A place where escape goats go to play
https://notplanetrugby.com/
Good signing, terrific little player.
Probably the allure of the big smoke and slight jeopardy about whether you're going to get paid at all each month. Will keep him on his toes.SaintK wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 10:13 amGood signing, terrific little player.
Not sure whe he didn't sign a contract extension he was evidently offered, maybe he was asked to take a major pay cut?
A complete aside, but I've always wondered how squad players have managed to afford living in London, especially renting. The costs are eye-watering. Do clubs still help with accommodation? Assume that's not allowed under cap.Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 10:21 amProbably the allure of the big smoke and slight jeopardy about whether you're going to get paid at all each month. Will keep him on his toes.SaintK wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 10:13 amGood signing, terrific little player.
Not sure whe he didn't sign a contract extension he was evidently offered, maybe he was asked to take a major pay cut?
It's a good question. For senior academy, there's an academy house or two the club seems to own that they filter through. A lot of the fringe squad players will be living in various house shares.inactionman wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 10:35 am
A complete aside, but I've always wondered how squad players have managed to afford living in London, especially renting. The costs are eye-watering. Do clubs still help with accommodation? Assume that's not allowed under cap.
Middlesex Cricket have flats round North London (though they’ve had to sell a few because of a pensions fuck up). Wouldn’t shock me if something similar happens in rugbyinactionman wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 10:35 amA complete aside, but I've always wondered how squad players have managed to afford living in London, especially renting. The costs are eye-watering. Do clubs still help with accommodation? Assume that's not allowed under cap.Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 10:21 amProbably the allure of the big smoke and slight jeopardy about whether you're going to get paid at all each month. Will keep him on his toes.SaintK wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 10:13 am
Good signing, terrific little player.
Not sure whe he didn't sign a contract extension he was evidently offered, maybe he was asked to take a major pay cut?
etA: It's pretty common in football, where a club will generally put a newly signed player up in a hotel suite.
Tough to tell, but I'd have thought a bit more than 40-50k, maybe not by much. 60-80k? 35 players in a normal squad? 20 players on 60k would only be 1.2m of the cap.inactionman wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 11:14 am I was on the same course as a Bath player back in the late 90s, just at end of shamateurism, and it was pretty common for players to get free digs and a sponsored car.
I assume all that now would sit under cap, although I suppose it would be possible for a player to get club-owned accommodation at a relatively peppercorn rent.
What's a squad player on these days? I really don't know but assume it can be around £40-50k for a junior squad player? It's not a trivial sum but it doesn't go far in London.
It's not too bad if you are sharing with 2 or 3 other lads in Zone 3 outwards I would think.inactionman wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 11:14 am I was on the same course as a Bath player back in the late 90s, just at end of shamateurism, and it was pretty common for players to get free digs and a sponsored car.
I assume all that now would sit under cap, although I suppose it would be possible for a player to get club-owned accommodation at a relatively peppercorn rent.
What's a squad player on these days? I really don't know but assume it can be around £40-50k for a junior squad player? It's not a trivial sum but it doesn't go far in London.
It’s absolutely bog standard mid-20s London professional stuff, very doable if not quite the pro sportsman lifestyleSlick wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 11:19 amIt's not too bad if you are sharing with 2 or 3 other lads in Zone 3 outwards I would think.inactionman wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 11:14 am I was on the same course as a Bath player back in the late 90s, just at end of shamateurism, and it was pretty common for players to get free digs and a sponsored car.
I assume all that now would sit under cap, although I suppose it would be possible for a player to get club-owned accommodation at a relatively peppercorn rent.
What's a squad player on these days? I really don't know but assume it can be around £40-50k for a junior squad player? It's not a trivial sum but it doesn't go far in London.
Yep, I know plenty of young lads in house shares on a lot less than that, but it's not going to go that far for anyone with a family - although I appreciate older players are probably on a bit more.Slick wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 11:19 amIt's not too bad if you are sharing with 2 or 3 other lads in Zone 3 outwards I would think.inactionman wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 11:14 am I was on the same course as a Bath player back in the late 90s, just at end of shamateurism, and it was pretty common for players to get free digs and a sponsored car.
I assume all that now would sit under cap, although I suppose it would be possible for a player to get club-owned accommodation at a relatively peppercorn rent.
What's a squad player on these days? I really don't know but assume it can be around £40-50k for a junior squad player? It's not a trivial sum but it doesn't go far in London.
They definitely do for senior academy lads. Not sure outside of that though.Happyhooker wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 5:02 pm I know ealing own a few houses that junior squad players share for not really market rent.
