Just £25k would have stopped Bath signing Taulupe Faletau

First topic message reminder :

This is an interesting article from the rugby paper this morning:-

http://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/featured-post/24685/just-25k-would-have-stopped-bath-signing-taulupe-faletau/

Were the WRU right to not give the extra ££££'s ?

Also, that is now three players from Wales on mega bucks at Bath, Preistland is on £290k, and now Faletau on £400k, and I do not know how much Charteris is on, but he will not be on peanuts, how close to the salary cap are Bath ? Lets not forget they have signed the likes of Matawalu from Glasgow as well.

Anyway, I reckon the WRU have screwed the Dragons over with this, if they are capping the DC at £325k then how can they possibly get Halfpenny back in Wales ? Another scary thought is, that the rich English and French clubs can outbid our union for players, if they can do it to us, then they could beat any union when it comes to paying players, and that will not be good for the Pro12 in the long run.

Fair enough point beshocked, I did have the same standpoint as yourself initially but the burying of it means it'll never come to light and be proven out in the open which isn't ideal. If I ever say these 2 clubs cheated just take it as my opinion. I too agree with LD, it is obvious who has stuck 2 fingers up to the rules.

offload wrote:

Griff wrote:Faletau has been wanting to move away for a long time. It was a surprise that he stayed last time and the rumours have been rife every since he re-signed last year. This money thing is a smoke screen as far as I can see. He wanted to leave, always has, and now he's left. People with egg on their face are now trying to cover their asses by blaming the ££££.

Do you two know Faletau and his family personally? Because if you do then would not have come to this conclusion - I'm guessing you read it on here somewhere or in the evening news? The usual gospel being banded around on V2 then. And again if you knew Taulupe then the fact that he stayed put a few years ago would not have come as a surprise to you.

I don't think there's a smoke screen in that regard. I think both parties could have made a better effort and didn't. The only smoke screen I can think of is one of the Dragons' directors coming out and claiming we've lost 400K when we didn't have it in the first place - saying it as if he was now trying to claim compensation from the union.

beshocked wrote:Bambam debate? What debate? No 7 & 1/2 claims the cheating is fact. In his eyes there is no debate.

Well said Lorddowlais. Completely agree.


http://rugbylad.com/the-aviva-premierships-highest-earners-revealed/

Anyway this is the AP highest earners.

Bath and Sarries only have one player on the list. Admittedly Bath will have two with Faletau coming in.

Who do you think is being ripped off the most?

Personally I think Sale with Cipriani, Gloucester with Afoa, Bath with Priestland....


Priestland is warming the bench and he's getting paid as much as starters. He must be laughing.

I also think its fact that they cheated, but just got away with it because the evidence which we'll never see has been buried.

I just don't see why that should result in you calling others chimpanzees

Cipriani is worth every penny to Sale. He gives their attacking game a whole new dimension.

RP probably wasn't originally offered that much. He could have received the top-up when he stated that he would be taking a sabbatical from international rugby.

Bambam I am not saying that no 7 & 1/2 is a chimp, I am saying that he could be. I have no evidence to support it though. It is not a fact.

Just as Saracens and Bath could well be cheating but there is a lack of evidence.

Fair enough Sam. Entitled to your opinion, personally I think it's laughable that Cipriani has a higher salary than fellow 10s, Ford,Farrell,Hodgson and even Myler. Slade is probably worth so much more value for money.

Saracens refused to sign the deal until the investigation had gone away. That meant clubs who do not have rich sugar daddies were in some financial trouble until it was signed and they got their money.


As the "allegation" against Sarries is that they were paying players outside of the cap via 3rd parties - something they effectively admitted - posting "official" salaries of big earners is meaningless. Certainly Ashton was receiving more than that sum as he is too expensive for french clubs to sign.


Now I do not believe that money is only important factor, either in success or persuading a player to moive, after all spend cash and you are not guaranteed quality. however being unable to spend is a major hurdle to ambition. Not even a Sarries fan should deny that - after all Saracens argument for their failure to win Europe is that they do not spend as mush as toulon.

beshocked wrote:
In regards to the Bernie Ecclestone case, there was evidence, there were details. In this case there currently isn't.

Perhaps Saracens and Bath are guilty but the facts need to be out there first to come to a fair conclusion.

By your definition of fact, there were no facts out there for Ecclestone. The facts were buried alongside his payment to the court.

There was indeed evidence and detail - same as there was with the salary cap investigation. Thing is you want Ecclestone to be guilty so accept the evidence as fact, you do not want Saracens to be accused so you ignore the evidence and even deny it's existence.

That is of course your prerogative - but shouting down others who choose not to bury their heads in the sand is unacceptable.

There is none so blind as will not see.

The way the salary cap allegations were handled is a disgrace and shameful for the RFU.  Any guilty club should have been heavily sanctioned. To think otherwise reveals a complete lack of integrity.

Londontiger it's factual that Ecclestone paid a bribe. We know the amount etc. Ecclestone said he paid the bribe. Evidence is there. Only need to put ecclestone bribe into google...

If Saracens are guilty then so be it but it has not yet been verified.

Evidence and detail? No there isn't. Smoke and mirrors, of course your argument is they buried it! We can have our suspicions but we don't know have all the facts.

You need evidence.

You accuse me of shouting down others - when a poster claims something is a fact without sufficient evidence then yes I must question it.

Lack of integrity? I like that.... of course it's better to shoot your mouth off without evidence.... Shoot first ask questions later.

Hang them,flog them, humiliate them and that's all before they are found guilty....

Hey truce already! I've backed down we'll just go with the agreed terminology that its obvious Bath andSaracens broke the cap but not a fact as the clubs have no interest in making anything public