Are the Welsh sides' supporters prepared for wage caps?

The regions will have to be, but I'm not seeing a great deal of cogency from fans on this board of the likely consequences on their sides' aspirations.

My view is that (like England) they can say ta ta to any residual HEC ambitions. The academy mines are are not bottomless and infinite in the variety of jewels they can extract.

(This really will not go down well!)

Portnoy, I've been smiling from a number of responses on these boards about how my team (Ospreys) are going to do in the HC next season, all to do with how we performed at the tail end of the season, if we have 3 or 4 significant injuries in the first few months of next season, due to the cap we will not have the squad strength to offset. If any 3 of the following, AW Jones, D Biggar, A Beck, A Jones, R Jones, J Tipuric and R Webb get injured we are very light in reserve of those players, and if we are in a pool of death we will be lucky to finish 3rd, if the top 23 are available for all group games and have a reasonable group I can see us doing all right, but it will have a detrimental effect IMO for a couple of seasons.

To be honest the clear out has been a good thing in most cases.

Just because they have less money to spend than other teams does not mean the teams with more money have spent theirs wisely. For example both Scottish outfits have been bank rolled for the same amount as the English salary cap. In theory that should mean both should finish above Welsh teams. But a closer inspection at the playing rosters and its clear teams like Ospreys, Scarlets & Blues still have more quality to call on that our Scottish counterparts. I'd imagine at least 2 will place higher than Scottish opposition in the League.

Its also a myth that just because the salary cap is higher elsewhere their squad strength must be better. In England for example players often move away from teams where they are fringe players for first team rugby.

To be honest the game is turning into a younger mans sport. I'd be more concerned if Wales starting 15 played abroad but at the moment to people leaving are not really part of the long term welsh plan. No need to panic just yet.

Besides this is why I love rugby , regardless of status, money & squad strength "its all about how you play on the day". Sides are capable of losing to anyone and often do.

As a Dragons fan, it doesn't really concern me. Aslong as we can hang on to Faletau and Lydiate for a few more seasons I'll be happy. And it looks like they are both hard working down to earth boys who are loyal to their club and should keep the jersey for a while.

Realistically, we aren't even in the next Heino cup, let alone ready to be competative in it. We need to concentrate on the Rabbo and turn our ground into a fortress again, back to the days when we saw off all visitors, including Leinster, Munster and the Ospreys.

The wage cap is voluntary, with no punishments if you fail to reach it, the Ospreys already have special dispensation for being exempt from it because they cant attain it due to current contractual obligations.

The wage cap is only a concern for fans of clubs above the wage cap. As a Dragons fan, a region reportedly £2m below the salary cap last year, it doesn't mean anything to me. If someone wants to give us £2m to begin to approach the salary cap then I'd be over the moon!

AlynDavies wrote:The wage cap is voluntary, with no punishments if you fail to reach it, the Ospreys already have special dispensation for being exempt from it because they cant attain it due to current contractual obligations.

What did they agree to it for then? What's the line next season, we can't meet the wage limit we haven't given away enough free tickets?

Stone Motif wrote:

AlynDavies wrote:The wage cap is voluntary, with no punishments if you fail to reach it, the Ospreys already have special dispensation for being exempt from it because they cant attain it due to current contractual obligations.

What did they agree to it for then? What's the line next season, we can't meet the wage limit we haven't given away enough free tickets?

I believe that the self imposed £3.5m wage cap agreed by the regions alone, was designed simply to put pressure on the WRU and force them to the negotiating table and it worked by the look of it as it led to a PWC audit. This will tell the bleeding obvious and the participation agreement will no doubt be amended to suit.

Love it. Another English poster obsessed with welsh intetests. Why would we need to be prepared for European failure? Its not as if we've been basking in glory?!

It is already having an impact of the depth of the regional squads (combined with money worries at the regions) - the cap is set at pretty much what the regions can afford at the moment.

Its going to affect performance in the Pro12 more than the HC (as depth is tested over a season) - if the Ospreys/Blues/Scarlets can get all/most their player fit for the HC then there is no reason they can't get into the 1/4s and then its a straight knockout - they will lack the strength of the bench that Leinster and Toulouse have, but their 1st team will still be strong.

The problem is that losing some quality NWQ players will leave them short of cover or reduced to using journeymen during international call-ups which will affect them in the league.

The academies will need to produce HC level quality, but there is already evidence that they can do that fairly regularly.

Keeping HC quality player in Wales will be the problem - I hope that they look to prevent players who move abroad featuring for Wales (but only those who leave after a certain date - so Gethin etc will still play) - as this would be a huge disincentive to many players as their bonuses from Wales duty makes up a fair amount of their pay checks.

606 I guess the question is can the regions develop enough forwards to be competitive in the Heinaken cup.

Backs will never be a problem in Welsh rugby, we produce a silly amount of world class backs.

AlynDavies wrote:606 I guess the question is can the regions develop enough forwards to be competitive in the Heinaken cup.

Backs will never be a problem in Welsh rugby, we produce a silly amount of world class backs.

The question is can Cardiff Blues make CAP work?
The answer is yes if they put their mind to it.

AlynDavies wrote:606 I guess the question is can the regions develop enough forwards to be competitive in the Heinaken cup.

Backs will never be a problem in Welsh rugby, we produce a silly amount of world class backs.

The Ospreys are pretty good at Props, the Blues at Locks, the Scarlets at Hookers and the Dragons at Backrowers.

So combined...yes.

sheephead wrote:Love it. Another English poster obsessed with welsh intetests. Why would we need to be prepared for European failure? Its not as if we've been basking in glory?!

All these little digs I love. Last week I was accused (again) of being obsessed by Irish rugby.

It'll be just another season for me Ports. Altho one with a tinge of excitement rather than the usual trepidation. If the region can juggle the Salary cap between the squad and some NWQ players and we compete at the top of the table again and pass the 1/4's in the HC, then that'll do fine. Find the right balance and reap the rewards.

Pont : you loving it may be the reason u keep posting topics about other countries leagues rather than ur own then. Maybe u love trying to discredit other leagues due to being disappointed by ur own

sheephead wrote:Pont : you loving it may be the reason u keep posting topics about other countries leagues rather than ur own then. Maybe u love trying to discredit other leagues due to being disappointed by ur own

sheep mayb u dont reed me posts 2 much man

I do read them quite regularly actually. I think you are on a par with seabiscuit

Obviously not the English ones then sheep.

I can honestly admit I don't. I tend to filter through for welsh based topics or topics that may affect welsh regions i.e changes to the HEC. You do tend to be a regular on the threads i "attend"

Then that would explain your filtered view sheep.

Can you explain why you are so interested in welsh regions then? Otherwise I could presume you're one of these individuals that trolls the net trying to get a rise from people....

wales606 wrote:the Scarlets at Hookers

Where the hell are they then? Iv'e seen a few hot women around the Bank shop in the Parc Y Scarlets shopping center, I thought all the best hookers in Wales were behind the train station in Swansea or the magic round about in Cardiff!
Obviously I'm told these things by the guys in work

AlynDavies wrote:

wales606 wrote:the Scarlets at Hookers

Where the hell are they then? Iv'e seen a few hot women around the Bank shop in the Parc Y Scarlets shopping center, I thought all the best hookers in Wales were behind the train station in Swansea or the magic round about in Cardiff!
Obviously I'm told these things by the guys in work

I said they produce a lot of them...they still only have 2 of any quality