement, so pay (though important) becomes less of an issue. Their plan is then usually to see out their twilight years on the meter in the NH,  as an AB career for a lot of players can be short as the pipeline is so good. Retalick will perhaps be double at least of what JCW is on, when you look at the Sharks roster then Yarde, Ashton, De Klerk, Solomona, McGinty will not be cheap and they will have to make cuts elsewhere to accomodate a tier 1 AB star.

I get curiouser and curiouser as to how clubs are getting in under the cap, Saracens must be a fag paper away from it and if Sale start splashing cash in an even more liberal way then they too will be right on the line or over it.

[Raggs]

Sale have a lot of space to fill I believe, and will have lots of academy boys to help get the most out of it.

I do struggle with how sarries manage it.

[Rossm]

Remember, like many in NZ the player will likely be unfamiliar with English rugby, so the fact Sale have struggled these past few years will be of little consequence.


That is as maybe......however, there are knowledgeable and experienced Kiwis who are very familiar with NH rugby, Jimmy Gopperth for one. A quick chat on the dog and bone and they get clued in.

[westwaleswasp]

Yes, I would hope they do their homework but a fair few still say they are surprised by the intensity of the league or Europe.

 I imagine  it is a bit like A levels. When doing GCSE everyone says A levels are much harder, you tell yourself that, and then you do them and discover it for yourself.

I think BR would be 6 to 800k. That would be a marquee outside of the cap, but yes, it sounds like they are going to be close to the cap. They are shopping at M n S now (and Domino's Pizza).

[RBB]

Irish sign Australian pair,

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12321/11624394/london-irish-sign-wallabies-nick-phipps-and-curtis-rona

Curtis Rona is a centre/wing and code convert, so Naholo may not be nailed on, to go to Irish.

[wasps]

Retalick will almost certainly take a marquee spot so good impact on the cap will be the salary of the person currently in the overseas marquee spot. de Clerk?

Would Yarde have been that expensive given the circumstances?

I feel like sale have had quite a bit of cap space for a while and are now filling it up.


As for Saracens, it's been done to death without any firm answers, however, given the number of players they supply to England and the number of home grown players they have they probably have a higher cap than most other clubs.
If there's then any truth in players accepting slightly lower salaries if they'll win silverware then they effectively get a bit more again.

[welsh wasp]

Rossm:
It depends how many NZ players understand Cockney rhyming slang

[Hymenoptera]

Sale have a lot of space to fill I believe, and will have lots of academy boys to help get the most out of it.

I do struggle with how sarries manage it.

But their 2 new props are nearly a million quid alone on top of their existing front row wages, plus Ashton, Faf, Solomona, RvR..all big earners..with more to come, wwhey have to be very close now

[RBB]

More Kiwis ion their way to the GP, more rumours, http://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-newspapers/central-north-island/sport/sport-region-6459/110382024/All-Blacks-prop-Owen-Franks-chooses-Northampton-Sale-chase-lock-Brodie-Retallick , still begs the question on how Sale are affording this?

Naholo is now following JdJ on Instagram, which is a little random?

I suspect the battle may now be money with Irish, at least now the sad news ref: ED is out, we can move on and put his salary to use elsewhere.

Also comments on Twitter saying ED is moving for LESS MONEY, however no evidence being offered to support that PoV.

[wasps]

Also comments on Twitter saying ED is moving for LESS MONEY, however no evidence being offered to support that PoV.

This was mentioned when the Saracens rumour first came up.

However, I don't know if it's less money then he's currently on, or less money then we've offered him

[Vespula Vulgaris]

If I were running the marketing for a club that had a terrible reputation for not sticking within salary restrictions I may well mention to a few people that a newly signed England and British Lion was coming for less money whether it was true or not.

All off the record you understand...

[Raggs]

It's funny. All these players coming to Sarries below their market value (Williams, Skelton, Daly, Burger, Billy V, Lewington etc etc) and yet their own players, Farrell and Itoje, are reputed to be the highest paid EQP players in the league...