I can only presume LI do the same, but rent isn't that steep near their training ground (comparatively)
Yeah - it was far from convincing. Unlikely to have won without the RC. Still, did very well to make that last play count. Being outmuscled in the scrums and the mauls made life very difficult but it's a good learning experience for them to have to rely on skills rather than just power.Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 8:44 pm Yeah, they got the job done, but a pretty sketchy win really. Second best up front and got a bit lucky with a harsh red card for the Italian wing.
I could understand the coffers being hit hard during Covid but how the fuck do you lose £50M with a turnover of around £200M ??SaintK wrote: Sun Apr 30, 2023 11:41 am So Nick Cain in The Rugby Paper today reporting that the RFU announced a further £50m annual loss to the Council last week.
Why the fuck hasn't Sweeney and the CFO resigned
Guess which part of the game will suffer most from this mismanagement?
I quote myself as one of subjects of my post, Henry Thomas, is now in the wider Wales WC squad.inactionman wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 12:09 pm I also missed this from a few weeks back -Anthony Watson still begrudging over his Bath exit.
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/anthony- ... club-bath/
There were all sorts of rumours about unrealistic demands etc, and to be honest I think the club have a reasonable expectation that a player would play when available, but whatever's occurred it's troubling to have ex-players feeling they've been so poorly treated.
Also some comments from Henry Thomas in a similar vein (although only caught these second-hand, think they're behind paywall somewhere), he's doing well in France and really should have been on England's radar but had a few nasty injuries. It seems he's stated that he wasn't paid by Bath for his final year - I know Bath have ben a bit shambolic but I really, really struggle to believe that's true. Has anyone with access behind e.g. times paywall seen anything about this?
https://archive.is/fyYbpThe Times wrote: London Irish at risk of financial meltdown
Gallagher Premiership club failed to pay their players and staff last month
London Irish are at risk of following Worcester Warriors and Wasps into financial meltdown after players and staff failed to receive their salaries for the month of April.
The American consortium involved in takeover talks with the Gallagher Premiership club informed all employees in a meeting on Friday that their money would not be paid on time.
A follow-up email was sent on Sunday with assurances that confirmation of payment would be received by Monday evening in the UK, once the banks in the United States had opened for business.
But it was an empty promise. The Times understands that no payments were made overnight, raising an all-too familiar red flag for stressed employees.
Good man, taking one for the teamHappyhooker wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 11:40 am I can only apologise. After Wasps folded i started to go to quite a few London Irish games. I'm obviously a Jonah.
The only upside is that JMK has offered to buy me a Saracens season ticket for next year.
I reckon that's a pretty shrewd appointmentr. Blackett is a good coach.inactionman wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 3:13 pm Lee Blackett appointed at Bath - presumably to fill back and attack coach role recently vacated by Mad Dog Joe Maddock.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65456597
Not entirely sure what led to Maddock's sudden departure, and the statement from the club was notably perfunctory, so this may explain a bit - that Maddock was being pushed outwards or downwards by the appointment of Blackett.
Maddock was a very decent player and well-liked, but not sure the backs quite got going - although he's not had the benefit of a settled team or of Finn Russell.SaintK wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 3:43 pmI reckon that's a pretty shrewd appointmentr. Blackett is a good coach.inactionman wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 3:13 pm Lee Blackett appointed at Bath - presumably to fill back and attack coach role recently vacated by Mad Dog Joe Maddock.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65456597
Not entirely sure what led to Maddock's sudden departure, and the statement from the club was notably perfunctory, so this may explain a bit - that Maddock was being pushed outwards or downwards by the appointment of Blackett.
Happyhooker wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 11:40 am The only upside is that JMK has offered to buy me a Saracens season ticket for next year.
That does sound exactly like something they would do.Kawazaki wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 4:18 pmHappyhooker wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 11:40 am The only upside is that JMK has offered to buy me a Saracens season ticket for next year.
You need to read the sacred Saracens book of plausible deniability and pledge allegiance to uphold the tenets of the club - honesty, integrity and sincerity - before you are allowed to buy a season ticket.
Hopefully. The mere thought made me feel like i needed to scrub myself with lye.Margin__Walker wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 7:56 pm Don't worry HH, it's all going to be fine. Never simple with LI, as we do love a bit of drama. This will all blow over.
Impossible to say, we just have rumours at the moment. The default position is that they're probably fucked.
Once you show enough honesty, integrity, humility and workrate you get taught the secret handshake and Nigel Wray buys you an investment property in St Albans.Kawazaki wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 4:18 pmHappyhooker wrote: Tue May 02, 2023 11:40 am The only upside is that JMK has offered to buy me a Saracens season ticket for next year.
You need to read the sacred Saracens book of plausible deniability and pledge allegiance to uphold the tenets of the club - honesty, integrity and sincerity - before you are allowed to buy a season ticket.