'Our books are open to the salary cap manager... we have no secret deals or anything like that'
Sale owner Simon Orange has defended his Gallagher Premiership club’s recent high-profile spending, insisting they won’t fall prey to the salary cap breaches that resulted in Saracens getting automatically relegated to the Championship for the 2020/21 season.
Much speculation has surrounded the Manchester club’s salary cap finances, especially this year after the likes of Manu Tuilagi, Sam Hill and Lood de Jager were added to a stellar Sale squad already containing the likes of Faf de Klerk and Tom Curry.
However, Orange has insisted the Sale books are open and that there is nothing to hide as Steve Diamond’s squad head to Harlequins this Friday for the restart of the delayed 2019/20 Premiership season.
Sale are seeking a first Premiership title since 2006 and Orange, whose Manchester-based investment group CorpAcq Ltd took control from previous long-term owner Brian Kennedy in 2016, has outlined the recruitment strategy fuelling Sharks’ bid to win the league.
Appearing on the opening season five episode of The Rugby Pod, Orange told Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton: “When I took over Steve had a small squad and it was 50, 60 per cent of everybody else or the average, had fewer players and probably lesser quality if that is the right word.
Straight in… no hanging about on the sidelines with Manu https://t.co/qXixwbVMFD
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 13, 2020
“So we came up with a strategy that within the cap if we kept it to only 32 players because he has always looked after them well. We have had the lowest injury rate in the league every year as far as I can remember. If you can look after them you don’t need 45 players so we decided on 32 players.
“Say we spent £8.5million – let’s say that is what you could spend with injury dispensations and marquee players and everything else and the academy – if you’re spending £8.5m on 32 players rather than £8.5m on 45 players you’re going to get better players, aren’t you?
“And that is what we have got. Our 32 players can compete against almost any 32 squad in the world. The difference is if we took 20 injuries like say Bath have in the past, then we’d be shooting ourselves in the foot and would be in a bit of trouble. I don’t know what the sums are. Let’s say the average wage is £200,000 in the Premiership, our average at Sale might be £250,000 let’s say because we have got better players but we have only got 32 of them.
“Our books are open to the salary cap manager, we go through it all the time with him. We have no secret deals or anything like that. There is absolutely no pressure on the salary cap. In fact, I’m delighted everybody thinks we are breaking the cap because we must be doing something right with the squad if that is the case.”
The life of @MarkyJ13 fell apart when he learned of the horrific circumstances of his birth.
The ex-England U20s centre talks to @heagneyl about fighting back from drink, drugs, ballooning up to 112kg and finding himself on the brink of homelessnesshttps://t.co/cdx4CZS7rb
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 21, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments