Who are the likely salary cap casualties if Saracens are forced to trim the fat?
Fresh off the back of England’s disappointment in the World Cup final in Yokohama last Saturday, the side’s Saracens contingent have been dealt the further blow of a £5.3m fine and 35-point Premiership deduction for salary cap infractions.
The investigation, which had been going on for the last seven months, found that Saracens failed to disclose payments to players in the 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons and that the club had exceeded the ceiling for payments to senior players during each of those three seasons.
The club has been docked 35 points, which will see them sitting bottom of the table if the punishment isn’t successfully appealed.
In addition to the points deduction – which puts the club, at worst, at risk of relegation, or into Challenge Cup for the 2020/21 season at best – the financial repercussions will have a considerable influence on player recruitment and retention this season.
To use some American sports parlance, Saracens are potentially going to have to make some cap casualties in order to stay compliant in the future.
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The investigation only found infractions during the past three seasons, but the club were still able to strengthen their squad this past summer with the additions of players such as Elliot Daly, Jack Singleton and Rhys Carre. It is reasonable to conclude, barring some significant retirements and/or restructured contracts, that the squad remains very close to the cap.
RugbyPass takes a look below at some of the players who may have to exit Allianz Park at the end of this season as the Gallagher Premiership club looks to balance the books and conform to the league’s salary cap requirements.
Joel Kpoku
The towering lock is one of the best academy prospects to come out of Saracens over the last ten years and he has already been heavily linked with a move to Northampton Saints next season. Not one of Saracens’ current high earners, Kpoku won’t provide much salary cap relief for the reigning Premiership champions, but his loss would be sorely felt moving forward.
Saracens have, on paper, the calibre of player to play their way out of relegation trouble but their availability will be limited https://t.co/nYtLnd5CvN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2019
Liam Williams
He is in the final year of his two-year contract with Saracens and not only is there interest in Wales for the talented full-back, Toulon are also believed to be chasing his signature. Having brought in Daly and boasting some more affordable young players in the back three such as Matt Gallagher and Rotimi Segun, Williams’ excellent spell with Saracens could come to a shorter-than-expected end.
Brad Barritt
One of the club’s most talismanic players, Barritt is also in the last year of his deal. RugbyPass understands that Saracens have extended a new contract offer to the centre, although it is on significantly reduced terms than his current deal. Whether that is as a result of the salary cap investigation or a decision made based upon the player’s age is unknown.
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Alex Goode
Another of the club’s academy products, Goode has been the heartbeat of Saracens over the past decade. Like Williams, he’s in a contract year and the club have some talented players in the back three. If there is a position on the pitch where the club may feel more comfortable making cuts, it could be among the outside backs and full-backs, although it is unlikely they will say goodbye to Goode.
Michael Rhodes
He struggled with injuries last season after he got himself to within touching distance of the England team earlier in his contract. With the likes of Nick Isiekwe and Ben Earl locked up and academy duo Andy Christie and Sean Reffell progressing nicely, Rhodes is potentially a player who could find himself a more lucrative deal elsewhere.
Saracens' owner Nigel Wray has responded to Tuesday's Premiership Rugby Limited salary cap sanctionshttps://t.co/cvTvkGkZb3
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2019
Sean Maitland
RugbyPass understand that Maitland has been offered a contract extension and Saracens seem keen to lock down the former British and Irish Lions winger. With some flexibility in their back three and a number of options at full-back, ensuring they keep Maitland looks like one of the club’s more pressing priorities.
Max Malins
It is safe to assume Saracens will try and find the cap flexibility to extend Malins’ deal, given the impact he has been able to have in his opportunities so far. Again, his versatility could be useful for Saracens, especially if their squad size diminishes at all going into the 2020/21 season. That said, he will be coveted by other clubs in the Premiership.
Saracens have dramatically fallen to the bottom of the Gallagher Premiership rugby table, but they have vowed to fight their corner and appeal the PRL's salary cap sanctions https://t.co/7fSrNbF2Qy
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2019
Tom Woolstencroft
The former age-grade hooker has boosted his profile considerably since making the move to Saracens and with Jamie George regularly away with England, something which could also affect new signing Jack Singleton, keeping hold of Woolstencroft would be a wise move.
He won’t provide the savings that other players’ potential departures could, so he is a reasonable candidate to stay unless another club believes he can be a starting hooker for them and offers him a contract representative of that.
WATCH: Eddie Jones is the popular option to stay in charge of England until 2023
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt 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.
26 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 🤐
19 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….
26 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….
19 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….
84 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!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 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
14 Go to comments