[TeflonTed]

TRP clearly believes Sarries have been hard done by.

This must be the biggest news in professional rugby union since Bloodgate, but TRP chooses to headline a planned game at Twickers between The Lions and the BaaBaas at the end of next season, and limits front page comments on the Saracens judgement to a side column reporting that Barnet Councillors may be concerned as to Sarries ability to service the loan that expanded Allianz Park. Oh, poor old Saracens eh?

Inside, a double page spread by Nick Cain starts with :-
“The vitriol directed at Saracens this week by some of their rivals........”

Colin Boag’s half page spread is headlined “Saracens’ sanction is way over the top”

NickCain starts his single column comment with “Saracens pay heavy price to England”, and goes on to argue what a splendid job they’ve done to provide international players with inadequate compensation, talks us through the numbers and argues it’s all very unfair to Sarries and ends with “that is what you call being cheated of a fair level of compensation”

To round it off, Brendan Gallagher reassures us that “Cheating has always been a part of the game”, and goes on to say “The Saracens salary cap ‘scandal’.....” as though he believes it isn’t scandalous, although he goes on to say, “the system of joint/shared investment.....is not necessarily wrong per se, it’s just manifestly against current regulations and the spirit of the existing salary cap”.

Oh, well that’s all right then. If you want a balanced journalistic view of the Sarries Salary Cap judgement I’d read elsewhere.

[A38]

There are I think two issues here, interlinked but separate.

1) Were the rules broken?

2) Are the rules fair to teams who develop and nurture from early teens a significant number of England quality, and therefore expensive, players - too many to accommodate within the constraints of a / the salary cap?

The second issue is worthy of debate but it does not, in my view, justify the breaking of the agreed by everybody rules.

[Latecomer]

And another thing Ted - TRP don't even have an asterisk next to Saracens in the table !!

[patgadd]

If you want a balanced journalistic view of the Sarries Salary Cap judgement I’d read elsewhere.

... but not the Sunday Times, where Stephen Jones is as bombastic as ever in painting Sarries whiter than white. Looks as though the Saracens PR boys have been very busy this week! (The fact that the story was uncovered by a rival paper has of course absolutely nothing to do with it!)

[Latecomer]

Just listening to GP Tonight, Austin Healey and Lawrence Dallaglio both waffling and talking all sorts of rubbish about Saracens and the salary cap. They really are up their own ani !!
On the other hand, Andy Goode talking so much sense.

[TeflonTed]

I think Pat has hit it on the nose. A media-wide pr campaign is clearly underway, apart from the aforementioned Daily Grail of course.

By the way, latecomer, love the use of the Latin plural.

Is the plural of arsehole “arseholes”, or maybe “arses-whole” as a collective is more appropriate?

[Latecomer]

By the way, latecomer, love the use of the Latin plural.

Much as I hate to admit it, I did have to look it up
Latin was not on my school curriculum

[patgadd]

Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur.

(Easy to look up)

[SimonG]

Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur.

(Easy to look up)

Saracenos deludunt nothi

[A38]

One thing to take into consideration when talking about journalists is that they need sources for articles. Saracens have been the most successful club for the last few seasons and they make good "copy". They are also London based and their players and coaches are close by for material on or off the record. Looking ahead those same journalists will need to keep this easy access open and will not wish to write anything which would get them ostracised from sources. Or maybe that's over cynical??

[TeflonTed]

Having had a few days to read a lot of comment, I’m left with 2 broad conclusions.
1) Never mind the outraged press comments, the bottom line of this is that the other 11 were so outraged that if something wasn’t done there was going to be proper trouble.
2) Never mind whether or not the small print of the salary cap was transgressed, the spirit most assuredly was. The basic concept of creating a level playing field was compromised, and not by accident. And Wray ticking on about post-career planning is cynical in the extreme....funny how it just happens to be the top 5 players having businesses created for them.

For me, Sarries have escaped with a yellow where a red may well have been applied.

[SimonG]

Having had a few days to read a lot of comment, I’m left with 2 broad conclusions.
1) Never mind the outraged press comments, the bottom line of this is that the other 11 were so outraged that if something wasn’t done there was going to be proper trouble.
2) Never mind whether or not the small print of the salary cap was transgressed, the spirit most assuredly was. The basic concept of creating a level playing field was compromised, and not by accident. And Wray ticking on about post-career planning is cynical in the extreme....funny how it just happens to be the top 5 players having businesses created for them.

For me, Sarries have escaped with a yellow where a red may well have been applied.

Indeed. What is also annoying me is the suggestion that we should wait until the result of the review before seeing if they are guilty.

In this country you are innocent until found guilty but when you are tried and found guilty then you are guilty. You may appeal against that and be cleared but until then you are guilty.

So as things stand today Saracens are guilty of cheating for three years.

The Premiership table should be amended to remove the 35 points and so-called journalists should stop bleating on about waiting for the appeal and say it as it is - Saracens are guilty of cheating.