Trainman wrote:You are normally a decent poster but on this thread you’ve dipped way below your usual standards. Time for a bit of fact checking.
1: In what way was it not a level playing field before 1996, I don’t ever recall a rule which prohibited some clubs spending more than others. In fact, it was probably more level than it is now as evert club had the opportunity to spend what they like and are not restricted or held back.
2: Why do you refer to 1996 as it becoming a ‘level playing field’ when the Salary cap was introduced in 1998?
3: Wigan did not break the salary cap to stay up. Wigan re-negotiated existing contract to free up SC space in order to sign Fielden and Dobson. There was no rule prohibiting that at the time therefore due to the faux outrage and the media fanning the flames the RFL invented a charge of breaching the ‘spirit’ of the cap and subsequently changed the rules.
If you read my earlier posts when I mentioned "level playing field" I referred many times about full time professionals against part time professionals, once Superleague was implemented as full time professionals for all the Wigoon dominence started to dissapear, I dont think thats too difficult to understand.
That was my main point it took a couple of seasons to be up and running with a level playing field, from about 1999 superleague was more established and Wigan didn't win a grand Final (League Champions) for over 10 years similarly in the Challenge Cup Wigan only had 1 win again over 10 years.
All the other stuff with the Salary Cap, De registration/Re Negotiating Players, Work Permits was tinkering of the rules, all clubs tried it but the Wigoons made it a dark arts form, for example I think it was Pongia who couldn't sign for Wakefield because of work permit reasons but he could sign for Wigan with a work permit just a month later.
